Mclays' parent company,
Wicksteed Leisure, announce new delivery

Signed, sealed and delivered Postman Pat® toddler play equipment launched by Wicksteed

Children know what they love – and love what they know.  That's why, whenever a character becomes popular with the under fives, a string of associated merchandise floods high street shops and markets, often transcending international boundaries.  A series of 'must have' items from toys and dolls to school bags and lunch boxes appears, as if by magic, but really as the result of months of franchise negotiations behind the scenes.

Successful negotiation

Now Wicksteed Leisure, the UK's leading play equipment designer and manufacturer, have taken this trend a stage further.  After successful negotiation with Entertainment Rights, an independent media group specialising in the ownership of children's programming, characters and brands, Wicksteed have hit the toddler market with a stimulating range of Postman Pat® play and activity equipment, which they launched both at SALTEX in September and the Early Years and Primary Teaching exhibition in London in October.

Nursery play equipment

The Postman Pat® products may be installed individually or in a group, as part of a larger play area with installations for various age groups, or as a complete themed Greendale Village toddler playground, complete with 'dry stone wall'.  This latest major addition to Wicksteed's already prolific portfolio of equipment and play systems for nursery aged children is an industry first; never before has a licensed character made his appearance as an integral theme of an outdoor playground equipment range.

The new range

Little fans can now expect to see Postman Pat® branded playgrounds based around the fictional village of Greendale at their local playground, nursery, activity centre or leisure park.  The range features Jess the Cat springies, Postman Pat® activity boards, wall puzzles and play panels, the Greendale Rocket train and, of course, Postman Pat®'s van.

Wicksteed maintains that its dedication to the toddler market is demonstrated by the breadth of the company's insight into what makes the under 5s tick.  Their Nursery Rhymes modular play system, for example, is based on traditional characters which generation upon generation of children know and love.  Wicksteed's product development team are no less in touch with the icons and images that are bang up to date.  When you consider the explosive and enduring popularity of Postman Pat®, what better way to get into toddlers' hearts and minds than to carry this phenomenon through to the playground?

Most popular brand

Postman Pat® first appeared on BBC television over twenty years ago and has not left the small screen since.  Some measure of how he has captured young children's imaginations is that almost 15 million Postman Pat® books have been sold worldwide, the TV series has been broadcast in over 65 countries and over 2.5 million videos have been sold in the UK alone.  Fast forward to 2005, and the world's most famous postman has a primetime BBC slot every day of the week, with an average audience of 3.4 million viewers.  

Reasons why Wicksteed products so popular with children

But why has Postman Pat® stood the test of time?  Basically, it's a pre-school soap opera about a close-knit community.  Unlike many of its adult counterparts, however, it depicts a gentle world and the unhurried pace of rural life.  Among the brand values which attract parents and children to the series, and which attracted Wicksteed to the deal, are that it is wholesome, community spirited, trustworthy and safe.

The fact that this popular Greendale character has spawned entertainment for children in other media than TV is not surprising, but the progression of introducing his magnetic attraction to nurseries and toddler playgrounds is an inspired move.  According to Brian Baggaley, Sales and Product Development Director for Wicksteed Leisure, "Postman Pat® has made a massive impact in the children's market since the launch of the new series.  It was a natural choice when selecting a licensed character to develop into playground equipment.  The new range has a strong visual look, instantly recognisable to toddlers and is designed for fun and make-believe, as well as educational value."

Education through fun

What makes this link between TV character and play equipment special is the educational ethos that the Postman Pat® brand and Wicksteed share.  Just like the games and puzzles on the brand's official website, Wicksteed's interpretation of Postman Pat®, his famous black and white cat and all the features of Greendale has been carefully designed to encourage the development of children at nursery or in their local playground.  The activities, games, exercise and play that these products and play systems stimulate are aimed at improving toddlers' personal, social, emotional and physical skills.  They also help promote young children's growing knowledge and understanding of the world we all live in.

As far as the stated aims of the National Curriculum for this Key Stage are concerned, as well as providing the under 5s with good fun, so essential to their environment, the various elements of Wicksteed's Postman Pat® range also contribute to:

• 'Communication, language and literacy'
• 'Mathematical development'
• 'Creative development'

Integrated play

All games, activities and play are at low level, enabling tiny tots of varying abilities to enjoy and learn at their own pace; an important factor which encourages integrated or 'inclusive' play among toddlers at differing stages of physical and mental development.

Durability

From a practical point of view, Wicksteed's new Postman Pat® range of equipment is solidly built and easy to install.  It's designed to BS EN 1176 and its construction will take the knocks that boisterous youngsters know very well how to deal out. 

Play panels are of high-density polyethylene, which is vandal resistant, low maintenance, UV protected, non-toxic and 100% recyclable.  Steel elements are coated with a zinc metal thermal spray pre-treatment prior to polyester powder coating and fixings are stainless steel and vandal resistant.  The steelwork is guaranteed against structural failure for 25 years and against corrosion for 5 years.

Installation & maintenance

Wicksteed Leisure will help with the design of a Postman Pat® playground to suit individual sites, not forgetting the optimum positioning and length of that 'dry stone wall'!  The company also provides a nationwide installation service using experienced personnel trained to install Wicksteed equipment to BS EN 1176.  If customers wish to use their own personnel, Postman Pat® products include all the necessary fittings, comprehensive instructions and guidelines on inspection and simple maintenance.

Partnership

Commenting on this groundbreaking partnership, Claire Shaw, Head of Consumer Products, Entertainment Rights said, "We’re delighted to be working with Wicksteed, the industry leader in UK play equipment.  This agreement underlines Wicksteed's belief in the appeal of Postman Pat® as a classic, evergreen brand with real longevity.  We are very excited about the recent launch of this innovative new product range.”

For a copy of Their World, Wicksteed's brand new comprehensive brochure of products for the under 5s or a bang up-to-date copy of Wicksteed's main 188 page catalogue, call 01536 517028, fax 01536 410633 or e-mail sales@wicksteed.co.uk

CUSTOMERS, PLEASE ADDRESS YOUR PRODUCT ENQUIRIES TO WICKSTEED LEISURE LIMITED.
E-MAIL sales@mclaysplay.com
TELEPHONE 0141 774 9784.

EDITORS, FOR FURTHER PRESS INFORMATION AND IMAGES FOR REPRODUCTION CONTACT LIZ JANSSON. E-MAIL liz@concept.uk.com
TELEPHONE 01604 741133.