Bonding over boat building 

July 2025 

This isn’t just any boat, it’s a Splash Projects’ boat, which means it also features a variety of surprises! 

The new facility – a nod to the area’s nautical past – is located at Glamis Adventure Playground in Tower Hamlets, London, and was built by a team from acclaimed software company Kainos, in a day. 

Around 2,000 children, many of whom have no access to safe outdoor spaces, are supported by the Shadwell Community Project, which runs the playground. The charity provides play sessions and meals at the site for around 40 children a day, but the youngsters have been unable to use the playground which had long fallen into a state of disrepair. 

The charity’s calls for help went unanswered, until we came along with Kainos, a company which shares our vision of empowering people through community development. Team members stepped away from keyboards and code – and stepped out of their comfort zones – to build the structure, reviving the space for the children, while bonding with one another. 

Our design and project management teams worked closely with charity bosses to ensure they got what they most needed, and our project team was able to salvage and repurpose several items of existing play equipment for the build. 

Peter, a participant on the day, said:  

“It was great to get out and make a difference which we wouldn’t be able to do in our usual day-to-day activities. The project was the epitome of teamwork; everyone had a part to play. 

“Everyone had to work together in their teams, and had to follow instructions without complaint, pulling together when things didn’t necessarily go to plan; it was a microcosm of what we do every day in the office – building teams and delivering outcomes.” 

Jen, another participant, said:  

“There’s always been a family feel to the company; there is a strong ethos of giving back to our community. The project brought us together and left a lasting legacy for the children.” 

The Kainos team proved that the best solutions happen when people connect with a common cause.