Youngsters from Royal Wootton Bassett design signs for parks

Pupils from the town’s schools entered a competition to design new signs for the town’s seven play areas earlier this year, and the winning entries have now been installed.

Schools were asked to design the signs for the play area closest to them, and Royal Wootton Bassett mayor Mike Leighfield said they were impressed with the standard.

“We received lots of entries and all of them were marvellous. It was hard to narrow them down and choose winners,” he said.

“The schools came up with a lot of different designs. They took the name of the play area and actually incorporated all the play equipment and put in wording for the name of the park itself.

“Some of the designs we saw, especially from Royal Wootton Bassett Academy, you would have thought it had been created by a professional artist.

“Involving children is what a play area should be about and we have tried to incorporate that.”

Coun Leighfield and deputy mayor Linda Frost judged the competition and the signs were created and installed by ASF Signs in Royal Wootton Bassett.

The competition winners were six-year-old Piper, of Longleaze Primary School, whose winning design was installed at Poets Field Play Area; Year 6 Noremarsh County Junior School pupil Bethany Mason, for Oldcourt Play Area, and Rebecca Jones, who is a pupil at Royal Wootton Bassett Academy, for the Jacqui Woolford Memorial Park.

Beth Robins, of Royal Wootton Bassett Academy, designed signs for the Jubilee Lake and Woodshaw Green Play Areas, Molly Tomes, who is in Year 1 at Wootton Bassett Infants School, was the winner for the New Road Play Area, and Chloe Chan, eight, of St Bartholomew’s C of E Primary School, designed the new sign for the Showfield Play Area.

This is not the first time the town’s children have been consulted on play areas in the town.

Otter Way Park was officially opened in 2008 after students of Royal Wootton Bassett Academy helped to design it and were given the honour of cutting the ribbon.