Nursery group funds garden for homeless

A collaboration between Bright Horizons Foundation for Children, the charitable arm of the nursery chain Bright Horizons Family Solutions, and the Field Lane Foundation, a Christian charity providing accommodation, care and support to families in temporary housing, produced the Bright Space garden inNotting Hill, London.

Director of the European Bright Horizons Foundation Susan Hay said, 'Bright Space is about providing play for children who don't have access to space and facilities for play. Some Bright Spaces will be mini-nurseries and some specifically for parents and children.

'We are working on three other London projects with Field Lane. One in Euston will hopefully begin in a few weeks.'

There are more than 100 Bright Space projects in the United States, where Bright Horizons is based, but this is the first in the UK.

Jeremy Lamb, chief executive of Field Lane, said, 'Play for children and families is often at the bottom of the list at a time of homelessness.

Field Lane has always known how important play is for the healthy development of children and for overcoming some of the lasting effects of homelessness. By supporting children in this way we are working together to challenge potential cycles of homelessness.'

The garden of Andrew Provan House, which offers Field Lane temporary housing in Notting Hill, was revamped to produce a peaceful outdoor area for the use of residents. It features a deck for year-round use, beds of plants and a forthcoming vegetable patch. Bright Horizons also plans to develop a section of communal lounge into a soft play area for children.