Locked Down & Locked Out

Playgrounds still locked up in Lewisham

We are pleased to join a new campaign led by Lewisham Mayoress Dawn Atkinson to improve play facilities for all children across the Evelyn Ward.

You can follow the campaign on social media HERE and read their request to Lewisham Council & Lewisham Homes to reopen playgrounds HERE.

Children across the country were locked out of playgrounds during the Covid-19 Lockdown. Since restrictions were lifted playgrounds have reopened, including Glendale managed parks parks.

Lewisham Homes manage many of Evelyn Ward's publicly accessible green space and play areas. While neighbouring boroughs, Greenwich & Southwark, have opened their playgrounds Lewisham Homes have not.

49%* of children in the Evelyn Ward live in poverty and most homes do not have access to private outdoor space. "Play" is one of the UN rights of the child (Article 31). "Playgrounds" have been top of the list for improvments for many years in Evelyn.

Our own 2016 DeptfordFolk park survey and, more recently, the 2019 NCIL council consultation put playgrounds top of the list for improvement.

We will be following and supporting this campaign closely. Playgrounds are a high priority for park users. Play equipment in Deptford Park desperately needs an ovehaul. Sayes Court Park needs a whole new approach.

In Folkestone Gardens, residents were promised a Skate & Play project in 2015. Only 'skate' has been delivered at a cost of £250K. In response DeptfordFolk held playground design workshops with pupils at Sir Francis Drake School in 2017. In 2019 we worked with the London Marathon Trust to secure £150K of investment for Folkestone Gardens playground.

Still children wait for adults to deliver.

*taken from Local Child Poverty Data 2018/19 www.endchildpoverty.org.uk