why dont parks have a SN swing? advice please

[anniebear]

Ellie is getting a bit big to be lifting in and out of the baby swings

But is not able to go on the other kind

why can't just a few parks have a special needs swing?

Just a higher backed one with a harness

I have just been looking at them and they only cost £79 for the actual seat/rope

Not exactly going to brake the bank

One not too far from us has a roundabout for wheelchair users

Does anyone know were I would write to to ask for one? Would it be the council?

Anniebear - probably the best place to start is the parish council - see if you can find someone who would be interested in applying for funding.
playdale do some excellent swings which are like a net/basket? which can be used by a wide range of children (including SN) - I can't find it on their website (the "DDA" section is under construction) but you could send for a brochure, because it is in there. you might find it easier to find funding for dual prupose equipment.
alternatively, there are harness swings in there too.

Do you know what that's a bloody good point.
I'm going to getvbusy with this too. They just did up the playground at my local park.
I want to look at getting a petition signed maybe. Portage might help mighten they?
Maybe we could put signs up in the park and get people whoi agree that there should be a sn swing could email us and we could send them with the letter?

Am I getting a bit carried away?

My local playground has one of those roundabouts which I thought was very good idea. But no SN swings - maybe whoever is responsible for playgrounds wasn't aware they were available?

Sorry, I mean if they made the effort to install an accessible roundabout, presumably they would have put in an accessible swing if they knew they were available.

one of our local parks has a SN swing frame and it's even marked as a SN swing, but the swing seat is long gone... it's been many years I think.

This isnt going to help you, but... my friend lives in a small village in the middle of nowhere, yet they have a playground where everything is wheelchair accessible or suited for sn. I was so impressed, esp given the location: there must be less call for it than in London, where we are, simply due to the size of the population.

A good idea I will get on to our council and see if they can get some put in, although annie the ones you saw may not be suitable for public parks? and they may be more expensive but that should not stop them imo.

I'd like to see exclusively SN playgrounds and adventure playgrounds for older kids who still like this type of play. Even if there were just a few I would travel within reason. DS likes playground stuff but esp the older equipment like flying fox but there is nowhere that isn't full of the general public. That's OK when your child is young and small but not for us and I wouldn't subject myself to the stress or other people to the "unusual" behaviour! If you do ever see anything for children with disabilities it is physical-disability orientated, not for children or youngsters with learning disability who still play like children iyswim. It would be great to have both.

sorry to but in again imo/ime if you want this kind of facility then it is a better use of time to start applying for funding (having done a bit of research yourself) than setting up petitions tbh. start with the parish council, or you could approach a local body like a disability charity who might be able to give you findraising advice. the lottery fund has a good process for getting small grants quickyl and easily. or you could try the rotary club etc?

I just saw your thread title and it occured to me that the only SN swing seat I've seen in a play area was at Paignton Zoo in an adventure playground bit.

You are right that they should be more widespread.

there are problems with quite a few of the designs around for children with special needs

we have an SN swing at our local playground but it is often vandalised and out of commission cos it is so damn big

also it means that only one person can go on at a time, leading to kids looking suspicious and peeved whenever dd comes into the playground cos they know their parents will start to say 'get off that it's for disabled people' and look pointedly at dd, which really pisses me off and marks her as apart from other kids

wheelchair swings are of limited use cos only wheelchair users can use them, so they sit empty till one comes along, and are no use for kids like dd who have mobility with sticks or aids

an altogether better option is a swing nest, which you see sometimes in indoor play areas but you can get them for outdoors (I'm actually raising money for one as we speak) which is like a large ring with netting inside, hung horizontally, so a whole load of kids can pile in and swing up and down together

it works on the same principle as the level access roundabout, that children of all physical abilities should be able to enjoy the same experiences rather than having Their Swing while everyone else has a wider choice

HC I agree with your post (just read it) there are various places you can apply to

Awards for All is the most obvious but your local CVS should have access to lists of potential funders

Do you have a local residents/community association? The good ones will usually be able to find the right charity/trust/grant to fund something like this. Having at least some of the funding may help sway the council's decision.

Cappucino, that's the type of swing I was rferring to earlier. I agree, a harness swing isn't a good option as it isn't popular with those without SN (as you describe) so it isn't considered a good use of space/money.

yes, Awards for All is excellent. very streamlind process for applying. I got an award last year, might apply for another

I saw one of those swing nests at Beale Farm Park in Reading, they are great! They would be a much better idea for joint use.

sorry harpsi I only scanned the posts cos I'm not really mn-ing

to quote Bridget Jones, 'I'm being very busy and important'

We have a really good special needs playground near us they haven't got many pictures of the outside on the (I think they have just finished doing up the inside and the outside is a bit scruffy but they have swings slides go carts bikes and lots of things to play on.

god that looks amazing beep

Wow! It'd almost be worth moving just for that, Beep.

hc if you cat me maybe we can swop a couple of good trusts?

we are lucky that most parks have a toddler swing - okay as dd1 is still small enough to fit in - have a back and a chain across the front....

HOWEVER

about an hours drive from us a local group like rotary or lions got together with the local council and had a fab special needs park built. Brilliant - caters to children and adults with all manner of impairments. Dd1 loves it - we love it - it is fully fenced with pool fencing and security gates..... BUT it is an hours drive away so heading there is a day out treat.

Perhaps I should lobby our local group and council to build one in our area. Just a thought.

The one near us has things suitable for adults - swings that are propelled with your hands/arms - large enough to seat an adult, a flying fox seat for an adult, water play, sand pit, activities using touch and sound and braille markings on everything, climbing frame and so on.

whoops that was the wrong one.I wondered why you talked of moving to Bristol Cappucino it did look a bit newer ours is great though for £35 a year family membership you get free entrance and you can also hire it for evenings or sunday in the day hop skip jump cotswold