Darwen parks show off new playgrounds

The children’s playgrounds in Bold Venture Park and Whitehall Park have received huge investment of £100,000 each.

Back in March funding for the improvement of parks right across the borough was announced, as part of the council’s budget for 2024-2025. £200,000 of it has been spent on the children’s playground areas at Whitehall Park and Bold Venture Parks, giving Darwen’s children a great place to visit that allows them to stay active and get some fresh air too.

Whitehall Park’s play area is now fully open for the school holidays and is already seeing plenty of use. The play area at Bold Venture Park is due to open imminently as the final modifications and safety checks take place.

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Operations, Councillor Jim Smith, said:

I have visited both parks since the work has been undertaken and already, I can see from the delight on the children’s faces how welcome these investments are to their local parks. I’m sure we’ll be seeing many more smiles on children’s faces across Darwen over the coming weeks. This is money well spent and I’m glad to see the project finally come to fruition after months of planning.

At Whitehall Park, there is a wide range of new equipment which is inclusive to all. This includes new swings, including one suitable for visitors with mobility disabilities; a floor level roundabout, and even a hatch to serve ice cream from (if you can use your imagination)! It’s even got a new cycle track too, similar to the popular one installed at Witton Park earlier this year. This is perfect for children who are new to riding a bike to be able to build their confidence in a safe space.

Local volunteers Lucy Derbyshire, Rita Billington and Vicki Davies who are part of the Whitehall Park Supporters Group had a big hand in designing the new play area. They said:

Years ago, people from the borough had to travel out of town to visit a park which was such a shame, especially for those who didn’t drive or have access to a car, as they didn’t have the opportunity to visit a park. However, now, Whitehall Park is accessible for everybody and allows children to be active in a safe space. Being directly on the main road, the park accessible and easy to travel to.

We were really excited when Blackburn with Darwen borough council helped support this project. The play area is inclusive and safe and it’s so nice to see the children enjoying it. We hope that other parks in Darwen will have the same opportunity.  

If you’d like to become a volunteer at Whitehall Park, you can join them on Facebook.

At Bold Venture Park, the changes have meant that the play area now has a real outdoor adventure feel. A brand-new wood mulch area has been created especially for toddlers, which was suggested by the Friends of Bold Venture Park; where children can cross the rope bridge. There’s also a new climbing frame with a slide for a quick exit. And if you know any aspiring train drivers there’s even a red train placed at the park that they can practice on!

Warren Chapman and Jenny Foy from Friends of Bold Venture Park, said:

We are absolutely thrilled about the investment to Bold Venture Park. The play area is incredibly well used and simply wore out through use, so the upgrade is welcomed. It’s the biggest council investment we have seen in 20 years which some would say is long overdue, however we hope that this is a model for further improvements to the park, especially to the path surfaces.

If you’re local and interested in helping us improve the park, Friends of Bold Venture Park is a group of volunteers who meet every month, and we could always do with more. If you’d like to get involved or simply see what we do, please follow us on Facebook or Instagram. We have events for all coming up, including a bat walk!

A further £100,000 has been committed for repairs to play equipment right across the borough, so expect to see work being done at other parks very soon.