Olympic canoeist Adam Burgess to open £1.5 million park in Staffordshire

The local paddler, who came fourth representing Team GB at Tokyo in 2020, will open Westfield Park in Stone.

He is a member of the park-based Stafford and Stone Canoe Club, which will finish its ‘Paddle to Paris’ at the event.

This involves paddling 619km, which is the distance from the club to the canoe slalom venue in Paris.

The public will be able to help them reach their goal with canoe slalom rowing machines available.

There will be a range of entertainment on the day, with a variety of stalls as well as a 'skate jam' on the wheeled sports bowl and some sports taster sessions.

Development of the park finished in December 2023, but it will open officially on April 27 at 10am, with events running until 2pm.

The £1.5 million refurbishment will be larger than the old park, with a range of equipment for all ages - including a tower and tube slide, integrated mini trampoline, boulder scramble, tyre swing, and climbing blocks. The double zip wire runs for more than 30 metres.

The park also now has a multi use games-area, which is available for five-a-side football, basketball and tennis.

It also features an extensive new pathway way network with routes of varying lengths around the park, new signage, new street furniture, picnic areas, as well as on site toilets, and enhanced landscaping.

Adam Burgess will be joined by fellow paddler Chris Bowers who won a gold medal at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in 2018. He will be aiming for gold medals at Paris later this year.

More information about the opening can be seen at staffordbc.gov.uk/westbridge-park-a-destination

By Murthaza Ali-Hassan