Funding Options for School Playgrounds

We all want the best for our children and everyone knows play is an essential part of a child’s development.  It has been proven that physical activity improves learning and brain development so active children are happy children! It should naturally follow that all schools are able to provide spacious and high quality play areas for their pupils, but we know that in the current financial climate finding the money for a project like this may seem like a daunting task.

Therefore, we at Bridge Timber have done the research for you. The information below outlines some of the different types of financial help that is available. This list is not exhaustive and we often find that schools fund their playground project using a combination of PTA fundraising, pupil/ sports premium and grants.

We hope the below information will help you towards making your dream playground a reality.

• Awards For All

Awards for All provides Lottery grants of between £300 and £10,000. They fund projects which address the needs of local communities. Applications need to be submitted 4 months in advance of anticipated project start date.

• The Asda Foundation

Schools can apply for funding for local projects. Potential applicants should contact their local Store or Depot in the first instance.

• Woodenspoon

Woodenspoon fund life-changing projects across the UK and Ireland to support disadvantaged and disabled children.

• Grants4Schools

The Grants4Schools website is aimed at providing information on grant funding and sponsorship sources relevant to primary, secondary and special schools within both the state and independent sectors.

Many schools that we have worked with subsidise their grant with fundraising. Your PTA will be a great source of ideas and help with this. Some schools have appointed a Fundraising Group to drive the project and keep it on track. These groups are often a mixture of parents, teachers and school governors who are keen to get involved in bid writing and event organising. We also find that it is really good to keep parents informed at each step of the way through a school newsletter or via the school website.

Here are some fundraising ideas that have worked well for our clients in the past: 

• School Discos
• Sponsored run/ cycle ride
• School world cup
• Teacher and pupil challenges
• Cake Sale
• School fair
• Fancy dress/ wear own clothes/pyjama day

And for further inspiration have a look at this amazing Pinterest board to see what other schools are doing to raise funds for things like Playground Equipment.  


If you’d like to speak to our friendly team at Bridge Timber for a free estimate please call us on 01422 832863 and we will be happy to help. 

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