Revitalised outdoor play area at Whitefield Children’s Centre boosts Early Years Provision

The Early Years team at Whitefield Children’s Centre has been revitalising its garden to create a new play area designed to give young children the best possible start in life.

When complete, the spruced-up space will provide a safe environment where children can learn, play and enjoy exercise in the fresh air. The transformation reflects Bury Council’s commitment to delivering high-quality family support in local communities.

Whitefield Children’s Centre is a key provider of Early Years support to Bury children, and a vital resource for local families. The centre in Ribble Drive offers sessions designed to nurture early development — ranging from baby sensory play and storytelling to speech and language support and school readiness activities.

However, until now the centre has only been able to offer indoor facilities, as the outdoor space has been too overgrown for children to play on.

Recognising how important safe outdoor play areas are for children’s development, Early Years Team manager Samantha McClaren and her colleague Sharon Walton were determined to do something about it.

Sharon contacted the Sunnywood Project, and they helped her reach out to local construction consultancy Turner and Townsend, who helped renovate a Family Hub last year and were looking for a new community initiative to support through their Corporate Responsibility Day of volunteering.

A group from Turner and Townsend joined Samantha and Early Years team members Danielle, Amanda and Jo, and together they rolled up their sleeves to clear the grassy area, remove unsafe equipment, and cut back the weeds, even discovering a hidden path which had been buried in the undergrowth. Another local business, Diggers in Radcliffe, pitched in to provide the power tools and in no time the area was transformed.

Thanks to this collective effort, the area was cleared in a single day, and now has a safe, revitalised outdoor space where children will be able to run, play, ride bikes, and enjoy physical and activities linked to the centre’s sessions.

“We are delighted to be able to bring this area back into use,” said Samantha. “We now have a safe, accessible space and we could not have achieved this so quickly without the support of the volunteers and local businesses, who worked hard throughout the day to get this done. We are grateful to them, and excited to now be able to offer outdoor play activities to children and families.”

Councillor Lucy Smith, cabinet member for children and young people, said: “I am proud of the hard work and dedication shown by our Early Years team and the local volunteers who came together to transform the outdoor play space at Whitefield Children’s Centre.

“Bury’s Early Years provision plays a vital role in offering support to families. By investing in safe, well-equipped play spaces and offering a range of programmes and activities, we aim to help every child to reach their potential.

“The community spirit shown in this project also perfectly reflects Bury Council’s LET’S Do It policy — bringing people together to support our neighbourhoods and improve the lives of our children. It’s wonderful to see how working together can create a positive, lasting impact for families in Bury.”

Tony Parry from Turner & Townsend added: “Our team enjoyed giving back to the community again this year. It’s amazing to see the difference a few hours’ work can make. We’re proud to support the Early Years team in Whitefield and help create a space where children can enjoy themselves.”

There are plans to add new outdoor equipment and extend activities, reaching even more families in the local area. The Early Years Team welcomes families who would like to get involved and benefit from the range of support, play sessions and resources the centre offers.

More details about Bury’s Early Years activities can be found here: Bury Universal / Universal Plus Family Offer 0 – 5 Years

ENDS

Press release issued: 4 September 2025.