Awards & Recognition

2024 King's Award for Enterprise 2024 in the category of International Trade

Percussion Play has made a significant impact with its outdoor musical instruments, increasing its international sales by over 70% in just three years. Currently, nearly 90% of its products are being used to make music outside the country. This achievement has earned the company a prestigious King's Award for Enterprise 2024 in the category of International Trade, recognizing its thriving global business.

In May 2024, Percussion Play was informed that His Majesty the King had approved the Prime Minister's recommendation for them to receive an award to acknowledge their outstanding growth in overseas sales over the past three years. Winners must have demonstrated that their business has achieved substantial growth in overseas earnings and commercial success relative to their business size and sector, either through outstanding achievement over three years or continuous achievement over six years.

The growing demand for Percussion Play's hand-crafted, harmonized instruments has led to the company acquiring clients and distributors in over 50 countries. Its primary markets include the USA, Australia, Denmark, France, and Lithuania. This marks the second time the business has received a Royal Enterprise award, following its receipt of the Queen's Award for International Trade in 2021.

Managing Director and Co-Founder of Percussion Play, Jody Ashfield, comments, "It's been a busy time for us at Percussion Play, and we are thrilled to be able to celebrate our King's Award in our new home from home. It's an honor to have our commercial success and growth marked by the highest award available to a UK business. Our outdoor musical instruments can be played worldwide in schools, parks, senior living homes, and many other locations to support music therapy and music education. It's a testament to our amazing team and all their hard work over the last three years that we have been recognized for this prestigious award, with special thanks to our extended family of representatives worldwide."

To find out more visit About the King's Award For Enterprise

2021 Queen's Award for Enterprise 2021 in the category of International Trade

In 2021, Percussion Play was named the winner of a Queen's Award for Enterprise – one of the highest accolades and most prestigious awards a UK-based company can win. They were informed that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had approved the Prime Minister's recommendation that they receive a Queen's Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category to acknowledge their outstanding growth in overseas sales over the previous three years.

The International Trade category of the Queen's Awards is open to organizations based in the UK that have successfully increased their sales overseas, whether in one or multiple foreign markets. Winners must show substantial growth in their overseas earnings and commercial success relative to their business size and sector. This can be demonstrated through outstanding achievement over three years or continuous achievement over six years.

Percussion Play's international sales have grown by 85 percent due to increased demand for their expertly crafted and harmonized instruments, which now comprise more than 72 percent of their total sales. The company serves clients and distributors in over 50 countries, with its top five markets being the USA, Australia, Denmark, Canada, and China. Commenting on the award win, Percussion Play founder and Managing Director Jody Ashfield said: "We feel extremely honored to win a Queen's Award and delighted to receive such recognition of our business growth and success. We are very proud to know our outdoor musical instruments, manufactured here in Hampshire, are being enjoyed by communities across the globe. We've shipped our instruments to be played in many different locations, from busy city parks and playgrounds to locations where they are used for music therapy, dementia care, and music education and to create interactive community spaces designed to bring people together. On behalf of our amazing team, we will enjoy this moment and continue to work hard to bring a little harmony to the world."

About the Queen's Award The Queen's Award for Enterprise was given to UK businesses for outstanding achievements. Winners were usually announced annually on the 21st of April, coinciding with the birthday of the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. However, due to the royal family undergoing a two-week period of official mourning following the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the 2021 announcement was delayed until the 29th of April.

Designed to recognize and encourage outstanding achievements in the fields of Innovation, International Trade, Sustainable Development, and Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility), the Queen's Awards scheme was instituted by Royal Warrant in 1965, and the first Awards were made in 1966. The Queen's Award for Enterprise was among the most respected and esteemed global business awards.

To find out more visit Queens Award For Enterprise

About Percussion Play

After successful careers in the UK playground industry, Directors Robin and Jody Ashfield began designing and creating outdoor musical instruments in 2008, and Percussion Play was incorporated in 2011. Their intention was clear: to create high-quality, weather-resistant, fully accessible musical instruments that were sonically accurate, beautiful to look at, accessible, and designed so anyone could play them.

Their experience in constructing playgrounds and sensory gardens for schools and community projects uncovered a need for auditory playground equipment. Sensory gardens provide gentle stimulation in a therapeutic setting, and outdoor music complements these spaces effectively. Outdoor musical instruments offer schools and nurseries an excellent way to integrate outdoor education into their curriculum. They serve as creative, inclusive playground equipment and valuable resources for music education.

The company has grown considerably over the past ten years and now employs 30+ dedicated staff whose talents and actions help achieve excellence daily.

They strongly believe in extending play beyond the traditional, making play inclusive, and the positivity of multi-generational interaction. Music has great power for bringing people together, and including musical instruments in a park, playground, or trail makes music-making irresistible for people of all cultures, ages, and abilities.

Commenting on the award win, Percussion Play's managing director, Jody Ashfield, said, "Music is naturally the most universal language at our disposal, and Percussion Play instruments are effortlessly played and enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities. Differences in age, gender, ethnic or linguistic background have no place in music, and obstacles present in other activities defined by motor and mental ability are absent where music is concerned.

"We have enjoyed significant international demand for our instruments from an ever-increasing diverse audience. We thank the judges for appreciating this and recognizing our successful partnerships with distributors and clients worldwide."

Percussion Play creates a wide range of harmonized ensembles in various landscapes worldwide, including residential, commercial, and urban projects.

The Percussion Play Team Celebrate

Percussion Play is Visited by Nigel Atkinson Esq, HM Lord-Lieutenant, and Officially Presented With The Queen's Award

The Percussion Play Team meets HM Lord-Lieutenant.