We had 243 responses to the Sports and Leisure in Wingrave with Rowsham questionnaire – thank you very much to everyone who took part. The first graph below shows the age ranges of adult respondents compared with the population age distribution (we haven’t shown under-18s because of the very low numbers for that age group). We are still in the process of fully digesting the information and planning the next steps, but wanted to give some early insight into what we’ve found. You can download the CSV file of raw data here
The most frequently used facility in Wingrave seems to be the open space at the Recreation Ground, by a long way. Amongst survey respondents, usage of the skate park was low, but very few under-18s took part, and we expect that age group to be the main users.
It was clear that parishioners feel the Recreation Ground pavilion and the Bowls Club pavilion are not in good condition. There are hopes for improvements to both, and for better facilities for croquet, but also concerns around duplicating facilities and having too many community-owned buildings. Suggestions were made about sharing and consolidating buildings so that facilities are well used and maintenance costs kept low. There was a desire for any new buildings to be both beautiful and have a low environmental impact.
In question 3 we asked whether respondents would use a range of suggested new facilities. A wildlife area proved popular, as did outdoor fitness equipment, and improved parking at the Recreation Ground. Although anticipated usage of additional play equipment appears low from the results, we’re conscious that (understandably) very few children filled in the questionnaire.
A number of respondents suggested improvements to pavements and footpaths to encourage more people to walk and to make footpaths more accessible for people who are infirm. Need for improved access to the Recreation Ground was mentioned by many. Lots of people made it clear that facilities should benefit as many people in the parish as possible, including those who aren’t members of clubs or who don’t want to take part in organised activities or sports.
Clearly the funds that we have won’t be able to cover everything that everyone hopes for, and there are some tough decisions ahead. We know that some clubs are more represented in the survey responses than others, so will need to take this into consideration when interpreting the results. We as a Parish Council will aim for a range of projects that will benefit as many parishioners as possible, whilst keeping within the restrictions of the S106 funding agreements. The next stage of the process will be in person, likely run over several days, so look out for details coming soon.
Footnote:
The second and third graphs have been produced by weighting responses as follows, then summing across all responses.
Second graph: Daily = 4, A few times a week = 3, A few times a month = 2, A few times a year = 1, Never = 0
Third graph: Yes = 1, No = 0, Maybe = 0.5