The playground on the Brother Quirinuslaan in Nooitgedacht is more than ten years old, starts to hoist a bit and is therefore desperately needed to replace. That is why four young mothers have rolled up their sleeves and is the opening of the renewed playground on 10 October.
The current playground came about 12 years ago when the new neighborhood was built. “Playgrounds have a lifespan of about 15 years, so it was already in need of replacement,” says Anne Everts, one of the mothers who is committed to the new playground. “For us it is a dream that our children can play here later.”
It is not only a place to play, but also a meeting place for the neighborhood. “People from the Trans, the institution for people with disabilities, will soon be able to go here. It will be a place for everyone.”
The four women have picked up the entire renewal themselves and there is quite a bit involved. “At the beginning it is a lot of brainstorming, what is the new playground look like? We have looked for examples, so we thought that Kloosterveen has a very nice playground. You then request quotes, let design.
Then there is also the financial picture, because the renovation is a lot more expensive than initially thought. “With the overall picture, we are more than a ton. There are many funds that we have written, where we have sent a project plan. And then see if a bag of money will open there.”
And luckily that bag opened, because the playing fund alone covered half the costs. “That means that we will soon be the first playground in the municipality of Aa and Hunze that will soon connect with the playground network. They also have the fact that people and children with a disability can play and play together.” With a contribution of a number of other funds, the initiators were able to fully pay for the renovation.
Part of the playground equipment that is now used will be used again, but there will soon be a lot of news to admire. “There will be a very nice wooden climbing device and a kind of balancing course in which you can climb. A water playground with a pump and a house is also new. And a number of swings is also new.”
The devices are delivered in the last week of September, then the mothers have a few weeks to get everything in order. “The opening is on October 10, but something has to be done before the time has come.”