New Beacon Park bouncer opens to children of all abilities

Children of all abilities can now enjoy a new accessible bouncer at Beacon Park following its installation as part of Lichfield District Council’s continued investment in inclusive play.

The new equipment was funded through the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, as part of the council’s Clean and Green programme, with additional support from Jetts 24hr gym and The Rotary Club of Lichfield St Chad through the Boosting Beacon campaign.

Designed to be accessible to a wider range of children, the bouncer aims to give more families the opportunity to play together at one of the district’s most popular parks.

The equipment was officially opened by 15-year-old Grace Riley, who cut the ribbon before trying it out for herself.

Grace, who has Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and uses a wheelchair, said: “I really like the new bouncer in Beacon Park. It’s really fun and it feels like when I was younger before this arthritis got this bad.

“Now I can finally go trampolining again.”

The installation is part of ongoing investment in parks across the district. Beacon Park has also benefited from improvements to play facilities, landscaping and visitor facilities in recent years.

Councillor Phil Whitehouse, Cabinet Member for Operational Services, Parks and Waste, said the new equipment would help make the park more inclusive.

“We want everyone to be able to enjoy all of our parks, and creating more inclusive play spaces is an important part of that commitment,” he said.

“The new accessible bouncer is a fantastic addition to Beacon Park and means even more children can play together, regardless of their abilities.”

Michael Mullarkey, President of The Rotary Club of Lichfield St Chad, said: “We are pleased to give a donation towards this new piece of accessible play equipment in Beacon Park and we hope children will enjoy using it.”

The accessible bouncer is now open for families to use.