On Thursday, Jun. 17, Strafford Regional Planning Commission (SRPC) was
awarded the NH Planner’s Association Plan of the Year
for its Pathways to Play (PTP) initiative. This recognition comes just weeks after news that SRPC was awarded a second NH Children’s Health Foundation (NHCHF) grant, totaling $40,000, to implement a complimentary program, Promoting Outdoor Play: Recreation Opportunities in the Greater Strafford Region.
The NHCHF grant program supports projects preventing childhood obesity, promoting oral health, and reducing food insecurity.
With receipt of funds, planning commission staff will expand upon the PTP project. In response to this, Executive Director Jen Czysz shared, “We are excited to again partner with the NH Children’s Foundation in support of their funding priorities focused on children’s health. This funding will allow us to make the information we gathered during our Pathways to Play program more user-friendly and accessible for residents and visitors, and help publicize the amazing recreational resources in our region.”
For context, the Pathways to Play project, also funded by NHCHF, began in Dec. 2019 and included two phases. The first, mapping publicly funded recreational spaces and facilities with additional demographic and transportation infrastructure data, was done for each of SRPC's 18 communities. The
maps
showcase areas with recreational opportunities including but not limited to baseball fields, fishing, swimming, trails, and playgrounds, and are a great resource for those looking to enjoy the region's abundant natural resources and facilities.
Phase II included a partnership with the City of Somersworth to use the data and maps to create a
customized recreation accessibility plan
focusing on three recreational areas, Jules Bisson, the Somersworth River Walk, and Malley Farm, which can be found on the SRPC website (
www.strafford.org
).
In continuing to work with the NHCHF on Promoting Outdoor Play: Recreation Opportunities in the Greater Strafford Region, SRPC’s goal is to create a dynamic, forward-facing online resource that will connect families with young children to the many recreation resources available in our region. This will include photos, amenities, and other information for each recreational site identified through the Pathways to Play project and will leveraging the data collected that process.
An outreach and engagement program will also be created in order to share and best publicize this information with residents and visitors throughout the greater Strafford region. SRPC will work with partners at Greater Seacoast Community Health and the New Hampshire Children’s Museum on this initiative.
More details about the 24-month project will be available on the SRPC website (
www.strafford.org
) after the project kicks off in July.
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