Happy returns from so many
Taplow: Playground charity marks its 40th anniversary
Thames Valley Adventure Playground celebrated its 40th anniversary on Saturday with its first open day since COVID-19 struck.
The playground provides exciting activities for children with all types of disability or special needs – and is not normally open to the wider public.
But on Saturday, TVAP threw open its doors and welcomed 350 families to play on its equipment, such as its zip line and hard play areas.
A particular favourite was its wet play area, equipped with water fountains and squirty guns.
Visitors also enjoyed the specialised bikes – for some, this was their first experience riding a four-wheel bike, so was ‘quite the novelty’.
As well as its regular features, the playground also introduced some classic school fete features, including a barbecue and facepainting as well as a magic
school.There were also crafts, party games, karaoke and music, a teddy tombola and raffle.
The aim was to raise awareness of TVAP – which people who do not use might be otherwise unaware of, said Keith Hanks, TVAP’s engagement and fundraising manager.
“It was a chance for those who might pass us along the road but have never been in to see what we offer,” he said.
“The more people that know we’re here, the better. We have to be honest and say that in the future they may choose to support us and the work we do.
“We’ve had a lot of feedback from people saying, ‘It was fantastic, thank you so much,’ from a much wider selection of people than we would hear from usually.”
There were also visits from some of its now-adult former regulars, as well as from the extended family of its current cohort of users.
“It was an opportunity for them to come along and see what their nieces and nephews get up to, which they wouldn’t normally have,” said Keith.
The event was part and parcel of a set of events throughout the year that celebrate 40 years for TVAP, culminating in a black-tie ball in November.
It also happens to be the first time the playground has held an open day since 2019, because of COVID.
“If you look through history, you can see we had one play worker and roughly a dozen children showed up,” said Keith. “In the last year before COVID, we had about 15,000 visits a year.
“That shows the demand and the need for it. Children are coming in huge numbers from all over, because there’s nothing like this in their local area.”