New education and play facilities to be added to country parks across Northamptonshire

A number of new education and play facilities will be added to country parks across Northamptonshire as part of a project to encourage residents to improve their mental and physical health.

As part of the Active Parks Project, Northamptonshire County Council has already completed improvement works at Irchester Country Park and is also planning additional facilities at a number of the county’s other parks.

Plans are in place to build a new education shelter at Sywell Country Park, which will provide school classes and other community groups with a space for outdoor learning and activities, when it is safe to do so.

The shelter will have a roof shaped like a leaf and wooden beams that are part of the structure.

A spokeswoman for Northamptonshire County Council said: “The new education shelter to be installed at Sywell Country Park is part of the Active Parks Project.

“The project is being delivered by Northamptonshire Country Parks working in partnership with Northamptonshire Public Health and Northamptonshire Sport and is providing opportunities to the counties’ residents to improve their physical and mental health.

“The project is working with a wide range of organisations including schools, long term health condition groups, carers groups, mental health charities and sports clubs.

“The education shelter will provide a space that can be used by the team to work with school groups and other organisations to support outdoor learning and other activities to improve mental and physical health.”

As well as improvement works at Irchester Country Park, additional play equipment has also been added.

In the near future, toddler specific play areas will be installed at Barnwell and Fermyn Woods Country Parks, too.

The council spokeswoman added: “As part of the Active Parks Project we have also enhanced the education area at Irchester Country Park.

“We have also installed new wild play equipment out in the woodland at Irchester Country Park to help parents encourage their children to walk and explore.

“New toddler play areas are also being installed at both Barnwell and Fermyn Country Park in the coming weeks.”

As part of the new educational building at Sywell, children can get involved by designing a roof boss.

To find out more about this competition, search Northamptonshire Country Parks on Facebook.

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