Meet the Amenity Services Play Squad!

Colin, Gary and Blair look after the 121 play areas across East Lothian which are owned and managed by the council. 

As well as maintaining all of our much-loved play areas, Colin and Gary are both RPII qualified (Register of Play Inspectors International), so are qualified to inspect them too. This is Gary’s main role – inspection and day to day maintenance, ensuring all our play equipment remains fit for purpose and continues to meet standards.

Colin oversees the squad’s work but also leads on installing new play areas and renewing existing ones. Installation work is generally a two-person job, so Blair predominantly be assists Colin with this work. This is very skilled and precision work, to ensure new play equipment is correctly installed and meets all standards. The fantastic and popular play areas the squad has installed over the years [including the one in Neilson Park where the photo was taken], with a range of exciting, challenging, inclusive and varied play equipment, is testament to the skills and dedication of this excellent small team.

"I have been Head Operative for the Play Squad for 15 years now and have enjoyed the job a lot, I find it very rewarding particularly when we building new parks. This  job can bring its challenges and a lot of problem solving but I enjoy that as we like to learn new skills and it gives us a greater sense of achievement." - Colin Shearer

Gary enjoys this line of work as it allows him to work all around the county and not having to work in one place, being a trained mechanic it allows him to use his skills making and repairing play equipment and keeping the parks safe.

Blair has recently started but enjoys learning new skills and the knowledge required to build and maintain the parks.

Stephen Wands (pictured far left), Club and Community Sports Development Officer, is also working for part of his time on play areas currently, with a focus on the public consultation and engagement for renewal projects. Steve has considerable experience through his role with the Active Business Unit, where he is heavily involved with delivery of sport and recreation projects including Pump Tracks development. He has recently led on the development of the new play areas web pages.

New play areas web pages launched