RAF Wittering squadron transforms Peterborough charity’s outdoor play area

Little Miracles is a charity that supports families that have children with additional needs, disabilities and life-limiting conditions. In Thursday’s pouring rain the team from 1ELS spent the day clearing and tidying the outdoor play area at Little Miracles, in preparation for dryer and warmer weather.

Senior Aircraftman Richard Moran was the project officer for the event and said: “Our objective was to make the playground and garden look a whole lot better. We were getting rid of all the scrap wood, garden trimmings - it was a real tidy up.”

1ELS’s main task is to support deployed military air operations, making sure the Royal Air Force has the right amounts of the correct equipment and fuel, when and where it is needed. At RAF Wittering 1ELS runs the station’s stores, transport and fuel sections.

Little Miracles is based in Peterborough at The Spinney in Westwood.

The team from 1ELS cleared overgrown areas, pressure washed decking, swept paths and removed barrow loads of garden waste. James Shackle from Willow Tree Services, a tree care company based in Wansford, brought a wood chipper and spent the afternoon helping to process the garden waste, giving his time at no cost.

The wood chippings were recycled and are now a border for the charity’s mini football pitch.

By the end of the day, the outdoor play at Little Miracles had been transformed. SAC Moran said: “The play area looked fantastic and we’ve built a really good rapport with Little Miracles and we’d like to work with them again one day. The team worked extremely hard and everyone was on the ball straight away, they jumped straight on it.”

Jack Cook, business development officer at Little Miracles, said: “Through the holidays in particular we have 100 children a day on site so outdoor play is critical. I don’t thing I’ve ever seen anyone fix the garden up so quickly. They all arrived in big numbers and they were all in their military gear which was pretty cool.”

Wing Commander Debs Wright is the Officer Commanding of 85 Expeditionary Logistics Wing. She said: “Getting into the community and helping a charity, even through the pouring rain, I’m really proud of them. Little Miracles is an amazing organisation and I’m so pleased that what they’ve done will have a positive impact on the children.”