Sutton Courtenay’s new play, sports and fitness equipment opens

On Wednesday 21st December at 11am the Chairman of Sutton Courtenay Parish Council, Councillor Rita Atkinson, will cut the ribbon to officially open the new equipment at the Old Wallingford Way Recreation Ground.

The Recreation Ground, which is owned by the Parish Council, previously had a rather small and tired play area, plus a multi-use games area (MUGA) and a skate park. Following a £315,000 refurbishment the northern side of the site now has a large fenced play area with over 15 pieces of equipment designed for children aged 2-14 years; a new MUGA; a new BMX pump track; a 4 person carousel; new shelters, benches and improved access from the car park with a footpath linking the areas.

The project has been financed with a £100,000 grant from FCC Communities Foundation; a £10,000 grant from National Lottery Awards for All England; £97,000 from developers’ contributions (60% of which had been tied to providing recreational facilities) and £78,000 of public funds held by the Parish Council, the majority of which had been saved up over recent years.

At the south west corner of the Recreation Ground, thanks to a grant of £30,000 from the Sutton Courtenay National Power Trust an outdoor fitness area has been installed with 6 activity stations. Visitors can download an app from Kompan Ltd which enables them to download videos and tips on how to use the equipment.

Recreation Ground Upgrade

The play area, MUGA and skate park will be closed from Monday 5th September 2022 to allow a new equipment to be installed, including a new BMX track. The skate park will remain but needs to be closed off during the work. The wider recreation ground will remain open.