Waipawa Primary School’s all-inclusive fitness trail has become a real community asset.
Waipawa Primary School is located within extensive grounds in Central Hawkes Bay and has a roll of students from Year 1 right through to Year 8.
By early 2021 their playground area had become very dated, it consisted of dull set of steel poles which had likely been there for more than 30 years. School Principal Paul Jamieson decided it was time to go out with the old and in with the new.
The goals for the playground were quite straight forward, the school wanted something new and vibrant which would develop their students and cater for a wide range of ages (5 – 13 years). Also important was that the playground would fit in a reasonably narrow area.
He knew there were a few playground suppliers in New Zealand from seeing them in passing at conferences but couldn’t remember their names so decided to conduct a Google search. Park Supplies & Playgrounds were the first cab off the rank, so he decided to reach out to them along with a couple of others. Paul was impressed with the timely response from Park Supplies & Playgrounds Sales Consultant Melissa (Mel) Cowie, he shares
Mel spent time establishing the needs of the school’s playground project with Paul and came back with a proposal – the Olympus Warrior Course which at that stage had just been released by Park Supplies & Playgrounds.
“Mel’s proposal was for their Olympus Warrior Course, they had just installed their first one in Auckland it seemed amazing! It was really fit for purpose and the developmental aspects in strength and coordination really got my attention. At that point we decided not to pursue any other companies for our new playground.”
The install finally begins
The school had decided on the Olympus Warrior Course, however faced a few delays due to permission, funds and COVID issues. By March 2022 they were finally ready for it to be installed. Paul reflects on the install process,
"The install guys were amazing while on site. They worked long days to get the job done and were lucky with a brilliant run of weather – they’re great at what they do! The kids were constantly asking them questions and they were happy to oblige in providing explanations. The staff found them to be very professional.”
“Everything with the install was on time and went smoothly, I must say that it was great to be consistently dealing with the same people – Mel, and our Project Manager Brian Dewar, I feel that was key to a seamless process.”
Now that the playground is installed the students can’t get enough of it – using it before and after school, morning tea and lunchtime and they also do all their fitness classes out there. For the small town of Waipawa it has become a real community asset which is used by people of all ages outside of school hours. Paul couldn’t be more thrilled with the result,
“It’s right at the front of the school and it looks fantastic! Not only is it eye catching, modern and tidy, it is all-inclusive and really helps to develop our students. The students absolutely love it, the climbing walls and springy balance activities are particularly popular.”
Paul valued the professionalism of the Park Supplies & Playgrounds team throughout the playground project and would highly recommend them to others he shares,
“If I had to do another playground, I’d go back to them for sure. Honesty and integrity mean a lot to me, and they certainly conduct their business with those values. They are a company of their word, which hasn’t happened a lot in my experience within the COVID environment. The whole project was just such an easy experience that has made a significant impact on the school and community. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to others.”
Is your school planning a new playground?
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SALES MANAGER
Mobile: 021 822 676
Phone: 09 527 4666
Email: jenny@parksupplies.co.nz
PLAYGROUND CONSULTANT
Mobile: 021 0805 3949
Phone: 09 527 4666
Email: dan@parksupplies.co.nz
PLAYGROUND CONSULTANT
Mobile: 021 243 7038
Phone: 09 527 4666
Email: adrian@parksupplies.co.nz
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