Rainton Meadows, Durham Wildlife Trust's flagship nature reserve is free for everyone to visit and funded from the support of our generous members. Our wild play area was installed many years ago and has become a well-loved and widely asset to the local community and loved by visitors from further afield . Having access to fun & interesting play area is hugely beneficial to children, helping them connect with nature, stay active & offers another level of enjoyment to visitors to the nature reserve. Unfortunately the wooden frame is deteriorating and starting to rot. It has been deemed unsafe and has been closed. We know many of you really enjoy using the play area and are upset that its not available . To reopen, the entire large structure needs to be replaced. We have already removed the smaller one. Without this funding, we cannot afford to replace the play equipment and it will remain closed indefinitely, disappointing many families. We need your help to bring wild play back.

What we'll deliver:

• Replace the unusable play equipment with a new more sustainable replacement
• Provide a safe and challenging play space for children who visit Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve

Why it's a great idea:

The new play area will provide a great play space for families with children, offering an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. Active, adventurous and challenging play is hugely beneficial for child development as well as mental and physical health. The play area will be a safe free space for families to enjoy, meet relatives, spend time together and socialise. For visiting schools and community groups, it is an opportunity for the children to play together in a different setting, explore, take calculated risks and challenge themselves, adding extra value to their trip. The play area attracts new people, introducing them to the nature reserve and boosts the local economy with potential sales in the gift shop and café. This helps to support our work to protect nature. The reserve welcomes many new visitors each year who really value the fantastic facilities on offer from the Trust and the opportunity to enjoy time in nature for free, thanks to support from partners and members.

Steps to get it done:

• Getting a contractor to design and build the playarea
• Deciding on design and materials
• Set construction deadlines
• Remove old play area
• Complete construction of new play area

If we were to get more money than needed, we can invest in additional exciting features for the play area, including equipment and activities. We are going to look carefully at the natural materials that we make the play area out of to ensure it has longevity and durability. We want to ensure the reserve play area stands the test of time and still retains the natural look and feel that everyone has known and loved as 'wild play'.