Wicksteed Charitable Trust success at Northamptonshire Heritage Forum Awards 2025

Last week the Northamptonshire Heritage Forum Awards 2025 took place at the park and Wicksteed Charitable Trust came away very successful!

Wicksteed Charitable Trust was awarded the Judge’s Choice Special Award. Northamptonshire Heritage Forum said:

“Judges were delighted with the entry for the special project award which invited children aged eleven and under to design their own fantasy playground equipment. This required imagination and design skills from the entrants. The chosen design was built and installed in the playground for all to enjoy.

This entry embodies the spirit of Wicksteed, a place where play has been taken seriously for a hundred years. The design chosen, a giant beanstalk slide and climbing frame has been added to the collection of heritage play equipment designed over the years.

The Judges noted that Wicksteed Park faced challenges in recent years, but has risen to meet them through community collaboration, hard work and creative thinking. Their entry symbolises the spirit of Wicksteed Park, reflecting the vision of Charles Wicksteed combining engineering and play, and the subsequent generations who have followed on adding their own dreams to the park, a place of both excitement and tranquil natural beauty.”

Wicksteed Charitable Trust was also Highly Commended for the Hindsight Award for Best Published Materials for our Souvenir Guide. Northamptonshire Heritage Forum said:

“This beautifully produced guidebook, part of the Play project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, brings Wicksteed Park’s legacy to life through stories, images, and historical insight. Much more than a standard visitor guide, it functions as a mission statement—exploring the philosophy and people behind one of Britain’s most beloved heritage parks.

Featuring high-quality photography and accessible storytelling, the book captures a rich narrative of innovation, play, and public enjoyment. It appeals across generations, serving both as a souvenir and an educational resource. Judges described it as nostalgic yet forward-looking—a confident reflection of Wicksteed Park’s past and a hopeful invitation to its future.

The guidebook celebrates both the park’s physical features and the human stories woven through its history. In doing so, it reinforces Wicksteed’s identity as a place where history and happiness go hand in hand, making it a worthy of commendation.”

We are so happy and proud to have been awarded at the Northamptonshire Heritage Forum Awards 2025 – we want to thank everyone for their continued support of Wicksteed Charitable Trust and Wicksteed Park.