The vision for Bere Regis' new play park began in November 2011 when Robin Pitcher, one of our Parish Councillors, offered to take on the task of renewing the existing play park in Elder Road which was coming to the end of its useful life. In January 2012, the Bere Regis Community Play Association (BRCPA) was formed as a sub-committee of the Parish Council. It comprised like-minded parents who wanted to regenerate the park. The design was to be led by the wishes and ideas of the children who would play in it.
The children at Bere Regis school were asked to design their dream park and it was these ideas that inspired sculptor Andy Frost to create the unique designs for our play park. In under a year, BRCPA raised just over £40,000 from various grant-making bodies and by holding many varied functions - from cake sales, to race nights, saucy bingo to secret garden parties.
On a very cold, wet day at the end of December, a group of intrepid parents and teenagers took on the task of removing the old equipment, some of which is to be refurbished and put in the school play ground. Andy Frost and his team then moved in during January and began to install the new designs and the grand opening was held on 2nd March 2013.
The children from both the school and Raggamuffins Pre-School have left their mark on the park by designing their own individual plaques which are now displayed around the fence. Their imaginations have become a reality in what is named the "Amizing Prack", which is what one of the children had headlined a drawing made some months before!
