Youngsters Keira and Kendra will be just two of the many children to enjoy an all-abilities playground planned to be built at Errington Reserve in St Albans by next year. 84319 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By NATALIE GALLENTI
CHILDREN of all abilities will soon be able to play side by side in St Albans thanks to an initiative announced by the Touched by Olivia Foundation last week.
The charity group revealed it would open its first inclusive playground in Victoria in 2013 allowing children and adults with special needs to have a secure and safe environment to enjoy.
The playground is part of a broader scheme to revamp Errington Reserve and will be funded in partnership with Commonwealth Bank Australia, with Brimbank Council allocating space for the facility in its recent master plan.
Touched by Olivia Foundation playground project manager Rebecca Ho said the group was established five years ago after a couple lost their baby daughter Olivia at only eight-months-old to a rare illness.
Ms Ho said the group had established all abilities playgrounds throughout Australia and this would be the first of its kind in Victoria.
“We didn’t want to stop at just one,” she said.
“It will be an amazing asset for children in this community.”
She said the concept behind an inclusive playground is to enable children and parents of all abilities and ages to play side-by side on the same equipment, ensuring integration of children and families with special needs.
Ms Ho said the playground would cater for vision, hearing and mobility impairments as well as spectrum disorders.
“It will really encourage socialisation and allow children to play in a safe and beautiful way.”
The Commonwealth Bank became involved after asking staff how they would like to give back to local communities to help mark their Centenary year, and the playground was one of 10 winning ideas chosen.
Thao Parsons, St Albans CBA branch manager, encouraged the community to get behind the project and said it would benefit not only Brimbank residents but also the wider community.
Ms Parsons said the state-of-the-art playground would give local residents a sense of pride and may help reduce the negative stigma sometimes attached to St Albans.
The playground will include a secure playing area, a retreat/safe zone and an upgrade to existing amenities.
