Families will have lots of good reasons to visit Poole Park this summer.

The new Jungle Adventure playground with its rope bridges and tunnel slides, zip wires and monkey bars has just opened.

Funded through the Parks for People restoration programme run by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund, as well as a grant by Canford Environmental, the play area has been designed with a jungle theme in mind. It features a range of equipment for all jungle adventurers, young and old, with Poole Park’s gardening volunteers – who planted hundreds of exotic shrubs to help create the jungle atmosphere prior to the opening – taking much delight in testing out the equipment ahead of its official opening!

Featuring a challenging set of towers linked with rope bridges, a cross-scale swing, two zip wires and a new tunnel slide, this play area replaces the old play area in the west field and compliments the Plant Explorer’s play area that was opened in time for Easter. Both spaces feature detailed carvings of animals and Chinese symbols, sensory planting, accessible paths and surfacing, picnic benches and new landscaping.

Cllr Mark Anderson, portfolio holder for Environment, Waste and Cleansing said: “I have been coming to Poole Park for many years bringing my children, who are now grown up, to play across the park and I know this play area really needed improving. We want to maximise access to our high-quality parks and open spaces and these improvements will certainly get more people outside and making adventures of their own in the park.

“The investment from The National Lottery Heritage Fund has made such a difference to Poole Park and these facilities will stand the test of time to provide something exciting for many years to come”

This week small areas of natural play features are also being installed in Poole Park, between the two play areas. These continue the theme with carvings of binoculars, a rucksack and a treasure map to inspire young explorers to discover the park.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Julie Bagwell who opened it last Friday said: “It was brilliant to see so many people, both young and old, using the new equipment for the first time. I can’t wait to bring my grandchildren here over the next few weeks to enjoy all the new play equipment.”

The Poole Park Life project has been using the Parks for People restoration programme grant since 2017 to improve Poole Park which is nearing completion. The water fountain is being refurbished soon; a whole package of signage and heritage interpretation will be installed, along with new adult fitness equipment. A series of celebratory events and activities will conclude this project later in the summer.