CharlottesvilleFamily Doing Good Grant: Bennett’s Village

Bennett’s Village

Inspired by the memory of a little boy named Bennett with Spinal Muscular Atrophy who loved to play but found many recreational spaces inaccessible, Bennett’s Village is building an all-abilities, multigenerational play space at Pen Park in Charlottesville, Virginia. This is a one-of-a-kind, innovative play space where people of all abilities and ages can play, explore, and learn. We’ve specifically designed Bennett’s Village to be a place where people –– with varying ability levels such as auditory sensitivities and deficits, visual impairments, developmental delays, and sensory challenges, as well as those with a full range of abilities –– can play together. 

Although Central Virginia has many playgrounds, they are not currently designed to meet the community need for equitable access to outdoor recreational spaces. A local community member, Heather Kunk, believes that the community’s recreational needs are not being adequately addressed through currently available play spaces and that they will greatly benefit from the inclusive design considerations of Bennett’s Village. She says, “We have family members who use wheelchairs for mobility. We also have 3 very active small children. It is difficult to find outdoor spaces we can all play in together as a family. Bennett’s Village will be a destination for families like mine who have members of all ages and abilities who want to explore and play outside together.” 

As a public park that is a free community resource, the Bennett’s Village play space will positively impact hundreds of thousands of lives. According to official Census Data in 2019, there are approximately 240,000+ community members (~46,000 children) living in 

Charlottesville and the surrounding counties in Central Virginia. Approximately 31,000 individuals live with disabilities, many of which require adaptations to traditional playgrounds in order for them to safely and effectively participate in outdoor recreation spaces. 

Additionally, there are approximately 425,000 annual patient visits to the UVA Children’s Hospital from those in Virginia and adjacent states. 

This clearly identified community need is why Bennett’s Village is being mindfully designed for people of all ages and abilities, transforming the way our community views inclusion. The inclusive design elements of the Bennett’s Village play space, which were identified via extensive consultations and feedback groups with community members, include: unitary surface material (in lieu of traditional materials such as sand and wood chips, which are often too difficult and dangerous to navigate by those with mobility issues), fencing (to prevent elopement of “wandering off,” which is a common safety concern in the disability community), appropriate shading from the heat, adequate seating areas and restroom facilities, and accessible play structures. 

At its full-completion, Bennett’s Village will be a creatively designed play space that is welcoming, safe, and supportive for all. The nearly 4-acre play space will be built in phases, such as: the Inclusive Treehouse and its Accessible Path, the Central Play Space, a Willow Tunnel, a Splash Zone, a Sensory Garden, and more. Bennett’s Village has a twofold mission: 1) Build an all-abilities, multigenerational play space at Pen Park, and 2) Be a change maker in creating an inclusive community where those of all ages and abilities can play together.

Bennett’s Village Statistics

• In line with the namesake of Bennett’s Village, it truly takes a village to create this inclusive play space: Bennett’s Village engages 50+ volunteers that collectively average ~250 volunteer hours/month. 

• In 2024, Bennett’s Village reached 175+ children at inclusive play events in the community. 

• Bennett’s Village is an inclusive play space available to 240,000+ community members (~46,000 children) living in Charlottesville and the surrounding counties in Central Virginia.

Bennett’s Village Marketing Goals

• Provision of professional support to help upskill existing communications volunteers  
• Development of clear communications and marketing strategy 
• Refinement of existing marketing materials (printed brochures, social media, newsletters, fundraising appeals, website, style guide, and more) 
• Measured improvement in audience reach of marketing and communications materials, proven via data analytics

Read about each of our four finalists and cast your vote today!