A county Armagh-based, family-run, manufacturer of outdoor play equipment has committed to injecting up to £1 million into Outdoor Educational Play across Northern Ireland in a bid to “transform outdoor play”.
Following the Department for Education’s allocation of £4 million in funding for outdoor play equipment in schools, nurseries, and special schools Messy Play NI have agreed to add 25% on top of each school’s individual award.
The individual funding allocations are tiered at £3,500, £4,250, £5,200, or £6,050 per school, with Special Needs Schools all receiving the highest allocation.
Explaining the endeavour to Armagh I, Messy Play NI Director, Gary McSherry said: “Schools have very little opportunity to purchase outdoor play equipment and with our offer and this fantastic capital funding, they have the ability to transform their schools with new, engaging outdoor play equipment”
“We just think this funding is phenomenal and we are committed to stretching this funding further.
“This means more high-quality, educational play products in our schools, supporting the next generation at no additional cost to them.”
The business was set up on the outskirts of Richhill in 2022 by Gary and wife, Gill whose motivation was “all for the children and their development”, where they would provide high quality play equipment at the most competitive pricing achievable.
This ethos remains central to everything Messy Play NI do, as Gary adds: “At MessyPlay NI, we operate on low profit thresholds to ensure our products remain affordable for Northern Ireland’s schools.
“Our giving-back ethos also sees us regularly donating expertise, labour, and materials to schools, charities, church groups, and community projects — because no child should go without a space to play and learn.
“We are asking for schools’ support to help us make this happen. The more schools that invest their funding through MessyPlay NI, the greater the impact we can make — ensuring that Northern Ireland’s children have the enriching outdoor environments they deserve.
“We would greatly appreciate your help in highlighting this initiative and our commitment to securing an additional £1 million in outdoor resources for schools.
“All schools must have their allocation spent by March 31, 2025”
The company have also created a number of pre-approved packages to help push their offer as far as possible.
“To minimise the additional administrative load, we committed to creating engaging packages to make it easier for schools to order multiple items.”
He added: “We see the difference by going into the school of what this does.
“The kids absolutely love it. If you sit and watch these guys for even ten minutes their imaginations just run wild!
“It’s all creative play and learning. There are so many things that it does for the children but we just love seeing what they get out of it.
“A lot of country schools get no funding – they have nothing. We don’t believe that children should be penalised because of their location.
“Every single child should have the same opportunity to learn and play, no matter where they attend school.”
Details regarding Messy Play NI’s package options are available here.
