Derry City and Strabane District Council officially opened Brooke Park’s new wheelchair friendly play area to the public this week.
The £135,000 project, including a funding contribution of £45,000 from the Department for Communities, was completed by contractors All Play Ireland and includes a wheelchair friendly swing, a wheelchair see-saw and carousel and a hexagonal rocking plate.
The equipment is an addition to the existing play infrastructure which was upgraded as part of the park’s £6.5 million regeneration works completed in September 2016.
The Wheel Chair Swing will be made accessible to all eligible users following induction and training.
Users will be required to register with Council's Parks Manager, who will give an induction on the safe operational use of this piece of equipment. Thereafter, they will be given a key unlock to the swing for their use.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Maolíosa McHugh, officially opened the play area to the public this week and said he was delighted that the play facilities at the park were now even more accessible to the public.
“I am delighted that wheelchair users from across the City and District can now be accommodated at the play area in Brooke Park,” he said.
“The new wheelchair friendly equipment is state of the art and offers a clean and safe environment for families of disabled and able bodied children to come together and enjoy the outdoors.
“The delivery of an ambitious programme of play areas, across our Council area is a key element of the Strategic Growth Plan and I would like to acknowledge the funding from the Department for Communities which helped make the latest strand of that programme a reality.”
Damian Mulholland from the Department for Communities, (DfC) also welcomed the opening of the play area.
He said: “This new wheelchair friendly play area is a fantastic addition to the recently renovated Brooke Park. It will ensure improved access to the wide range of facilities and services in this beautiful historic park.”
Meanwhile, community representative Dalton Kehoe added: “There is great excitement among the community in Brooke Park as this is the first council facility with disability access for children and it has been widely welcomed by one and all”.
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