Our Collaboration with Barratt Homes to Build More Inclusive Playgrounds
Students from Percy Hedley School and Northern Counties School have been working closely with Barratt Homes to help to create more inclusive and accessible playgrounds.
A few months ago, surveys were distributed across the schools to gather valuable feedback on how often students visited playgrounds, what attracted them to go and what their favourite parts were.
In November, the students were invited to visit two playgrounds in Morpeth that Barratt had developed, with the aim of providing feedback on how accessible they were and identifying any suggestions for improvement.
Then, it was time to present their findings. Our students arrived at the Barratt Homes offices in Gateshead to meet with the organisation’s directors, including those in charge of planning and development to present their thoughts.
With confidence and pride, our students shared their feedback—highlighting that the swings were a hit! They also offered valuable suggestions for improvements, such as creating more accessible paths, wheelchair-friendly roundabouts, and incorporating more sensory elements. The directors were keen to hear their insights and asked thoughtful follow-up questions, sparking an open discussion on how to make community spaces accessible for everyone.
The feedback gathered will play an integral role in shaping the design of a new playground, with our students providing exceptional guidance that will make a lasting impact.
This collaboration with Barratt Homes is just one of many opportunities we’ve had to work together. Previously, our students contributed to the creation of an inclusive room in a show home in Durham, and two of our students even participated in work placements with the organisation.
Carl Sobolewski, managing director of Barratt and David Wilson Homes North East said:
“Our continued work with Percy Hedley is hugely important to us, as it is one that sits very close to our hearts. We’re thrilled to be working with the students again, especially on a project which truly allows their creativity to shine such as this one. We were very impressed with their thorough evaluation, which has given us really valuable insight to move forward with as we look to improve future playground accessibility and design.
“We’re excited to see the students’ designs come to life further down the line, and we look forward to our continued work with the talented students and team at Percy Hedley.”
If you or your business are interested in learning more about partnering with the Percy Hedley Foundation, you can find out more here: