Initiative that recreated real spaces within the popular video game is part of wider project to improve accessibility and inclusivity in parks and open spaces
There’s now a fun new way to visit Solihull’s beautiful, 130-acre Malvern and Brueton Parks – in the shared virtual world of Minecraft.
The designers of the Minecraft digital parks, image courtesy of Solihull Council
Solihull Council commissioned young adults with learning disabilities at Newlands Bishop Farm to recreate the parks digitally within the game. The project helped those involved to develop work-based skills through paid employment, and is part of the council’s wider commitment to improving accessibility and inclusivity across its parks and open spaces.
Minecraft is, of course, the bestselling video game of all time, a shared, virtual environment that users can build and explore. Popular with all ages, it currently has more than 200m monthly players worldwide.
The digital parks project took six months, with the replica parks boasting tennis courts, a lake and ice cream van. There are also more than 50 interactive characters, wandering animals and a guided treasure hunt.
Anyone with access to Minecraft and an internet connection can visit the safe online environment of the digital parks – see www.solihull.gov.uk/minecraft-parks for details.
Newlands Bishop Farm is part of the charity Family Care Trust and supports those with learning disabilities and mental health conditions via a mixture of work-based learning, training and employment. A weekly Minecraft group has been running since 2021, helping to build confidence, teach core skills and reduce isolation among young adults.
Young adults from the group have already created an interactive Minecraft version of Newlands Bishop Farm, which was highly commendation at the 2024 Disability Smart Awards.
Nathan, one of the young adults who designed the new Minecraft parks, says: ‘Being part of the project has given me more confidence not only in IT and design, but it has also built my self-confidence too and that means so much to me.’
Amii, who also designed the parks, adds: ‘I may be biased, but my favourite part of the park is the shelter by the pond. My great-grandfather built it and it is something my family is very proud of.’
Jon Watts, Media and Fundraising Officer at the Family Care Trust, says: ‘Our service users absolutely love Minecraft – it’s one of the most popular things that we do. They have particularly enjoyed this project, which has helped them to be creative and collaborative in a safe online environment, whilst learning elements of coding, planning and mathematics in a more captivating way.’
Cllr Ken Hawkins, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure at Solihull Council, adds: ‘We have fantastic parks and open spaces in Solihull and bringing them to the world’s best-selling video game is a great way to open them up to even more people, particularly those who cannot access them in person – for instance, if they have issues getting to a physical location.
‘It will also help those who have social difficulties within open environments by providing a safe introduction to the parks from the comfort of their own home, giving them the confidence to visit physically. We are also inviting schools to access the parks in Minecraft, providing them with a learning tool which children can use to explore them virtually, or get creative and edit them.’
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