Frome Town Council’s ranger team have been hard at work in Welshmill Woods, installing new play equipment among the trees. The inspiration for the project came from Year Two pupils at St John’s First School, who worked with FTC’s Wild About Trees Officer Helen Viner in 2023 to create designs and models of their vision for the space. The formal opening will take place on Thursday 23rd May, once all elements from the children’s designs, including a pirate ship, mud kitchen and storytelling circle, are in place.
The project follows the installation of 12 ‘fairy doors’ around the woods in 2023, created in partnership with Frome Men’s Shed, providing a trail/treasure hunt for children and families to enjoy. Both projects aim to integrate play and family activities at Welshmill Woods, while retaining the natural structure and character of the woods. Helen Viner said:
“The children had such brilliant ideas for the woods and it’s been a lot of fun developing some of their ideas and turning them into reality. We’re particularly excited to install the mud kitchen and the amazing pirate ship – the rangers have been absolutely brilliant and we can’t wait to see the play equipment in use. No trees were cut down for this project; all the wood has been recycled and repurposed and we’ve managed to upcycle some old play equipment, too.”
A pupil who took part in the woodland design project last year said:
“We enjoyed designing and making equipment that we’d like to see at Welshmill. It was all really exciting!”
Cllr Carla Collonette said “Our talented rangers have taken the ideas of some very talented young people and made the beautiful space at Welshmill even better and more interactive. This integrated play space brings people and nature closer together, provides quality family time and boosts moods. We hope it will inspire the younger generation to love and care for our natural spaces, which is more important than ever.”
The integrated play equipment at Welshmill Woods is currently under construction, The formal opening is due to take place on Thursday 23rd May. Find out more about Frome Town Council’s Play Strategy at https://bit.ly/FTCplaystrategy
