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Urgent appeal

Story · October 2026

"In 1973 the parts cost £11.47. Today we need £60,000": Fivehead launches Play On

A Somerset village charity is asking supporters to give £19.61 (or more), after the year on its oldest play area receipt, to help bring back play.

The 1973 Wicksteed invoice: parts for the rocking horse and swings, £11.47
The 1973 Wicksteed invoice: parts for the rocking horse and swings, £11.47

Update, 22 October 2026. Our current Play On target is £60,000, focused on reopening and improving the play area. We are obtaining quotations, and the target may increase as costs become clearer. Our longer-term ambition includes the wider park, extra parking, and improvements to the Village Hall and other buildings.

For journalistsThis story is also a news release. Facts, pictures and logos are in our press area, or email [email protected].

Fivehead Village Hall & Park has launched Fivehead Park: Play On, a campaign with an ambitious first target of £60,000 to reopen the village play area, which has been behind temporary fencing since August 2025.

The charity's records show how much has changed. In 1973 a Wicksteed invoice for parts for the play area's 1961 rocking horse and swings came to £11.47. The last major refurbishment, in 2005, cost £23,756. Today, new equipment, safety flooring, fencing and swings mean a first target of £60,000.

Supporters are being asked to give £19.61 (or more), after 1961, the year of the rocking horse on the oldest receipt. The rocking horse is still in the play area today. Businesses are invited to become Play On partners, from tailored local support to major project partnerships, and one organisation can become the Founding Partner of Fivehead Park with a proposed £50,000 contribution. Every partnership is agreed with the trustees. Money already raised through Bring Play Back stays with the play area. Fivehead Park: Play On raises money for Fivehead Park and its buildings, starting with the play area.

Peter Headington, Treasurer, said: "Fivehead has a MUGA, two football pitches and a Village Hall side by side, which very few villages can match. Play On is about making the most of that, starting with the play area."

Play On's first priority is to get the play area open and the temporary fencing down. Then it will improve the rest of the Park, then parking, and then the Village Hall and buildings, used for racquet sports. All plans are subject to consultation, and the Fivehead Park: Play On Working Group is exploring options, informed by consultation, assessments and quotations.

To give or find out more, visit fiveheadhall.org/play-on/.

Ends

Notes to editors

  • Fivehead Village Hall & Park is the working name of Fivehead Village Hall and Playing Field CIO, registered charity number 1204704. It runs Fivehead Village Hall and Fivehead Park on Stowey Road, Fivehead, Taunton TA3 6PP, for everyone in Fivehead and Swell.
  • Fivehead Park has a play area, a fenced MUGA (Multi-Use Games Area) and two football pitches, used by North Curry Football Club youth teams. The Village Hall opened in 2005.
  • The trustees are Stuart Wild (Chair), Peter Headington (Treasurer), Ed Jenkins (Secretary), Sharon Edwards (Events Lead) and Laura Bardell (Village Liaison Lead).
  • Archive documents and photos are on our press page, free to use with credit to Fivehead Village Hall & Park.
  • Photo calls and interviews: [email protected]
Pictures to downloadFivehead Park: Play On