We doubt anyone could have predicted the changes and challenges 2020 presented to individual businesses and the play industry as a whole.

That said, we’re so proud of how our team pulled together to keep both our clients and colleagues safe, all the while still managing to install some great sites across the UK.

We managed to install almost 290m² of wet pour surfacing at a local park, just ten minutes away from our head office! As lockdown restrictions mean more people are using their local parks and play areas, it’s great to know we’ve helped out those closest to us.

In keeping with our local work, we also installed 3,070m² of Enviro-Pave cycleways in Rossendale. Our Enviro-Pave is both SUDS compliant and slip-resistant, making it perfect for cycleways and pedestrian routes. These new cycleways should make it a lot easier for the people of Rossendale to get active whilst outdoors.

Slightly further afield, we also installed resin bound rubber mulch for the new EastEnders set – having worked installed surfacing at the previous set, it was great to work for the BBC once again!

Whilst one team was busy in the East End, another team were working hard in Sanquhar, Scotland. We installed 550m² of wet pour for Kompan Scotland complete with a bespoke mining-themed design that reflected the local heritage.

Further south, we worked on behalf of Proludic to over 840m² of wet pour in Chessington. The design included lots of custom animals and insects, so our team could get creative!

We also worked on another animal-themed design, this time for Kompan! Whilst installing over 1220m² our team took care to ensure that it would meet the differing Critical Fall Heights across the site

Staying with the animal theme, we installed almost 150m² wet pour in Halifax for Playdale. This design was full of cute creatures, and it is sure to be popular with the school’s pupils!

Meanwhile, Proludic invited us to work on a site in Seaton, this time creating a Jurrasic themed play area. The design was provided by Proludic and featured dinosaur bones, volcanos, footprints & even a pterodactyl!

From dinosaurs to emojis now, as our specialist school division completed this fun-filled project for a nursery in North London. Whilst the area size was only 69m² it sure did pack in a lot of joy!

Over in Newport, one of our 12 install teams got busy installing over 480m² of wet pour for Playdale. The design included flowers, swirls and splats – alongside a soaring eagle!

We’ve also been working in London for Kompan. This time at Wyvil Primary School – this bright and colourful design is sure to be a hit with the pupils!

In recent months we’ve been in Catterick Garrison, on behalf of Proludic. The medieval design spanned over 670m² complete with a helmet, dragon and a castle – everything you need for a great adventure!

These projects have just been a snapshot of some of the great projects we have worked on this year. In a year like no other, we are so thankful for the continued support shown to us and we hope every single one of our customers, suppliers friends has a truly joyous Christmas.

Here’s to the new year.🥂

The post 2020 – A Year Like No Other! appeared first on RTC Safety Surfaces.

One of the largest projects we worked on this quarter was in Edgware, London. The project included over 1,380m² of wet pour safety surfacing in a bright and colourful design.

Our account managers were involved in this project from conception to completion, advising the architects and eventually overseeing the install. As such it was great for them to see the play area finally come to life, knowing that it will be such a great addition to the local area.

Another one of our install teams were also busy in London, this time in Hillingdon working on behalf of Kompan. Our team installed over 440m² of wet pour, which included bright colourful areas that would undoubtedly catch the eye of passers-by.

Another project we worked on in London included creating a red wet pour surface with 260 linear metre line markings laid over mounds. The play area had been designed for children up to six years old, which would serve a high proportion of the local families.  Local councillor Olu Babatola said: “We are thrilled with the new toddler play area, and all the fun and laughter it will bring to Moorings toddlers and youngsters.”

We’ve also had a number of teams working on MOD sites across Winchester in recent months. In total our teams installed over 1,040m² across three sites, each with bespoke graphics ranging from fairy-tale forest themes to ancient Aztecs and intergalactic escapades.

We train all of our installation teams in-house, as such they were able to hand draw and cut every graphic on site to ensure it mirrored the design provided by our customer.

Further afield, we also returned to the Isle of Man on behalf of Kompan. We installed over 360m² of green wet pour at Athol Park. Athol Park was refurbished following a consultation between Port Erin Commissioners and local people, with Kompan creating a new inclusive play area ensuring children of all abilities are able to enjoy the facilities.

One team travelled even further afield, to carry out an install at an indoor climbing centre, this time in Sens, France. As we are the only UK based safety surfacing company to regularly carry out installs abroad, our Operations team were about to ensure the project ran smoothly and efficiently.

In the meantime, we also had a team working in Mcjerrow Park, Lockerbie. They installed over 500m² of wet pour and Enviro-Pave. Our Enviro-Pave is hardwearing and non-slip, as well as SUDS complaint, making it the perfect choice for pathways in a busy park.

In Wales, one of our teams was busy creating a roman themed play area in wet pour. Working on behalf of Playdale we installed over 250m² of surfacing that included graphics such as helmets, olive wreaths and a temple.

Finally, what would the approach to Christmas be, without the mention of chocolate! One of our teams headed to Birmingham to install almost 300m² of wet pour safety surfacing at Cadbury World. Cadbury World is Birmingham’s largest leisure attraction, with over 500,000 visitors each year – so it is great to think all of visiting children will now have a brand new play area to enjoy as well.

As we head into a new year, and a new decade, we would like to thank all of our customers for their continued support over the last 12 months. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year!

The post Quarterly Review: December 2019 appeared first on RTC Safety Surfaces.

Speaking of repeat customers, we also carried out more work for Westfield Europe. We have previously installed wet pour within the shopping centre as part of a summer attraction – you can read the case study here – and we were invited back for a similar project.

As you can imagine, Westfield Shopping Centre is hugely popular, so to minimise any disruption to visitors, our team worked through the night to complete the install. It wasn’t long after we completed this project, that we received this lovely email:

“I just wanted to drop you all a quick note to say a huge thank you for your contributions to the Westfield London Summer Event, which opened very successfully about an hour ago. The feedback already has been very positive, and the Atrium is full of family and friends enjoying this experience. Please pass on my sincere thanks to all your teams involved. It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with you.” 

This said Westfield wasn’t the only place we’ve revisited recently. We also returned to the Isle of Man. Working on behalf of Kompan we installed over 360m² of wet pour at Athol Park. To complete this project our team had to battle adverse weather conditions and negotiate a tricky access route. However, by staying in close contact with Kompan, any hurdles were easily overcome and the local community can now enjoy their new play area.

Similarly to our Westfield install, we’ve also completed indoor installs for another client. One team travelled to Karben, Germany to install 540m² of wet pour complete with graphics and custom logos. The total trip meant that our team travelled almost 1,500 miles to complete the project. However, this is nothing compared to some of our other global projects!

We also carried out another indoor install with similar graphics in Lisburn, Ireland for the same client.

Closer to home, we helped transform parts of Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary. Throughout two visits, we installed over 700m² to create two new outdoor areas for dogs to play and exercise.
Down in London, we installed over 580m² of our resin bound rubber mulch surfacing on behalf of Kompan. Our team installed a green surface with a contrasting brown pathway design that would help guide visitors safely through Finsbury Park.

It was only the previous week that we had been working on a different area of Finsbury Park for another client. During this install our team had installed over 530m² of resin bound rubber mulch in a red and brown mix, to create a more natural aesthetic.

Further north in Lincoln, we carried out an install at RAF Conningsby. Our team installed just over 150m² of wet pour which included the RAF Benevolent Fund logo and a custom jet graphic. In recent years our teams have had plenty of practise creating aircraft graphics, and even aircraft carriers.

Alongside our RAF sites, our teams have also been working on MOD sites recently. One team headed down to Winchester to create this play area with forest themed graphics.

This quarter also saw the launch of The API’s Play Must Stay campaign. The campaign, which was supported by Mumsnet, aimed to draw national attention to the decline in local, public play provision and the detrimental effects this has on childhood health.

Here at RTC, we have long believed that outdoor play is vital to children’s wellbeing, so our Sales Director, Gary Hall, was quick to show his support. You can find out more about the campaign, and read Gary’s full statement here. 

The post Quarterly Review: September 2019 appeared first on RTC Safety Surfaces.

They found that 69% of parents of 10-12-year-olds said their children preferred screen time over other activities such as more traditional outdoor play.

This said,  9 of 10 parents who did not live close to a playground believed having access to a play area would make their children play outside more. This was supported by parents who do have access to a playground, with 61% believing it made their children play outside more often. 

“Children are being ‘pulled’ indoors by screens and ‘pushed’ away from outdoor play because of the alarming and continued decline in public playgrounds,” said Mark Hardy, API Chair.

The post Why We Support ‘Play Must Stay’ appeared first on RTC Safety Surfaces.

We installed wet pour safety surfacing at Brierfield’s new Leisure Box attraction, a facility that aims to encourage sports and activity in the local community. The project saw our team install over 200m² of surfacing inside a recently renovated cotton mill. Whilst we normally work in outdoor spaces, our Operations team knew exactly what to do to ensure the project ran smoothly and efficiently.

The centre was then officially opened by then Prime Minister Theresa May along with local school children, who took a tour of our wet pour install.

We also worked on another site that was fairly close to our head office, this time at Heaton Park, Manchester. We installed resin bound rubber mulch only days after a concert by The Courtineers that was enjoyed by 50,000 fans.

As so many people were due to visit the park just before our install there was always going to be a slight risk of things not going to plan. As such our Operations team and account managers made sure they were in close contact with the customer throughout the install, resulting in a great safety surface that covered almost 600m².[/fusion_text][fusion_text]Further afield, our teams spent a few weeks in London, working on behalf of Play Innovation. Our teams installed over 3,200m² of wet pour safety surfacing across 15 separate play areas. As many play areas face the threat of closure due to a lack of funding, it is heart-warming to think this project meant so many individual playgrounds will be safe for children to use and enjoy.

Another project that included multiple sites, was an install we carried out on behalf of Proludic. Traveling to Scotland, our team installed over 420m² across both sites, including resin bound rubber mulch and bespoke wet pour graphics.

All of our graphics are hand drawn and installed by our team leaders, and these sites were no different! Following a design provided by Proludic, our install team created fitness-themed graphics that included phrases such as ‘cardio’ and ‘stretch’ to help the local community get active.

As outdoor gyms grow in popularity, safety surfacing such as resin bound rubber mulch and wet pour is proving to be extremely popular as it is non-slip and porous, so the area can be used all year round.

One of our other install teams also carried out work ‘up north’, this time on behalf of Kompan Scotland. The project spanned almost 1,000m² of wet pour and Enviro-Pave. Local school children were consulted during the planning stages and Kompan Scotland designed a playground with specific ‘zoned areas’ to cater for visitors of all ages.

The design itself featured a land and sea theme, complete with fish and shark graphics. Our team spent a total of twelve days on site, finishing in time for the local families to enjoy a full weekend enjoying the new facilities.

Further south in Shropshire, one of teams helped create a new play area at RAF Shawbury. Our team installed over 220m² of wet pour featuring graphics such as a parachute, flying goggles and the RAF Benevolent Fund’s logo.

Due to the site’s link to the RAF, our Operations team worked closely with Proludic to ensure that all standards and protocols were met and the install was completed in line with the agreed schedule.

The areas surrounding RAF Shawbury are rumoured to be UFO hotspots, but thankfully the install was completed with no encounters of the third kind.

Whilst we haven’t seen any aliens lately, one of our install teams has traveled to a site far, far away. They headed to Arlon in Belgium to install over 200m² of wet pour for an indoor climbing wall. It was during this install that much of Europe experienced the first heatwave of the year, and Belgium was no exception.

We are the only safety surfacing company in the UK to regularly carry out work abroad, so over our 25-year history our teams have been trained to complete high quality installs in a range of conditions – from the heat of Equatorial Guinea to the cold winters of Scandinavia.[/fusion_text][fusion_text]It has certainly been a busy second quarter for us and as we head into the third quarter and the popular summer break period it shows no sign of slowing down.

The post Quarterly Review: June 2019 appeared first on RTC Safety Surfaces.

Lisa Adams from Dagenham knew that a safe play area was vital to her community – especially as parts of the local area suffered from deprivation and knife crime. As such, she sprang into action determined to help local children and families’ access better facilities. Valance Park was the nearest play area, though it was definitely in need of an upgrade. And so, by working with the council she managed to secure funding from three different grants, Barking and Dagenham Council, along with crowdfunding an additional £5,599 herself.

Following on from Lisa’s hard work, our team wanted to install the best surface they could for the new play equipment that was installed alongside a new fitness area. Working over five days they installed over 360m² of wet pour at various depths complete with wear pads and splash graphics.

The grand opening for the new play area was a huge success with Lisa starring as the guest of honour!

Another site we worked on also featured a fitness zone, this time in the shape of an outdoor gym made from recycled aerosol cans. In a similar vein to London’s Olympic Park we were asked to install a bespoke design featuring the famous Right Guard logo. After spending only three days on site our team completed the install so the local residents were one step closer to a healthier life.

We also installed a bespoke logo in Dover, for an indoor climbing centre. The customer’s logo was hand drawn, cut and laid within the wet pour safety surfacing by our site manager. All of our install teams receive in-house training to create bespoke graphics and many of our team leaders have over eight years of experience.

Over the past 25 years we’ve installed everywhere from rooftops to inside shopping centres but as the majority of our work is outdoors, completing an indoor install was a nice change!

One project we worked on that was definitely a change of scene was over in Equatorial Guinea.

We have carried out work in Africa previously and this project gave some of our team members the chance to return. With our Operations team working tirelessly on everything from visas to deliveries to ensure the project ran smoothly, the install was completed and our team back home within nine days. Overall the project included 250m² of 80mm wet pour in yellow and blue, with our team battling the heat to create a beach theme play area. As many people in Equatorial Guinea struggle with poverty, it’s great to think we helped create new resources for the local children and families.

Closer to home we installed a new wet pour surface at Little Angel’s nursery in Preston. The project was completed within the day and afterward nursery staff took the time to send us a lovely email that really brightened our day. All of the team members who were involved in the project were thrilled to learn how happy the customer was.

We also received great feedback from Nottingham County Council after carrying out work at Retford Surestart. Our teams quickly removed and safely disposed of the existing surface before installing new wet pour. Wet pour can be the perfect surface for early year’s centres such as this as it is impact absorbent and non-slip. After the work was completed Alan dropped us a quick line to say:

Another install we completed that was aimed at young learners was down in Cornwall. Youngsters that visit Gweek Seal Sanctuary to learn about wildlife will now be able to enjoy a new play area. Although a general design was agreed upon before our team arrived on site, our site manager worked with the customer on site to ensure all of the graphics exceeded their expectations.

One of our other install teams was also busy working on another site, this time in West Thurrock. The eye-catching purple and orange decision was installed at Lakeside Shopping Centre. With the BBC reporting play areas can boost visitor numbers, we are sure it is going to prove very popular indeed!

We’ve also been busy carrying out installs at a number of RAF sites on behalf of Proludic. In Peterborough, we installed over 200m² of wet pour and mulch with graphics including a tower, river, and pathway. Over in Shropshire, the wet pour design featured vintage goggles and a parachute and a second site in Peterborough featuring fitness graphics. As ever, all of the graphics were hand laid by our teams and we think the end results look great!

It was whilst we working for Proludic at a site in Cheltenham that the weather turned to the worst with snow covering many of the play areas we were working on. Thankfully as our site managers have years of experience and are used to working with the weather they were able to use their skills to ensure the playground surfacing was installed and completed on time.

It’s certainly been a busy first quarter of the year, and it looks like there’s going to be no change in the coming months.
If you’re working on a project and have a specific install date in mind, please don’t hesitate to get in touch for a quick quote!

The post Quarterly Review: March 2019 appeared first on RTC Safety Surfaces.

Along with our new Sales Director, we’re celebrating a record year, before we welcome a well-earned break over Christmas.

Recent Projects

One of the most exciting projects we worked on this quarter was a Marvel themed playground at Westfield shopping centre.

Working on behalf of Kompan, we installed over 180m² of wet pour with our team creating bespoke graphics of the famous Marvel characters.

As you can see from the photos, our team’s hard work paid off resulting in a great new play area!

 Closer to home we installed wet pour safety surfacing for the new McDonalds in Burnley. As we’ve installed surfacing at a number of McDonald’s restaurants throughout the UK, it was great to continue the trend in our hometown!

We also completed another wet pour project in the nearby town of Brierfield. We installed wet pour surfacing for a climbing wall inside the historic Brierfield Mill as part of a local rejuvenation project.

Another local project we worked on was Baxenden Recreation Ground. We installed nearly 300m² of wet pour safety surfacing and 150m² of Enviro-Pave. Our Enviro-Pave can be a great surface for areas that require a harder wearing surface as not only is it non-slip it also meets all of the SUDS requirements.

We also installed Enviro-Pave for Horticon, in Salford. The project involved 5,000m² of surfacing to create new pathways for pedestrians and cyclists.

Further afield we spent fourteen days working with Kompan in Chelmsford, installing over 900m² of wet pour. The design included trains, tracks, plants and animals all hand drawn and cut by our install team. It’s been great to see the local community enjoying their new playground!

One of our teams has also been working in Holyhead, Wales. Working on behalf of Proludic we had a roaring good time creating a Welsh dragon and aeroplane themed playground at RAF Holyhead.

Over in Cornwall we installed over 700m² of wet pour. The project, included multiple colours and graphics featuring flowers and friendly animals. Whilst speaking of animals, we also carried out work at Colchester Zoo for Playdale and at a boutique dog hotel in Liverpool.

 It’s been a great year for us here at RTC, and we wish you all a happy Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!

The post Quarterly Round Up: December 2018 appeared first on RTC Safety Surfaces.

Summer is always a very busy time here at RTC but this summer proved to be busier than ever! In fact, August proved to be a record-breaking month for us, with all of our teams working hard to complete installations all over the UK and beyond.

As many play areas face the threat of closure or disrepair it is great to see so many playgrounds being maintained and created!

We also have another, very special reason to celebrate. Many of you will know our sales manager Gary Hall, and we are pleased to announce he has now taken on the role of Sales Director.

As we head into the final part of 2018, we’re excited to see what the future brings!

The post We’re Celebrating! appeared first on RTC Safety Surfaces.

With average day time temperatures reaching 39° our team had to battle through the heat and use their wealth of knowledge, but all their efforts resulted in a great safety surface!

Closer to home, we’ve been installing wet pour safety surfacing for a new branch of McDonald’s in Burnley, just down the road from our head office.

We’ve carried out a number of projects recently for McDonald’s all over the UK, but it’s great to think our local community will be able to make the most of this install.

Further afield, one of our teams has been working in Battersea Park, London.  The project involved installing over 750m² of wet pour and over 700m² of resin bound rubber mulch. The design incorporated multiple circles, tracks and ‘waves’ of contrasting colour, however the project was completed in just 15 days!

Meanwhile, we also had a team is Salford, installing our SUDS Compliant surfacing Enviro-Pave as part of the Linnyshaw Loop. The pathway is being created for pedestrians and cyclists in an effort to make it easier for more people to get active on their commute.

Another project we completed this quarter, was Roffey Recreation Ground. Working on behalf of Kompan, we installed over 300m² of wet pour surfacing. The plan included multiple graphics, and our team worked hard to ensure every detail on the design was delivered to a high standard.

By working with Kompan again, we also helped to transform the play area at Normanby Hall in Scunthorpe. We spent twelve days on site in total – with our site manager hand drawing and installing a large peacock graphic around a piece of play equipment, along with other areas of wet pour, rubber mulch and Enviro-Pave. If you’d like to know more about this project, you can always read our full case study here.

Besides these installs, we also had a team working in Mole Valley at the Kingston Road Recreation Ground. The pirate-themed surfacing took seven days to create, with graphics such as an anchor, octopus and skull with crossbones. Pirate based designs can be a great choice for playgrounds, as the theme is timeless and will be instantly recognisable to children of all ages.

The post Quarterly Round Up: September 2018 appeared first on RTC Safety Surfaces.

As such, whilst celebrating our 25th anniversary we decided to look back over the years, at how playgrounds have slowly transformed from single campaigns to a becoming a national priority.

Although there is no firm date attributed to playgrounds being invented, it is believed the concept originated in Germany in the 19th Century. Fredrich Frobel, a German teacher, and author, first proposed playgrounds as a developmental aid to instill fair play and good manners into children. These playgrounds were generally erected in connection to schools, and acted as the school playgrounds we know today.

The first playground that was purpose-built to serve a community, however, was built here in England. Officially opened in 1895, Philips Park is based in Manchester – not far away from the RTC offices. The park is still open to the public today and many of its original features remain.

After World War 2, community play areas were once again brought to the fore. Lady Allen of Hurstwood is affectionately known as the godmother of play – and for good reason.

During the second world war she became involved in with children who had been displaced or orphaned. Discovering the treatment and conditions orphaned children were commonly kept in she highlighted the issue to The Times. The huge response to the letter resulted in the passing of the Children Act of 1948, which aimed to improve the conditions and care of children.

It was during her travels that she came across the ‘junk playgrounds’ in Denmark, where children could play with loose parts such as sticks, boxes, and ropes – a contrast to the more traditional playgrounds that were being designed.

On her return to the UK, she campaigned for ‘Adventure playgrounds’ as she called them to be created on bombsites.

Her campaigning led to a number of adventure playgrounds being opened in urban areas throughout the 50’s. During which time she also re-designed the concept to include children of all abilities.

These could easily be viewed as the starting point for the inclusive playgrounds we see today.

As outdoor play became a national past-time for children, the 1980’s so a range of laws and legislation coming into effect to help children avoid being injured. Up until then much of the play equipment had been made from galvanised steel ladders and chains.

After the laws were introduced, steel was changed for wood or plastic and stone surfaces were replaced with safety surfaces such as the wet pour and rubber mulch we know today.

From the 1980’s it was only a short leap to 1993 when RTC was founded, with a dedication to children’s safety and the importance of play.

With over 25 years of experience, our team is on hand to answer any questions you may have.

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