St Hilda’s Island Bay playground - appreciated by community and the environment
Republished with permission from Anglican Movement Diocese of Wellington.
https://anglicanmovement.nz/blog/st-hildas-playground
St Hilda's Island Bay Playgroup considered the environment when they set about creating a safe and fun playground for children in their community.
The playgroup was able to collect old play equipment and rubber tiles from the Wellington City Council and repurpose them for their new playground, all at no cost to the church.
With the addition to the playground, the playgroup has built strong connections with members of the community who may not have been involved with the church otherwise.
St Hilda's parishioner Cliff Studman says, “Because the playground provides a safe place to for young children, we’ve seen families in the neighbourhood drawn to the church. The playgroup has begun to grow, and it’s helped us build links with people previously unknown to us.”
Conservation efforts are part of regular conversation at St Hilda’s. The church is a drop off point for bottle tops and scrap metal, hosting pre-loved clothing sales, and pointing people to recycling and local op-shops. These efforts have been embraced by both the younger and older members of the church, showing that everyone can make a difference in their own way.
Cliff says, "As a church, we are conscious of God’s call on us to be good kaitiaki of the resources we’ve been given. Kaitiakitanga is one of our diocesan values. May God continue to lead us in being active stewards of our creation."
"Our efforts may be little, but put together they’re a lot! The playgroup is a shining example of a community coming together to make a positive impact, one small step at a time.
"Reusing the playground equipment that would have otherwise gone to the tip provided, at no cost to the church, a playground that can be used for small children any day of the week, and which is usable anytime it’s not actually raining!"
“We give thanks to God for all he’s doing among us,” says Cliff.