Sophie Mei Lan who grew up in Pitsmoor, an area synonymous with gangs and guns, has fond memories of her childhood playing football and swinging along zip wires at Pitsmoor Adventure Playground which was the place to escape.

The murder of Sheffield youngsters and spending cuts in services for children and young people, inspired a local group of community campaigners to revive their local adventure playground which faced closure.

Their aim too was to give other children and young people in the area a safe high quality play space and to provide them with a haven to hang out in, whilst being too a catalyst for positive change.

Pitsmoor Adventure Playground based in the Sheffield ‘S3 postcode’ faced closure 10 years ago, six years after the murder of 16-year-old Jonathan Matondo, and others who had been gunned down in a ‘postcode gang war’ in October 2007.

Jonathan was thought to be part of the S3 postcode gang. Jonathan, from Verdon Street, Burngreave was killed close to the playground, with detectives believing he was targeted by a rival gang.

“Being part of gangs is something that gives young people a sense of belonging,” said Patrick Meleadey who returned to become manager of the playground ten years ago, along with the voluntary management committee that includes veterans in the play work field including Yanina Koszalinski, Julia Sexton, Laura Watkins, Fran Belbin, Steve Poole, supported by a retired police officer Alan Hancock and local residents.

The playground which had been going for over 50 years was founded by local parents to address the play needs of their children until austerity hit ten years ago.

From its inception it had offered open access free play to children during the school holidays much like it does today thanks to being saved a decade ago by the voluntary committee who set it up as a charitable trust in the playground’s name.

Manager Patrick had been drawn back to the area where he began his career, when he heard of Jonathan’s death.

“I wanted to support multi-agency working to stop more murders happening. So at the request of the community, I returned in 2012 to help avert the potential closure of the playground.

“We’re like a family in the playground. We are very diverse and inclusive. The playground provides high quality play opportunities and it also gives children and young people a positive place to belong, diverting some away from crimes, gangs and helps to tackle poverty locally.

“Seeing the young people who had been positively impacted by Pitsmoor Adventure playground over the years and others coming through, I and my colleagues just couldn’t let it close.”

Patrick and his team of volunteers have set about making this a real safe oasis for people who come from a range of backgrounds.

Far from the grim scenes of Pitsmoor or ‘Burngreave’ shown in the media , Pitsmoor Adventure Playground is a stimulating, vibrant, colourful, inclusive hidden gem, away from violence, austerity, discrimination and inequalities. It is a place where play, equality, human rights, dignity and respect is promoted and where even swearing is forbidden.

Patrick said: “Our children and young people come from a wide range of backgrounds including sone joining us from all over the world and some have fled from countries experiencing war and conflict So we do our best to be culturally appropriate and affirmative and supportive, offering everything for free, including snacks and days out.

“People outside of Pitsmoor see it as a challenging area but we work with the most wonderful families and communities, who just want the best for their children.” Pitsmoor Adventure Playground continues to offer play on site five days per week, 51 weeks of the year.

The playground was even given special recognition by the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 who awarded them the highest award a voluntary group can achieve - The Queens Award for Voluntary Services- the equivalent of an MBE , this happening in the same year that they were recognised as being the best Play Service in the U.K. by peers at the National Playworker Conference.

These awards add to their other awards and accolades over the last ten years too, all recognising the immense contribution and positive impact the provision makes to the lives and opportunities, safety and inclusion of children, young people and families in Sheffield . Their impact on Playwork and community support, community cohesion and community safety in the U.K. has also brought them accolades and innovations by them had been rolled out engaging the lives of others across the nation too.

Patrick added: “It is fundamentally a place of fun, safety and acceptance for all.”

How the tragic murders of young people in Yorkshire inspired an adventure playground to be revived to save other youngsters