Acorn Group supports BBC DIY SOS Community Project
The BBC DIY SOS team recently undertook a “Big Build” to demolish and rebuild The Spinney Play Centre in Ravensthorpe, Peterborough. The centre had been used by children’s and community groups until it was forced to close earlier this year when the City Council withdrew its funding as part of its budget cuts. The new centre is to be run by the Little Miracles charity providing specialist support and play equipment to families with disabled children and other groups within the local community.
Tree officers from Enterprise Peterborough undertook a survey of the site and asked our Peterborough based teams if we would be willing to get help out in this worthwhile project, we were more than happy to oblige.
Our tree surgery teams were involved in the project from the very beginning, crown lifting trees and removing vegetation to allow access and egress to the site. Over the course of the three week build we were on hand to carry out varied and extensive work. To the front of the building we crown lifted a mature Oak and a Maple to allow for the increased roof height of the new structure, we also pruned back overhanging branches and removed dead/dangerous trees from the perimeter of an all-weather football pitch, set in the shelterbelt. Trees within the grounds were removed to make way for new specialist play equipment and a fence made from poles of pine trees driven in to the ground was shaped in a wave pattern under the instruction of Chris Bradshaw, the landscape gardener.WP_000141WP_000137
Every member of the Peterborough team was involved at some stage of the build, with Dave Newton and Richard Routen staying back late in the evening to make seats, benches and other wood features as the project neared completion.
At the end of the build we had a brief chance to witness the opening of the site and see what it meant to the families and children who are going to get to use this facility. They were overwhelmed by what had been achieved by the DIY SOS team and all of the tradesman and companies involved, and urged us all to return so they could thank us in person.