Young People Have Their Say in St. Martin
21 November 2023
Tomorrow (22 November) at 11am, a new accessible children's playground will be opened on St. Martin's village green, following community consultation, led by the Chair of the Privileges and Procedures Committee, Connétable Karen Shenton-Stone.
The opening will be attended by a number of Islanders, including:
- Year 3 students from St Martin's School who were instrumental in the design process;
- Members of Jersey's Youth Parliament, whose Play Strategy also influenced the project;
- Local parents who helped to shape the final designs; and
- Two major donors who facilitated the new playground's creation.
The playground includes the first supported seat swing in the Island and other accessible features. Each piece has been carefully chosen and designed with inclusivity, play principles and its setting in mind. The Parish has also added a natural play space with log slides and tree trunks for young parishioners to climb and enjoy.
Karen Shenton-Stone, Connétable of St. Martin, commented: "I am absolutely delighted that this project has come to fruition and that the children and parents who helped to design the playground will now be able to enjoy it.
"Part of my role as Chair of PPC is to help Jersey's Democracy to flourish and giving the community opportunities to influence the design of the park is true democracy in action. It was great to look at the children's playground designs and to hear their views, we all listened to each other to reach the best outcome.
"Working on this initiative has nicely mirrored the plot of the children's book published by the States Greffe earlier this year, The Many Hands Club, in which a group of young people speak to their Connétable about their local playground facilities. The book was written to help demonstrate to young Islanders that they can make their voices heard in Jersey's democracy and have an impact on the Island around them. I hope that the St. Martin's students I spoke to about the playground feel empowered to continue sharing their thoughts and ideas with their elected representatives throughout their lives, and that it encourages others to do the same.
