Awesome has lots of friends (we’re very popular in fact!) but each adventure playground also has the opportunity to have a Friends group, made up of parents and professionals who have a common interest in their local adventure playground. These groups help us to keep doing great work with the local community by organising fundraising activities and events, and getting involved in our decision-making. It’s awesome when local residents decide to become a Friends of their local adventure playground and take the first step towards advocating children and young people’s play within their community.
“A group of us saw the great work the adventure playground was doing and wanted to help. We wanted to provide extra support for the children and young people, so over a cup of tea and some biscuits we came together to apply for funding for play equipment.”
June, Friends of Waterside Secretary
Who can become a Friend?
It only takes a few friends, neighbours or like-minded individuals to form a voluntary Friends group. We currently have a Friends of Waterside Adventure Playgrounds and work closely with Friends of Barnard Park.
If you would like to support your local adventure playground by forming a Friends group, the play manager can help. The group can be formal or informal. A formal group might develop over time and set up a committee, create a constitution, hold an AGM, and set up a bank account and insurance. Awesome is committed to helping friends and neighbours who want to establish a Friends group and support with advice and guidance throughout.
What do Friends do?
Friends groups are made up of local people, all sharing a passion for their local adventure playground who meet anytime, from a monthly to quarterly basis. A Friends group can support a wide range of activities, from fundraising and applying for small funding pots for resources, family trips and new services, to organising exciting events.
How much time would I need to give?
The time you give can be as little as 90 minutes every three months to meet as a group. If the group has more capacity, you could agree to meet monthly and individuals could take on key roles to plan events or apply for funding based on any extra capacity.
Apply to become a Friend of an Awesome
All you need to do is complete a short form to register your interest.
