The refurbished outdoor space full of play equipment, seating, and greenery is now available to use by all residents at the Young Parents scheme on Bullingdon Road which has been run by A2Dominion since 2021. It has 10 units of accommodation, supporting young parents aged 16-24 and their children for up to two years.
Esher, 21, has lived at the scheme since June 2022, said: “Having a new built playground here at Bullingdon Road will allow time for me to bond with my child in a safe environment. This will promote play and allow the families here to grow and support each other.”
Residents shared their feedback on how the space could be improved and this has resulted in an area everyone can enjoy with swings, sand boxes, flower beds and picnic benches.
Jo Evans, Director of Specialist Housing, said: “We’re delighted with the new space and so are our residents. The transformation provides a safe environment for children to enjoy the outdoors and for adults to unwind.”
An official opening event was attended by Oxford City Council’s sheriff Cllr Mark Lygo, who is also Oxford County Councillor for Marston & Northway, members of Oxford County Council’s quality improvement team and A2Dominion partners.
Cllr Mark Lygo said: “It was an absolute honour to be invited to the opening of the playground knowing that the young families will benefit from playing outside. A special thank you to all of the staff involved in the project.”
The new playground was made possible through the Great Places to Live Fund. It provides funding to inspire, innovate and implement new works and projects that help improve customer satisfaction in the homes and places we manage.
The fund also enables colleagues, partners and residents to work more closely together to co-design projects and proposals that meet our vision to create homes and neighbourhoods that are safe, high quality and sustainable.