Wednesday 18th March
Report written by Bethan Greenaway
GoodGym made a return to Meadow Lane this week, supporting a brilliant volunteer‑run project that’s transforming a local playground into a nature‑inspired space for children and the wider community. The aim is to encourage active outdoor play, whilst protecting the local wildlife and promoting biodiversity.
We split into two teams to help move the project forward. One group got stuck into cutting back ivy and removing old wire fencing, using hammers to flatten any sharp ends. Clearing this area will open up a new area for children to explore safely. The second team focused on moving logs & branches to build an exciting new den and hideout space for children.
We also had a very special guest GoodGymer - Isabella the dog. Isabella took on branch-moving responsibilities and kept morale high!
We’re looking forward to returning next month to continue the transformation, and build more dens!
This volunteer-run project is transforming the Meadow Lane playground into a nature-inspired play space for children, families and the wider community. Working in partnership with Oxford City Council and informed by local consultation, we’re enhancing the existing play area with natural features that support wildlife, encourage active outdoor play, and create welcoming spaces for all ages. Practical tasks include digging, moving soil, planting hedges and wildflowers, and cutting back old mesh fencing as we begin turning the newly opened area into forest-school play zones and wildlife-friendly habitat. This is our project website: https://www.iffleyfieldsnaturescape.co.uk/
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