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Our well-loved and much-used dragon swing at Windmill Hill City Farm has broken and is unsafe to use. Help us replace it with a sustainably-made, long-lasting dragon swing for the community to enjoy for years to come.

The Problem

Our much-loved dragon swing in the farm play area has broken and has had to be removed. After 9 years of daily swinging, the posts have rotted and the swing seat has broken, making it unsafe to use. With rising costs, we’re struggling to find the money needed to pay for a new dragon swing.

500 people a day visit Windmill Hill City Farm to enjoy spending time in nature, play outside and meet the farm animals. Many of these are children and their families who love using the dragon swing and have been disappointed that it’s not working.

The dragon swing is also a vital tool for our Outdoor Learning programme, where we provide school workshops, nurture groups and supper clubs for over 3,000 children and families each year. Most of the children and young people use the dragon swing during their farm visit.

Windmill Hill City Farm is situated in one of the 20% most deprived areas of England. Some of the groups we run have a focus on improving mental health amongst primary school children for a variety of reasons, such as family health issues, trauma, difficult living circumstances. The group bonds by using the swing, talking and laughing together after a few minutes. Another group runs in the school holidays for children who have free school meals during term time. Often these children live in local flats or are refugees in a local hotel and have no safe outside space to play in. Some of the children don’t speak English well and feel isolated in the group but as soon as they are all on the swing, they work together to make it move, smiling and pointing to communicate.

Our Solution

We have found a local play equipment company called Roundwood Design who can build us a new dragon swing. In fact, Roundwood’s founder used to bring his children to the farm so he is keen to build a brilliant new swing for us all. The swing will be the same size as our original swing but with galvanised metal feet and capping pieces to stop the wood from rotting. The wood will be sustainably sourced UK Larch and Douglas Fir and should last for many years to come. Roundwood will guarantee the swing for 15 years but expect it to last for the next 25 years.

Project Impact

The dragon swing is a co-operative piece of play equipment where you work with others to get the swing moving and figure out how to make it swing higher. It promotes physical wellbeing, balance, motor skills, co-ordination and strength as well as mental wellbeing. Swinging has been shown to reduce anxiety and feelings of stress, calm nerves and provide a sense of comfort and security in a soothing environment. Swinging increases blood flow to the brain which helps people focus and pay attention (Stalter, K. 2022).

We have seen old and young children on the swing, families chatting, teenagers helping younger children and adults on the swing with children as equals. It works for disabled people too and those with learning difficulties, bridging the play gap and giving a more level experience for all so that children and young people play together in a more equal way. Groups such as the Bristol Autism Project say the playground and swing are part of the reason they book workshops at the farm.

Project Costs

The project will cost £23,000 including the dragon swing materials and construction, and a contribution towards staffing and fundraising costs. We’ll be raising money through a combination of grant applications, support from companies and donations from the community.

Any donations you are able to give, no matter how small, will make a difference to our community facilities at Windmill Hill City Farm.

If we raise a surplus during this campaign, it will be used for play equipment around the farm.

Please donate to our fundraiser.