Inclusivity was at the heart of every decision made in developing the Outdoor Hub in Gowran, Co Kilkenny, according to Denis Hynes, who chaired the group that developed the facility.
“We said that whatever we do, we would cater for all kids and that no child would be coming up, then being left out, watching their friends play and they not able to play. The castle, the trampoline, everything we got was designed for inclusion so that everyone could play,” he says.
The Hub ultimately cost €585,000 to build and was this year shortlisted for the Best Community-Scale Enhancements award at the Local Authorities Members Association Awards.
Denis says that local people made a great effort to get behind the project and it received funding from a number of sources.
“There is a good, strong community here. e great people came on board and worked tirelessly. We got great assistance from LEADER through Kilkenny LEADER Partnership – we received over €100,000. We also got €250,000 under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. The Council put us forward for that. Kilkenny County Council also gave us an enhancement grant of €45,000,” he said.
The council also helped to ensure the project is accessible.
“We did a walkway all around it that is 330 metres long – for all ages to go running or walking on. We said we’d have to tar it, which cost a lot more, so that anyone in a wheelchair wouldn’t destroy their hands going around it. The local farmers pitched in with donations, so we’ve called it the farmer’s walk,” Denis said.
It was completed with a deficit of €28,000 to be repaid, while there are plans for further development of the site, so fundraising has continued.
“We have a good committee, we’re constantly working, constantly trying to raise money. We had a fundraiser recently that raised over three thousand. We do a Split the Pot each week and that’s bringing us in anything up to €100 a week or thereabouts,” he said.
Only one in Europe
On a personal level Denis was very aware of the importance of including children with additional needs.
“I have a little granddaughter with autism. Noise and things like that can affect them. We have little areas for kids with autism – with little chime bells that make lovely sounds, so they can go in and have their bit of pleasure.
“The castle that we put in is the only one of its kind in Europe. The only one similar to it is in Australia. A child in a wheelchair can access the castle and can go around it. And for kids with autism it is built in a tube to make it safer and if they want to slide down they won’t feel as anxious. We could have just put in an everyday playground, but we didn’t want any child to be left out.”
Organisations in the area that help children with special needs now regularly use the facility.
“We have Saplings just down the road, they look after kids with special needs and autism, and they love it. And Beam in Carlow access it a good bit, they also look after people with special needs. We get tours and school groups visiting. All the feedback is good and our reward is seeing everyone enjoying it, really.”
In general the usage of it has been excellent.
“You’d be amazed the amount of people who would be up there. Some days there would be 100 people. Other days there could be 20, you could go up some mornings and there could be only 10. It’s lovely if you go up and see parents playing tennis while the children are in the sand pit or on the swings or some of the other activities. It’s wonderful to see everyone is enjoying it and it is safe there,” said Denis.
ABOUT LEADER
Since its launch in 1991, LEADER has provided rural communities across the European Union with the resources to enable local partners to actively engage and direct the local development of their area, through community-led local development. In Ireland, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht is responsible for managing the LEADER Programme.
