The Playpark Donations Page.

Here is our new Mirage Roundabout!

Here's young Costa aged 8 from Totnes enjoying a spin on our new lighter weight specialist roundabout called
Mirage produced by a firm called SMP. The designers worked closely with children who have cerebral palsy.
Hence the seats are carefully contoured to support users who may have physical weaknesses. The height of the seats
is calculated so that people in wheelchairs may be able to transfer across into the seat. It's altogether a very promising piece of equipment which we hope will be tested out by visitors to the play park. The funds came from The RTR Foundation, the Baily Thomas Charitable Fund and The Albert Hunt Trust to whom we extend our grateful thanks.

Councillor Jill Owen (seen right in the photo) donated nearly £5,000 to buy and instal our second nest swing.
Her colleague Councillor Lesley Robson on the left and children from Countess Wear School came to put the swing
through its paces! Jill Owen has already donated a generous £5,000 towards the cost of the Playpark shelter.

Local children from Southbrook School have been busy helping us to plant hundreds of crocus corms in the Playpark as part of the 'Focus on the Crocus' campaign organised by Rotary International Great Britain and Ireland.
Rotary Day was held on 23rd February when our
park was filled with purple flowering crocus plants.
The Ruby Giant ‘purple' crocus represents the dye colour dabbed on children's little ‘pinkie' finger to indicate they have been immunised against polio in the few
remaining parts of the globe since Rotary International commenced its campaign in 1985.
The crocus planting has been a learning experience for
the local school students - polio has been eradicated
in this country before they were even born.

Just what we needed to brighten up The Playpark. Thank you to everyone who helped.


The weather was
chilly on the day that
Mrs. Joyce Hall came along to see the tree planted in memory of
her late husband Brian .

But there were warm smiles all round.
Thank you Mrs. Hall x .

Mrs Hall reading the plaque. It reads :-
Betula Albosinensis Fascination Planted in loving memory of Brian Hall
1922 -2009 Friend and Trustee in many capacities to the Exeter
and District Mencap Society and the Mencap County Group.

This excellent hard wearing, trampoline was recently installed at The Playpark, much to the delight of

people of all ages and all abilities. See above, toddlers, sea cadets and Kenneth Ashburner 80+ all having fun.
Children in Need money and donations from Devon Waste Management Ltd, The Pennon Group and SWEET
(South West England Environmental Trust through Landfill Communities Fund) have all contributed towards
the cost of this most welcome piece of inclusive equipment. Thank you.
Also thanks must go to Exeter City Council Parks Department, for it is they who ensure that the
trampoline is properly maintained. They visit on a regular basis to check and see that all is well.

Cause for great celebrations when Countess Wear schoolchildren came to help
June and Kenneth Ashburner plant their donated trees in The Playpark.
Several special trees have been donated to the park from Stone Lane Gardens & Arboretum. Mr and Mrs. Kenneth Ashburner came to the Playpark on Thursday March 11th last year, to watch as willing children from the Countess
Wear Community School lent a hand with the planting. We are sad to hear recently of Kenneth's death.

Paul Faulkner from the City Council and his men were there to oversee the event and a good time was had by
everyone. A new visitor to our playground is young Katy whose Mum thinks that the park is just what her
disabled daughter needs. Katy had a super time on the nest swing. Look at that happy smile.
The Playpark now has some wonderful birches and alders planted, given by friends, that will grow as
our children grow. Giving dimension, colour and shade as children laugh and play. Thousands of
leaves to come and hopefully thousands of youngsters to come and have fun whatever their abilities.
We have received generous donations from the following :-

A big thanks goes to Waitrose and their customers for this £520 donation. Sidmouth Waitrose shoppers chose
The Playpark as their monthly favourite charity during the Community Matters Scheme instore in November.
Donations like this are crucial to us.

Take a look at these 2 videos to see what our wonderful Playpark has to offer.Click to white arrows to start
the videos playing. Thank you Joshua Gaunt and Stuart Dawson for all your hard work and perseverence.

Foot Anstey Solicitors of Exeter have generously given us through
Exeter Mencap Society legal advice and expertise without charge.

The Rank Foundation

Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust

Grateful thanks to the Kathleen Lawrence Charitable Trust
and to .... Gwyneth Moxon Charitable Trust, also to Mouth Foot Painting Artists

The Rotary Club of Exeter Enterprise and The Rotary Club of Exeter - Southernhay
A thousand thanks must go to Exeter City Council for their help in getting
the project off the ground in the first place and for their ongoing work in keeping The Playpark
the wonderful place that it is today. They cut the grass, empty the litter bins for us and collect litter from
the site. And because of them, the sand gets swept regularly. Three cheers for Exeter City Council !!   

The Provincial Grand Lodge of Devonshire have generously given
us a donation of £1,500 towards our wheelchair accessible
trampoline fund. Thank you so much !!  

The Baily Thomas Charitable Trust
  
 The Clothworkers’ Foundation of London     The Beatrice Laing Trust
Sir John and Lady Amory’s Charitable Trust

The Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation
 Coutts Charitable Trust     David Solomons Charitable Trust

Special thanks go to DCC Councillors O Foggin, V Newcombe, J Owen,
S Spence, &  R Westlake at Devon County Council


Devon Early Years and Childcare     The Devonian Trust     The Elmgrant Trust        

Royal Mencap Exeter Round Table
The Charles Shorto Charitable Trust Exeter Dispensary and Aid in Sickness Fund

 Garfield Weston Foundation    
 The Gemini Radio Charitable Trust   
     
Jill Pendleton photographer who gave us this website. Most of the photos on it are her's.

 The Rayne Foundation The Hedley Foundation Pennon Group plc

  I & J Webber + friends NAS Exeter and East Devon Branch

The Norman Family Charitable Trust      Claude & Margaret Pike Charity
   
St James Fellowship 
  
Tesco Charity Trust  The Trusthouse Charitable Foundation

B & C Turvey, family and friends     Wonford Green Lodge    
 Devon Wooden Spoon   The Alchemy Foundation

A most generous donation has come our way from the Craft Lodges of Devon, and here we have a
photo of Mr. Michael Penny, Grand Master of the Lodges presenting the cheque for £1,500 to Miriam. This is a good start towards our wheelchair accessible ground level trampoline fund. On the
left is Ian Webber who is the Resettlement and Development Manager of Shilhay, who recently ran the London Marathon, and gave the Playpark some
of the money that he raised. He and his wife Jayne have been very generous to us. Jayne has run
coffee mornings and other fund raising events, and we are so very grateful for such help. Thank you all.
Thanks to the Crediton Country Courier for the photo

Once again Miriam would like to say a
HUGE THANK YOU to Nick Baxter-Sibley
of Signs Express of Exeter for his
generosity in supplying yet more signs for The Playpark so that we can stay on the
right side of Health and Safety guidelines.
People like Nick and his wife Marion
make such a difference to our lives with
their giving ways. It seems that for the Playpark at least, nothing is too much trouble. THANK YOU NICK x

If you have given to The Playpark and you wish to be mentioned here, perhaps with a logo and
hyperlink, then do please get in touch with Miriam, and she and I will arrange it.