Camden to close play services

Six of the council’s projects, including play services for disabled children, families living in temporary accommodation and an adventure playground, will close in March, followed by the rest of the council-funded play projects at the end of August.

The playschemes that will close are: Caversham Transitions Project; Regent’s Park Transitions Project; Weedington Road Transitions Project; Fusion Transitions Project; Kilburn Grange Park Adventure Playground; Temporary Accommodation Play Project.

The rest of the council-funded play projects are closing at the end of August 2012, and a new service will start in September 2012.

The council said a new play service will start in September.

The move follows a review by the council last year into the services it offers for children, schools and families, when it considered closing all council-run play centres, holiday provision and breakfast and after-school clubs in schools, to make savings of between £80m and £100m over three years.

The council has agreed a budget of £1.5m for commissioning the new services, which will be supplemented by £0.11m of the budget for short breaks for disabled children. Funds will be allocated to provide services to children who are in the most need using a grants model.

Camden Council cabinet member for children, schools and families, Councillor Larraine Revah, said, ‘We have had to make some difficult decisions in this financial climate and we just couldn’t afford to keep the play service running as it was.
  
‘We consulted with as many service users as we could and we will be working with community-run organisations to put together the best possible offer for services.

‘We know that children from low-income working families rely on the play service to help them keep working and we want to make sure that this is protected as far as possible.’

Catherine Prisk, director of Play England, urged the council to find a solution so that the schemes could be kept open.

‘We recognise in these tough times, tough decisions need to be made and we welcome Camden’s continued commitment to investing in play provision for the borough.

'Putting the play service into local ownership is also to be welcomed, as long as it is done in a supportive manner. We very much hope that in this transition will be support for play services to find ways to diversify their income, increasing access for all children across the borough in the future.

‘However it is very concerning if some of these excellent play centres – including the recently opened and very popular Kilburn Grange Adventure Playground – are going to be closed just before the Easter and Summer holidays.’

She added, ‘Parents love staffed play-schemes because they are at the heart of their communities and are staffed by skilled playworkers that they trust. Children love them because they can have everyday adventures with their friends in safe and exciting places near home.

‘It is the staff that give play-schemes their magic and I would urge the council – and local businesses - to find a solution that will keep these magical place open for all children until the new services are ready to take over.’