Transforming play at Prospect Park

We have just announced ambitious plans to boost the play facilities offered at Prospect Park by investing over half a million pounds to transform the heart of the park.

We plan to invest over £500k to build a new multi-use community hub and activity centre in part of the pavilion building at Prospect Park, which will become a new destination for activities, entertainment and learning for families and children from across Reading and beyond.

As part of the Council’s ambition to improve health and drive up participation in outdoor and active play, the fantastic new facilities would offer:

• outdoor family adventure mini-golf; 
• an indoor ‘skytrail’ low ropes course for younger children age 7 and under; 
• a café facility with indoor and outdoor seating; 
• new toilet facilities for skytrail and café users;
• an outdoor education area that will also support Reading Play’s educational outreach work which includes using play as a tool to improve particularly vulnerable young people’s social skills and wellbeing.

The family 9-hole mini-golf will be designed to allow for wheelchair access and would be able to provide specialist accessible putting equipment so that everyone can join in the fun. 

There will be a modest admission charge for the mini-golf, the adventure ropes and the climbing wall facility. Charges will be set in line with other similar facilities in the region and income generated will go towards delivering activities targeted at supporting vulnerable children across the borough.

A new café and toilet facilities would complement the activities at the centre, as well as a multi-function room for parties, meetings and teaching, including space for those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) or excluded from mainstream education.

The pavilion is the home of the Council’s highly regarded and popular Play Service, and the new centre would also provide an outdoor enclosed education zone to support the team’s educational outreach programmes, including a portable climbing wall and team building activities, such as den and fire building, archery, adventurous play, assault course, an outdoor classroom and much more. Find out more about the plans for Prospect Park play areas.