From the Managers Desk

It has certainly been a hectic start to the year - with floods, cyclones and more rain than we have seen in decades. For those affected, in some cases complete Shires, we offer our sincere sympathies. Luckily we escaped any damage or loss other than not being able to access our office for that wet week, but as I said we were lucky. The persistent wet has slowed down installations with many projects having had several false starts. Our production teams have been very flexible and we thank all our clients for their understanding as we work through our busy production schedule.

As well as the rain January also brought us new product releases from our manufacturing partner – Landscape Structures Inc. With a strong focus on Inclusive Play our new products complement product releases in previous years and emphasize the fact that today’s play areas must cater for all abilities in an “inclusive” manner.

Enhancement to the Weevos range, configurability of the Tree House concept into regular playground design, plus distinct new equipment showcases how Landscape Structures continue to invest in what they believe in.

Much research has been performed to show that children are all the same, regardless of their physical or emotional capability. LSI understand this and have engaged fully in this philosophy by not only developing unique products but also partnering with internationally renowned organizations such as Autism Speaks , Miracle League & Shane’s Inspiration.

Inclusive play is the way of the future, and we are proud to be able to offer these specialist products within our designs. We expect delivery of our first shipment of the Oodle Swing & Omni Spinner in the middle of April, and will be keen to showcase these features as soon as they are available.

We look forward to many new developments over the next few months, new specialist team members, a new office/warehouse facility, as well as a rollout of product development. It’s going to be an exciting year ahead, despite the gloomy start.

Marcel Veraart
Managing Director
 

Value Up - Innovation is Key

In 2011, Playscape Creations can proudly offer a vast range of product solutions to meet the needs of children, teens and adults alike.  Fantastic innovative product that includes children with mobility challenges, and new components and configurations in the Weevos range are just some of the new products and designs launched for 2011. 

Universal playgrounds are key. There are of course a lot of playgrounds that call themselves “accessible” but a playground is not truly universally inclusive unless it encourages children of all abilities to be challenged and play together.

Planning playgrounds that are not only embraced by the community but create a source of community pride can be a hard balance to strike. Inclusive playspace design takes deliberate planning, but the reward is a community play area that embraces every member.

With a high quality in-house design team, we can help you meet a variety of needs in a single recreational space.

Obesity on the Rise

We are hearing all too regularly how obesity is constantly on the increase in our communities.  By encouraging children to get outside and play, we are helping to stimulate an active outdoors lifestyle which will ultimately lead to a healthier community.

It's International Fitness week this week and figures such as 85% of our High School students are not doing enough exercise  are somewhat distressing when we consider ourselves an outdoors nation.  Although Fitness First is offering free 7-day gym passes, providing free access to quality outdoor fitness equipment and designing fitness-focused playgrounds makes a positive, healthy impact on our communities - motivating children and adults to achieve their maximum fitness level for a lifetime of healthier living.

Identifying the importance of designing a recreational space with maximum physical benefits for the whole community will help us make a positive healthy impact on our communities.

We are currently developing modifications to our HealthBeat range to include multi unit stations - reducing the footprint and thus the total cost while still providing you with the highest quality outdoor fitness equipment, with a proven record nationwide.  Stay tuned for release in April.

We also have a large range of fitness options for Primary and Secondary schools.  Unscripted entry and exit points, physically and mentally challenging activities and high visibility for supervisors.

Natural Play

Last year we introduced the Tree House as part of our Natural Play product range.  This year we have configurable components for all ages creating the natural look and feel that has been so popularly received.  These components can be added to existing structures, or incorporated into new Nature Inspired designs

Feature Installation - Evos

The team at Emmanuel College were seeking something innovative and challenging for their new playground.  What better than the Evos range to suit their needs!  Bearing in mind space and budget, the 2193 model was chosen, providing spinning, gliding, climbing and winding activities - all in the one structure.

Feedback from Jason Hewitt, Head of Junior School at Emmanuel College is that the playground has been extremely well received and the children are physically and mentally stimulated by the challenges of the equipment - giving us yet another positive result!

Player Profile - Christine Schoemaker

Christine joined our team towards the end of 2010 and her role in Projects Administration has strengthened our philosophy of offering top quality service from Concept to Completion.  Christine comes with a wealth of operations and administration experience gained locally and overseas, and not only manages to keep our Operations Team informed, in line and on schedule - she manages it with welcome enthusiasm!

The cheery (and highly organised) voice at the other end of the phone now has a face!  Welcome to the team Christine!!