Adventure playground popular with Sheffield families cuts opening hours amid funding shortage
“If I could, I would spend all day and evening at the playground with the children and young people because I know how important the space is to them and to the wider community.”
A Sheffield adventure playground has reduced its opening hours because it does not have enough funding to pay staff and run its free provision.
Sharrow Community Forum was previously handed £2.6m by the Youth Investment Fund in 2023 to reimagine Highfield Adventure Playground’s main building.
However, a year after the re-opening event, Highfield Adventure Playground in Sharrow has cut its free open-access sessions from five days a week to three.
The playground is currently open for free play on Thursdays and Fridays from 3pm to 4.30pm and Saturdays from 2pm to 4pm.
The playground previously offered term-time free play from 3pm to 5pm Tuesday to Friday, with Saturday opening from 1pm to 5pm. During school holidays, it opened from 1pm to 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday.
This cut to access has prompted a petition calling for its previous opening hours and staffing levels to be restored.
Jonathan Roberts, the organisation's chief executive, said the situation was "very difficult" and that reducing the sessions had become necessary because the organisation could not sustainably cover the costs.
He said there was little funding for more than 18 months and the charity had been using its reserves to cover costs.
Jonathan said: "We continue to offer free access for three days a week, rather than five.
“When we find more funding or other support, opening will return to previous levels."
He said the playground had been operating for more than 14 years after the organisation took over the site when its closure was threatened by the council.
Following this, he said the organisation had faced years of having to find funding to run the playground, with grants not covering the full cost of providing the service.
He said: "We will continue to offer free, open provision for as long as possible and will build things back whenever the opportunity to do so is apparent."
Youth development worker, Chekere Williams said: “I feel incredibly sad for the children and young people in our community that we have had to reduce our opening hours. I really want Adventures to be open access and available to children and young people as much as possible.
“If I could, I would spend all day and evening at the playground with the children and young people because I know how important the space is to them and to the wider community. However, I simply can’t do this alone.
“Running a safe, high-quality open-access provision requires enough appropriately trained staff, as well as funding for the resources, activities and equipment that children and young people need.
“This is particularly difficult because we have such a fantastic facility following the recent renovation, and there is a real demand from children, young people and families to use it. It feels incredibly frustrating to have such an amazing space but not always have the resources to keep it open as much as we would like.
“I would really welcome support from funders and organisations who are able to invest in the Adventure Playground and the young people who use it. Any additional funding towards staffing and resources would make a huge difference and could help us provide more consistent opening hours and opportunities for the community.
The petition, launched by people concerned about the changes, calls for the playground to return to opening from 3pm to 5pm five days a week, alongside staffing levels which allow it to operate safely and regularly.
Organisers say the reduction has had a particular impact on families who rely on the playground as a safe and inclusive place for children to play.
They also point to delays to renovation work at a nearby outdoor playground, saying children have limited access to alternative spaces.
The organisation says it is continuing to provide a range of activities despite the reduction in open-access play hours. These include a boys' social club, young leaders sessions, a youth club, dance classes and a self-care group.
It has also brought in external groups including Home Educators, Concerteenies, Woodcraft Folk, Staying Close, a baby and toddler group, aerobics and yoga.
Permanent tenants include Sheffield College, which will deliver the King's Trust programme, as well as Family Hubs, Project 6 and Fumble.