An organisation in Swindon which aims to promote health and wellbeing in the South Asian community is overseeing a free, weekly event to encourage people of all ages to be active and socialise.

Sisters Bal Kaur and Taj Sandhu of Changing Suits are working with Swindon Borough Council and South Swindon Parish Council to launch the first ever ParkPlay event in Swindon.

The ParkPlay initiative was introduced in 2021 to bring people from local communities together in parks and outdoor spaces for two hours of free games and activities every Saturday morning, welcoming over 8,500 participants across the country.

Swindon’s first event is set to launch at Broadgreen Community Park on Saturday, September 21 from 10am and the Mayor of Swindon Imtiyaz Shaikh will be there to celebrate the occasion and join in with the games.

Taj said: “The whole initiative is to encourage families to come out and enjoy the outdoor spaces, it’s for families to do it together and get children and adults off their devices and really enjoy the time together and build a community as well.

“We’re trying to encourage people to volunteer because we want people to make it their own kind of project and shape it, for example, if they want to come along with food or start setting up their own sessions. We’re leaning on each other and supporting each other to run this project.

“We’ve got basketballs, netballs and all different kinds of equipment. Every week there will be different games, some of them haven’t got names yet, but it will be about what people enjoy.

“We’re still planning to be outside in winter but when it’s really bad we will see. We used to live in Norway and no matter what the weather, people were out.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s raining a little bit, we can still go out and enjoy that time together and this will be a reason for people to come out. Everyone is welcome.”

Mayor Imtiyaz Shaikh added: "ParkPlay is a fantastic opportunity for everyone in our community to come together, get active, and enjoy the simple joy of play.

“It's a wonderful way to build connections, stay healthy, and have fun—all for free. I encourage everyone in Swindon to join us at Broadgreen Park and be part of something special."

 Anyone interested in participating is advised to register on the ParkPlay website.