Reminder: FOLSAP: Vauxhall Apple Tree Planting @ Tue 23 Feb 16:00 - 17:00

new friends wanted for Lollard Street Adventure Playground

Lollard Street Adventure Playground was created in 1954 on the site of a school that had been bombed during the war years.  It provides school-aged children with opportunities to play after school, at weekends and during school holidays, which are difficult to find elsewhere in our area.  Fenced and secure, the playground is an oasis where children are supervised by trained, professional playworkers who are always on hand to help out if needed, but also know when to stand back and let children work things out for themselves.  LSAP has quiet indoor space where children can do homework or creative arts and outdoor space with unique play structures.  Kids love it as a place where they can run about and create games, and parents know there are responsible adults at hand.  But unfortunately as government purse strings are tightened, funding for these irreplaceable areas is often the first to go! LSAP is sadly in need of investment, which the council is hesitating to provide. 

KA wants make sure Lollard Street Adventure Playground has a secure future and to this end is helping to launch a friends group.  An inaugural meeting held this month to discuss a FOLSAP initiative was very fruitful.   Both adults and children attended and discussions for the future focused on the children’s ideas for its development.   All agreed to set about forming the Friends of Lollard Street Adventure Playground (FOLSAP) with the first public meeting to be held on Monday 10^th May at 6pm in the Royal Oak PH, Fitzalan Street SE11 6QU.

Roots and Shoots have already donated a "Cellini", the 'Vauxhall Apple' tree, which will be planted in the Playground with hopes it will form the centre of a tree house which the children have asked for.  The tree will have a special meaning for the Playground as it is to commemorate Paul Hendrich, a part-time worker who was knocked off his bike in January 2008 as well as two children who used the playground, Chevlyn and Kharim.  Playground staff and children have done a mosaic ‘praying hands’ in memory of these three and it will be dedicated along with the tree planting by Kate Hoey MP at a special ceremony at 4pm on Tuesday 23^rd February.   

Lollard Street Adventure Playground

Lollard Street Adventure Playground was created in 1954 on the site of a school that had been bombed during the war years. It continues today, run by Lambeth Council, and provides school-aged children with opportunities to play, after school, at weekends and during school holidays, which are difficult to find elsewhere in our busy, urban environment.

Fenced and secure, the playground is an oasis in the middle of a densely built-up neighbourhood where children are supervised by trained, professional playworkers who are always on hand to help out if needed, who know when to intervene, but also know when to stand back and let children work things out for themselves.

Lollard Street playground has quiet indoor space where children can read, do homework or participate in creative art activities and the outdoor space, with its unique play structures, enables them to explore, experiment, and experience the wide, wonderful world around them and engage freely in play activities that a generation ago would have been taken for granted.

The children are encouraged to play a part in the ongoing design and construction of their adventure playground. This gives them the opportunity to explore, test, create, build and rebuild their play space, and encourages them to feel at home in the playground and treat it well.

All over the country sadly, and increasingly, many children are unable or not allowed to go out to play because safe outdoor spaces are hard to find, so now is the time to get involved in ensuring that this vital provision for the health and well-being of local children is preserved and developed for future generations.

A local group of volunteers has decided to form a Friends of Lollard Street Adventure Playground (FOLSAP). If you are committed to improving the community for children and could help with tasks such as administration, fundraising and management; if you would like to support the work of a committed team of playworkers and can help to advance the children’s ideas for development of their play space you are warmly invited to register your interest on the form below.