Pontefract General Infirmary, part of The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust, has celebrated National Play in Hospitals Week with the opening of a £10k specialist play area for its children's ward donated by Strategic Team Group and its suppliers

Gary Taylor's four day old son and colleague Michael Sharpe's three year old daughter were both treated on Hydes Ward when they became seriously ill and were nursed back to health by staff. Gary and Michael are both employed by local building and property solutions company, Strategic Team Group (STG) and when STG became aware that following its relocation the new ward facility would not have a play area, the company and a number of its key suppliers provided finance and resources to secure equipment and materials to build a new playground.  In addition, STG provided its design and build services free of charge.

The opening of the new playground coincides with National Play in Hospitals Week which is organised by the National Association of Hospital Play Staff (NAHPS) and aims to increase awareness of the value of play in hospitals for sick children and the importance of hospital play provisions.

The newly completed space contains a soft tarmac play area, a small garden and a fenced adult area with pagoda.  The playground will form an important part of the treatment process for Hydes Ward as it will allow children the social and therapeutic benefits of play whilst staying at the hospital.  In addition, the adult area will provide much needed relaxation and respite for the parents and carers of the patients.

The Hydes Ward of Pontefract Hospital is a 24 bed General Paediatrics ward which provides care for children with medical, surgical and orthopaedic conditions aged between 0-16 years of age. The ward recently relocated from its original site on the North side of the hospital and this resulted in the loss of its vital children's play facilities. 

Ann Taylor, Ward Sister of Hydes Ward, commented: "We are delighted with our new play area. It will provide the children with some much needed distraction during their stay in hospital and play is a very important part of the recovery process.  The new area will also provide parents with a relaxing change of scenery!"

Gary Taylor, Operations Director of Strategic Team Group, commented: "We are proud to have been able to provide a play area for Hydes Ward.  The hospital is very close to our hearts and we hope future patients and parents will benefit greatly from the new facility. We would also like to thank our local building suppliers for their support with this project."

Strategic Team Group (Strategic Team Maintenance Ltd) is one of the UK's fastest growing suppliers of building property services.  To enable the delivery of complete property solutions, the directors have developed a strategy of creating associated specialist companies with expertise in their own areas, comprising: Strategic Team Scotland Ltd; Strategic Property Management Ltd; Strategic Safety Services Ltd, Strategic Shutters and Doors Ltd, Strategic Homes Ltd & Strategic Mechanical & Electrical Services Ltd.

Since its inception in 2000, the company has developed a culture and a reputation for delivering service excellence and a sound customer base.  The strategic companies now have a turnover of circa £15m, employing over 130 employees and boasting a strong financial position.

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