City of Newcastle’s parks and playgrounds are an extension of our backyards, providing safe, inclusive spaces for play. In this episode, Vicki McCarter of Friends of Stevenson Park recounts how she worked with Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes to turn the Mayfield West playground from a basic climbing frame, held together by gaffer tape, into a modern, inclusive play space through a $1.2 million upgrade. The Lord Mayor reveals her motivation for running for Council in 2008 as a young mother of three children under five, while fellow Councillor Peta Winney-Baartz and Manager Parks & Recreation Lynn Duffy touch on the City’s Playground Replacement Program and the importance of play.