Staff and patients at The Wesley Hospital’s paediatric ward were delighted to cut the ribbon on a new children’s playground at the hospital this week. Designed specifically with the needs of young patients and their families in mind, the playground has been created with the help of the Wesley Waste Warriors recycling project which redirects PVC waste from landfill to be reused in a range of products including playground flooring.

Since April 2018, more than 9,500 kilograms of PVC has been recycled by The Wesley Hospital, a tenth of which has gone into the soft-fall surface used in the new playground.

General Manager, Sean Hubbard, said the playground would be a fun and inviting space for paediatric patients and their families to enjoy some time away from the ward.

“Our allied health teams, including physios and occupational therapists, will also use the playground to work with the children on a range of therapies as part of their care at the hospital,” Sean said. 

“It’s been exciting for staff to watch the playground come to life and to see their incredible recycling efforts repurposed into a much-needed space for our young patients.”

The children’s playground has been renewed in memory of Jodie Reid, a much-loved colleague and Registered Nurse at The Wesley Hospital, thanks to a generous donation from her parents, Heather and Malcolm and the Reid family.