Age proves no barrier to play

People young and old had fun together at a play day held on the Burgage, Southwell.

The event, organised by Southwell Town Council, featured play equipment for people of all ages.

It was supplied by the Finnish play company, Lappset, from its age 0-100 range.

Mr Ray Pearson (85) of Burgage Close, Southwell, tried out features of the equipment designed specifically for older people.

They included a step with a handle bar above so people can pull themselves up, a seat that allows people to practise leg and arm movements and a twisting bar to stimulate movement in the arms.

There was also a panel with a series of gaps, designed to help people with arthritis to improve movement in their fingers.

Mr Pearson said the equipment would be good for older people.

“It allows you to exercise without taking a lot out of yourself while doing it,” he said.

“It is a good idea. Just because you’re getting old, you don’t have to vegetate.”

He said it would help to keep people feeling younger.

“You don’t just want to sit in a corner and wait for them to carry you off,” he said.

“If you think old, you will get old.”

Also enjoying the equipment, which was laid out in a series of interconnecting walkways, were Lowe’s Wong Junior School pupils Thomas Byrne (7) William Prentice (6) and Max Prentice (10) and their sister Holly Prentice (11) a pupil at the Minster School.

Max thought the equipment was cool.

He said: “I enjoyed the high bars the best. I would like to have something like this in Southwell.”

Southwell Town Council wants to buy a piece of play equipment for the park at Norwood Gardens.

A member of the council, Mrs Beryl Prentice, said: “We are looking to purchase some exciting, flexible equipment for different community groups to improve the Norwood Gardens play area.”

She said the Lappset equipment had proved popular.

“Something like this would be lovely. We want to have something that all ages can play on,” she said.

Mrs Prentice said they would look for grants to help pay for the equipment.

The cost of the Lappset equipment on display at the Burgage would be £8,900.

Mr Mark Chapman, the company’s area sales manager, said a lot of development work had been carried out in Finland about how to involve elderly people in play.

He said the 0-100 equipment was particularly popular in Spain, where it was used as a physiotherapy tool.