An adventure playground that has been closed since December 2023 is now being cleaned by local volunteers. The St Pauls Adventure Playground clean up is being led by the current playground director but no information has been shared as to when the playground will reopen to the community.
After almost a year of closure many of the wooden structures have begun to rot. The volunteers from the church who received help from local roofers, pulled down some of the structures, cleared leaves from the site and are trying to secure the community asset from trespassers earlier this week.
The recent activity in the playground was shared in a Facebook Post by St Agnes Church and showed volunteers and the playground’s current director, Sharon Benjamin, who is also part of the church congregation, clearing wooden structures and leaves. The local community was advised to contact the church to volunteer in future sessions.
The A.P.E Project CIC has managed the playground since 2018 following a community asset transfer from Bristol City Council which had previously funded the youth service since it first opened in the 1970s. A.P.E has not updated its Facebook page since January 3, 2024 in a post stating ‘We are now closed and will update in the coming weeks when we re-open for sessions.’
The St Pauls Adventure Playground website account has now been suspended but A.P.E CIC remains active on Companies House. The playground was subject to constant closures throughout 2023 and all previous A.P.E directors resigned that year except Sharon Benjamin who was appointed in February 2023 is now the sole director of A.P.E CIC who is responsible for St Pauls Adventure Playground.
On October 13, St Agnes Church announced the next ‘working party’ at the playground will take place between 9am to 5pm on Saturday October 26. Volunteers who would like to help with the revamp of the playground have been advised to bring their own PPE.
Over the last year multiple attempts have been made by Bristol Live to contact directors of the A.P.E project. Bristol Live has approached St Agnes Church and is currently waiting for a response.