WHEN REDHILL, CASTLEFORD WANTED A CHILDREN'S PLAY AREA NOT LOSE A RECREATION GROUND

Twenty-two years ago, a group of us stood together on a rather ordinary patch of grass in Redhill, Castleford, to have our photograph taken for the local newspaper. With four adults were local children. Some had a natural desire to smile at the camera. We told them to avoid doing so; this was a serious matter.

At that time, there wasn't a playground there. There wasn't much of anything there, really.

Wakefield Council cut the grass and there was a single goalpost. Children used the field because it was close to their homes and because, as children tend to do, they made use of whatever space was available to them.

And there was another possible future for that piece of land.

A developer had approached the council about putting an access road across it to serve a proposed housing development.

We thought there was a much better use for it.

The local children wanted to carry on playing there, and we adults wanted to support them. Even more, we wanted a playground there.

Looking at that old newspaper photograph now is rather strange, because I now know the outcome. 

When the photograph was taken, we were still campaigning. We didn't know whether we had won.

A few days later, it was the newspaper that told us.

The campaign for Redhill

The article appeared in the Pontefract and Castleford Express on 12 February 2004 under the headline:

“Residents' cash plea.”

The photograph showed residents gathered together, with the caption naming me (then Glass Houghton councillor Tony Wallis) alongside other members: Maureen, Heather, and Karen, our secretary. Karen is still active in the group today.

The group, called GREAT (Glasshoughton and Redhill Action Team), had been set up by myself and residents a few months earlier to be the voice of the community and to get money for the area from a government fund (SRB VI). 

The newspaper explained that the council had just announced £39,000 had been found to improve the playing field at Redhill Avenue. 

Karen told the newspaper that children had used the land for as long as she could remember and that there were few other suitable places nearby for them to play.

I was quoted as supporting the residents and saying that the money should be put to good use for the benefit of local children.

But the most important quote in the article came from Wakefield Council itself.

The council's recreational development officer, confirmed that the council was committed to improving the recreation area and that money had been allocated to the project.

And then came the sentence that mattered.

The newspaper reported that the council had confirmed it had “no intention of selling off the land to build an access road” for the proposed housing development.

That was the moment we knew our campaign had won. The land would stay as recreation land. The road was not going to be built across it. And the best news of all: there was going to be a play area.

This was a victory and a relief. But it was just the start.

As governor of the local school (Glasshoughton Infant School) I approached the headteacher for advice about consulting the children. Val Shadrack was very helpful. She advised us how to get the children's wishes of which play equipment they wanted without them saying "all of them".

We got them what they chose.

It wasn't an enormous destination playground intended to attract families from miles around. Queen's Park and the Valley Gardens, near the town centre, see to that. It was something much simpler. It was a local place for local children.

Today, the children who were using that field in 2004 are adults. Many will be in their thirties now. Some will have children of their own.

Some children playing on that equipment today do so because their parents' generation asked for somewhere close to play.

The less good news is that after 22 years, the equipment is coming towards the end. It's showing its age.

Perhaps our story needs another chapter. How do we have a decent playground here for the next generation?

The community group still exists. GREAT was always more than a group campaigning for a playground. It is still there, helping the community with its annual fun day, children's Christmas party, hanging baskets, litter picks and more.

Community groups always need new members

The danger with successful community groups is that when they've been going for a long time, people begin to assume they will always be there.

For various reasons, members leave. 

In my years of being involved in groups I've noticed one of the reasons of success is encouraging new members in order to grow and eventually take over the group. I've seen groups who haven't done this fail, while those that do (like GREAT and the Friends of Castleford Library, founded 1998) are still active today.

You don't have to become chairperson, or commit to attending every meeting, you don't need to know anything about committees. The best way to start is to just observe a meeting of the group or help with an activity. It's voluntary, no commitment, just contribute when you can. We always need fresh viewpoints and new ideas.