Gayton News

From Norfolk RCC

Gayton News - What's it all about

If you are reading this then clearly the word is spreading about a project to upgrade the play area in Gayton and a local website. I think that you would all agree that this is long overdue and there are a number of residents who have decided to try and do something about it. The website is for Gayton and is intended to be used as another focal point for the village and for those who may visit the area. It will allow people to communicate through another media and give people outside the area the chance to see what Gayton has to offer.

As a resident I feel that the play area effects everyone in the village and we have an opportunity to create an area that can be enjoyed by all. The number of children in the village will only increase and providing an area to channel their energies is essential. I have lost count of the number of times i have heard people state there is nothing for the children to do. We all now have the chance to change this......

There have been instances of anti social behaviour in the village which includes graffiti, damage to the church windows, and damage to residents windows and clearly these types of issues affect us all.

You will see that the current play area from the photos above is in a very poor state and our goal is to bring two distinct activity areas one for younger children/toddlers and one for the older children "teens". The areas provided will be wheel chair friendly and will cater for those people with disabilities. The areas will also include a welcome message and a code about the use of the areas.

We have consulted with Gayton 1st School and the children have provided us with some ideas with what they would like to see.

The older children are also being consulted and we have secured the help of our local Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Sally Callaby. She is going to be patrolling during the holidays and will be actively seeking ideas from anyone she comes across during her patrols and in particular the older children.

Gayton 1st School has come up with a list of names to name the toddler/younger childrens area they are as follows:

• GAYTON PLAYTON
• GAYTON PLAYTOWN
• GAYTON PLAYCITY
• GAYTON ADVENTURE PARK
• GAYTON SOCIAL PARK

We are hoping that the older children in the village can come up with a name for the second activity area. By consulting with the children and bring them onboard we hope to guarantee that the equipment purchase will be less likely to be damaged.

It is essential that we get feedback about the project and what you would like to see. You will see a feedback section on the website please drop us a line and let us know your thoughts, we really do want to hear from everyone and please spread the word about the website.

We are looking to raise funds of £150,000 pounds to get both areas constructed and it is essential that we show that we have tried to raise funds from within our own community. The project group will shortly be sending out a letter to every resident outlining what we would like to acheive and providing further information about how we intend to raise the funds. There are a number of grant schemes available and applications are now in the process of being submitted but we need to ensure that what ever we do we provide the equipment that the children will want to play on and look after.

So to conclude please please spread the word and give us your views so that we can take these into account.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and we look forward to hearing from you..

If you would like to help with the group then please get in contact or visit our website on http://www.gaytonnews.co.uk