Play Consultation in Dromore West

Children from West Sligo came together at Dromore West Community Centre on a fun-filled afternoon to discuss, draw and paint how they liked to play and what they would like to see in the area to make play even better. Nine national schools in the area were invited to send representatives to the seminar on 17th September which was organised by the Dromore West Playground Committee in conjunction with Sligo County Council. The purpose was to consult children from the local area regarding their play habits and their requirements for a proposed playground development in Dromore West The event was organised in line with the National Children's Strategy which states that children and young people should be consulted on issues which impact on their lives.
   
Grace Mulligan, secretary of the Playground Committee, welcomed the participants aged from 5 to 12 years and the members of the ISPCC, commissioned to facilitate the event. The ISPCC facilitators used a variety of methods including arts and crafts, discussion time and story boards to illicit what the children enjoyed, what type of play facilities they used and what type of facilities they would like to see in their own area. Volunteer supervisors from the local area also attended, including the chairman of the Playground Committee Padraig Hallinan, to ensure the event was conducted as safely and productively as possible.

During the event children described what they liked about the play facilities they had visited outside the area such as Enniscrone, Sligo Town and Ballina. They felt that a new play facility should be available to children free of charge and be open until it gets dark. They felt that they would use a play facility every day if it was available in Dromore West, as it would be easy to get to. They requested that the colours used to decorate a play facility be bright and interesting and that it should include a sheltered area such as an activity hut, tree house and playhouse in the likely event of bad weather. They made a number of very imaginative suggestions in relation to the types of play equipment they would like to see and pointed out that ideally they would like to see the play amenities to include areas for playing sports.

The result of this consultation will be incorporated into the design of a new playground in Dromore West; recently prioritised for development by the National Children's Office Playground Grant Scheme and Sligo County Council. Cllr. Mary Barrett, who attended the consultation event, acknowledged that the development is the result of four years of hard work by the Dromore West Playground Committee. The local Community Council have endorsed the proposal and have agreed to make land available for the development of a facility which will be managed and operated by Sligo County Council. This project will inform the development of Sligo County Council's Play Policy, providing a model of best practice for partnership arrangements between the local authority and local community in relation to play provision.