Locals came together to celebrate the launch of Swindon’s first Park Play event this weekend, despite the heavy rain.

Sisters Bal Kaur and Taj Sandhu of Changing Suits, an organisation promoting health and wellbeing in the South Asian community, organised the first of many weekly outdoor activities aimed at getting families together to enjoy free games and ditch their devices.

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

Mayor of Swindon Imtiyaz Shaikh was on hand to officially open the event at Broadgreen Community Park, with support from Swindon Borough Council and South Swindon Parish Council, which proved to be a huge success.

Taj said: “It was a fantastic Park Play launch. The rain couldn’t stop us, and the competitive spirit was off the charts! There was lots of laughter while trying to score goals for the handball game.

“We had a family who had just moved to Swindon and joined in, they were so grateful for the community spirit.

“The Mayor opened the event explaining how important it was to take time away from devices and enjoy family fun while creating a community.

“You can find Park Play at Broadgreen Community Centre every Saturday from 10am to 12pm for more fun, games and friendly competition.”

She told the Advertiser last month: “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’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.

“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."