New Look For Alton Centre

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Volunteers refurbish the Alton Activity Centre & create a sensory garden

Staff from local Waitrose stores donated almost 700 hours of free labour to totally revamp the centre in Roehampton, which offers free open access play for children aged five to 13.

The project began when managers from Waitrose in Wandsworth and Clapham Junction approached the council looking for a community project they could get involved in. After six months of planning and consultation with children, staff, parents and local people, the project was carried out over three days in September.

The refurbished centre was officially reopened on October 3.

Improvements include:

Planting 15 trees
Installing 12 natural log seats
A renovated herb garden,
Large raised allotment beds
A brick barbecue
Jet-washing the playground
Building a large storage cupboard
Repainting the inside of the building
The 82 volunteers also thoroughly cleaned, painted and tidied up, and two artists created designs on boards around the outside of the building based on the children's work.

Local companies RG Building Group, Finishing Touches decorators, Lannenburys Builders, Langstock Nursery and Champion Timber Merchants supplied hundreds of pounds' worth of labour and materials free of charge. Other materials were paid for using funds raised by Waitrose staff in a sports day and raffle, and from the store's Community Matters programme.

Alton Activity Centre is a free facility offering an extensive outside play area with climbing frames, trim trail and a zip wire and a fully functioning sensory room indoors.

Parents can leave their child to be supervised by staff, but they must register first. Find out more.

October 11, 2012