Community build projects are a great way to get your community to rally around an organization or cause. What better way to bring everyone together than to get them working toward a common goal? Not to mention it saves you up to 30 percent on the cost of the playground. In this blog, we’ll discuss the benefits of community builds, and why your community’s next playground should be a community build project.
More playground for your money.
When it comes to playgrounds, equipment installation costs range from 20-50 percent of the value of the piece of equipment. Playground equipment today is comprised of well-designed, and simple components. Meaning that any group who is able to do physical labor can put them together. Instead of spending the money to hire builders, host a community build. It saves you the cost of construction through free labor from community volunteers.
Your community provides the labor.
Community members do the work for you. You bring the materials, they bring the hard work. Before you know it, you’ll have a playground built right in front of you. Just like a barn raising, community groups and local residents work together toward a common goal.
You strengthen the sense of community in your area.
When you utilize a community build to construct your playground, you’re more likely to see relationships built and strengthened. This is because the best way that relationships are formed is when people of all different backgrounds, ages, and ability levels come together and work toward a common goal. You are more likely to have more visitors to your playground once it’s built. Through community builds and similar activities, fund raising and building political support for a playground is much easier.
Promote a sense of ownership.
When you enlist your community to help you build your playground, the sense of “my dad, mom, friends, neighbors helped build this playground” brings more people and protect your playground from vandalism. People are less likely to vandalize something they’re tied to. The closer to home the volunteers come from, the greater the sense of ownership, and more likely your playground will have frequent visitors from the community. If you can create a successful community build, your playground will become a meeting place for members of the community.
Relationships are built.
When people of all backgrounds come together and work toward a common goal, it creates a bond. Community builds are great ways to create and support friendships in your community. They bring out the best in your community-members. The community spirit brings people together and helps them forget their differences for a short time.
How To Conduct A Successful Community Build:
- Find groups looking for work. Often, employee groups, church organizations, schools, and other groups are looking for volunteer opportunities to give back to their community. They are great recruits to help with your playground build.
- Find enough people that you can schedule people in time blocks. Working in time blocks means less burnout and a continued, fun spirit.
- Create task groups. Break the group up into smaller, task groups. That way, the playground will be assembled quicker and more efficiently.
- Appoint team leaders. Team leaders are a great incentive to help people know what to do, and can ask questions if they need.
- Gather everyone at the beginning for a team kickoff. Amp people up to work for the day. It will increase the sense of community, and increase the amount of fun.
J.C. Walker & Sons Corporation will help you lead and direct volunteers in a productive, fun community build project. Call us today for a free evaluation of your playground needs.