Monday, June 20, 2016
City of London
City celebrates new accessible playground
Today, Acting Mayor Paul Hubert joined celebrity Jenny Jones and her chosen 'London Hometown Hero' Shelah Brook for the official ribbon cutting and grand opening of a new accessible playground in Springbank Park.
The new playground is built on the site of the original structure, and features a rubber safety surface, accessible play equipment, new and upgraded pathways, and new benches and picnic tables; all designed to provide greater access and an enhanced play experience.
“Thanks to the vision of London resident Shelah Brook and the extremely generous support of the Jenny Jones Foundation, we have been able to upgrade the existing Springbank Park playground to one of the biggest and most accessible playgrounds in the city,” says Acting Mayor Paul Hubert.
“I was struck by the large number of Londoners with big hearts who submitted ideas, wanting to do something to benefit their community,” says London native Jenny Jones. “I have fond memories of playing at Springbank Park as a child, and the idea to upgrade to a state-of-the-art accessible playground is a perfect way to give back to my hometown.”
Also on hand for today’s celebration was Shelah Brook, London resident and ‘London Hometown Hero’ who submitted the winning proposal out of hundreds of entries for the funding. “I have worked with children all my life and a project that encompassed play and accessibility was close to my heart,” says Shelah. “Springbank Park was the perfect venue for this playground.”
The Jenny Jones Foundation was established in 2005 as a means to provide direct assistance to those in need. Primary areas of focus are education, women’s health, and improving communities. In August of 2015, the foundation launched a search for a “London Hometown Hero,” calling for suggestions of projects which would benefit the London community. The winning submission was to be funded up to $130,000 Canadian dollars. Earlier this year, with the exchange rate being so favourable, Jenny increased her funding to $200,000.
Media Contact:
Glynis Tucker
Communications
City of London
226-268-7614
gtucker@london.ca
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