Voting is over – so, what comes next?

The last two months have been absolutely incredible. We would like to thank each and every person who has taken part in Parents for Playgrounds, from the people who have voted for a playground on the site, through to those who have thrown events with communities to raise awareness. 

Back in February, with the support of Play England, Fruit Shoot and Patsy Kensit, we launched Parents for Playgrounds – a national mission that aimed to improve the quality of outdoor play in England by offering an amazing £15,000 bursary to each of five winning playgrounds.

In the nomination stage we received over 1,000 entries and from there we whittled it down to just 20 shortlisted play areas. Champion parents of the 20 playgrounds and the communities surrounding them have been working tirelessly to bring in the votes, holding picnic events and events, and the supporters of Cockshaugh even made a video!

Now the lines have closed – voting is over – and we have received a whopping 5,000+ votes! Here's what to expect over the next week and when the announcement happens...

When will we find out who the winners are?

The winning playgrounds will be announced in the first week of May.

What if my playground doesn't win?

There can only be five winners, which means there will be 15 playgrounds that don't receive the bursary – but that doesn't mean it's all over for them. There are play organisations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that can help you turn the support you’ve generated into positive changes for your community. Take a look at Play England's Save Children's Play initiative for more information. 

I can only see 120 supporters – have the new votes been registered? 

Don't worry, that's because we have designed the pages to cap at 120 supporters, which means once you reached that number you will continue to see a random assortment of voters instead of all of them. 

What happens if my playground wins, what do I need to do?

The champion mum will be informed as soon as the decisions have been made. If your playground receives one of the renovation bursaries, you will be asked to blog about and take pictures of the renovations, so other parents who voted for that playground can follow the story. You won’t have to do this alone, though, as the Ready for Ten team will help you through the process.

How do I get involved with the renovations?

If one of our winning playgrounds is near you, you’re more than welcome to help out with the renovations, as we would like to get as many local people involved as we can. Visit the profile page of the relevant playground to find out how.

Thanks again to every one who has taken part and the very, very best of luck to you all!