Articles
New £98k play area to be installed at Jackie Bells Fields play park in Netherfield
Date Posted: 3:16 PM on Tue, 1 July 2025
New £98k play area to be installed at Jackie Bells Fields play park in Netherfield
Jackie Bells Fields in Netherfield is set to receive a major upgrade thanks to a £98,000 grant from FCC Communities Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that awards grants for community, conservation, and heritage projects. The funding comes from the Landfill Communities Fund, supported by donations from waste and resource management company FCC Environment.
The improvements will include refurbishment of some existing equipment and flooring, as well as the installation of exciting new features such as a 30-metre zip line, multi-play climbing units, a wheelchair-accessible roundabout and trampoline, a table tennis table, a chess table, new seating, and basketball hoops. Earlier this year, a mosaic celebrating the history and culture of Netherfield was installed in the park, funded by the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.
Netherfield has recently seen additional enhancements, including new tree planting, railings, and bins, as part of a broader town centre regeneration plan aimed at attracting more visitors to the park and local shops.
Work on the park is scheduled to begin in the Winter and is expected to take approximately six weeks to complete. The existing play area will be closed during this period.
The funding bid was submitted in partnership with Gedling Borough Council and the Friends of Jackie Bells Park. It included consultations with local children from Netherfield Junior School, young people from the Loco Centre, and local families to gather input on what they wanted to see in the park.
Richard Smith, spokesperson for FCC Communities Foundation, said;
“We’re delighted to be supporting the improvement to the Jackie Bell Play Area project and pleased our funding will provide such a fantastic facility for children and young families across Netherfield. FCC Communities Foundation is always happy to consider grant applications for projects that make a difference to local communities and we’re really looking forward to seeing this one take shape soon.”
Councillor Alison Hunt, Chair of the Friends of Jackie Bells group said;
“This is brilliant news. I am delighted that our small group, Cllr Whiting and NCC Youth Worker Andy Foulds, under the guidance and expertise of the GBC Parks Development Team, has been successful in our funding bid to refurbish Jackie Bell's Field.
I would like to thank everyone who engaged with us over the last 16 months. If you signed a petition, wrote a letter of support, or attended an information gathering event at St George’s Community Centre, the Loco or on the park itself, then thank you. Without your help we could not have achieved this.
We are thrilled that this historic, well-used and much-loved community asset will soon be brought up to date and continue to provide a valuable resource for local children now and for many years to come”.
Councillor Viv McCrossen, Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Natural Habitat said;
“I’m incredibly pleased that we’ve been able to work in partnership with the local community to bring these major improvements to Jackie Bells. The plans for the new facilities look fantastic and I’m sure the new play area will be very much welcomed by the local community. I’d like to thank the Friends of Jackie Bells for working with us on the application, and to FCC Communities Foundation for providing the funding to make this project a reality.
The refurbished park, alongside the beautiful mural, which was installed in March and other improvements earmarked for the area, shows that we are working to improve Netherfield Town Centre and get more people, with their families, visiting and utilising the shops and parks.”
For more information about FCC Communities Foundation funding visit www.fcccommunitiesfoundation.org.uk