SME News Q4 2022/ 36 Best Playground Design & Manufacturing Company 2026 A playground is often one of the most visible and valued community assets in a neighbourhood, serving as a vital hub for children to test their confidence, develop physical skills, build friendships, and experience independence. The iconic structure that defined so many of our childhoods was introduced in 1918 by Wicksteed Leisure Limited, the oldest playground manufacturer in the world. Wicksteed has spent the last century upholding its legacy of building spaces that bring people together, a mission that has earned the company applause in the Midlands Enterprise Awards 2026. We took a closer look below. Based in Kettering, Northamptonshire, Wicksteed Leisure Limited is the UK’s most established and trusted name in outdoor play, playground design, recreational equipment, and community spaces. The company combines British manufacturing expertise with a remarkable heritage dating back 150 years to 1876, when Charles Wicksteed founded the company with the belief that play should be accessible, visible, and central to community life. Though the world has changed significantly since 1876, this belief continues to sit at the very heart of the business. Today, Wicksteed plays a pivotal role in creating outdoor spaces that help children, families, schools, and communities become more active, connected, and engaged. It provides a complete end-to-end solution for commercial outdoor play projects, with services encompassing consultation, site assessment, playground design, play equipment design, bespoke manufacturing, installation, playground surfacing, inspection services, maintenance, spare parts, and long-term aftercare. Wicksteed offers a diverse product range that includes traditional playground favourites such as swings, slides, roundabouts, and climbing equipment, as well as modern multi-play units, inclusive play equipment, outdoor fitness equipment, sports and activity trails, ballcourts, themed play spaces, seating, safety, surfacing, and accessories. These products are developed for local authorities, schools, towns and parish councils, homebuilders, landscape architects, holiday parks, leisure operators, community groups, and organisations looking to invest in safe, inspiring, and long-lasting outdoor spaces. A defining aspect of Wicksteed’s product line is the company’s commitment to inclusive play. Driven by the belief that successful play should never exclude children because of ability, confidence, mobility, sensory needs, or background, the Wicksteed team puts immense thought, empathy, and expertise into designing accessible playground equipment. It considers access, layout, sensory experience, physical challenge, social interaction, and the needs of carers and families, ensuring that every space created reflects the community it was designed to serve. Behind every Wicksteed playground equipment is a hardworking team of skilled designers, engineers, fabricators, installers, and project managers. British manufacturing is central to Wicksteed’s DNA, providing the company with complete control over quality, durability, and detail. Whether a client requires a compact school playground, a large destination play area, a themed play environment, outdoor fitness equipment, or inclusive play features, Wicksteed possesses the expertise and technical capability to deliver solutions that work. Beyond exceptional manufacturing, the team is equally committed to advocating for the act of play itself. With its Owner, Lord Howard of Rising, sitting on the All Party Parliamentary Group for Play, Wicksteed champions play at a national level. The team has recently been to the garden of Number 10 Downing Street to sponsor the Play England 10-Year Play Strategy launch and highlight the importance of play. As the £18M Playground Fund was announced, Rachel Reeves visited the Wicksteed factory to see for herself what that investment will do, not only for children but for the British economy. This year, it has been 150 years since Charles Wicksteed first established Charles Wicksteed & Co in 1876. The company was founded on engineering skill, practical innovation, and a desire to improve everyday life, and those values are still incredibly visible in the work it does today, now complemented by a pioneering commitment to play, recreation, and community wellbeing. Combining these values, its team transforms 150 years of heritage into modern, inclusive, and community-centred play spaces that continue to make a true difference to communities across the UK. As the Wicksteed team celebrates its remarkable heritage, its focus remains fully focused on the future. The company will continue to invest in innovation, manufacturing capability, inclusive design, and sustainable solutions to ensure that the play spaces it creates today will serve communities for many years to come. Driven by its mission of creating high quality environments where play can flourish and children can thrive, Wicksteed has truly earned its recognition as the Best Playground Design and Manufacturing Company 2026. Contact: Lynne Egginton Company: Wicksteed Leisure Limited Web Address: www.wicksteed.co.uk
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