You will, no doubt, have heard that Greenwich Council’s latest budget proposals put much-loved local Adventure Play Centres at risk of closure.
These centres are free to attend, and they are staffed by trained youth workers, who provide support, trust and a safe environment for all children, aged 6-16; they are not just playgrounds. They help to nurture children and provide exciting play opportunities for them, and promote community cohesion, at a time when it is very much at risk.
Furthermore, Adventure Play Centres encourage children to construct, climb and safely explore their own environment. Traditional playgrounds are rigid, adult-designed structures, which do not allow for children’s curiosity.
Our local adventure play centre, Woolwich, is being targeted for complete closure. Greenwich Council proposes that the Woolwich adventure play centre be replaced with an unsupervised multi-games area (MUGA) in Maryon Park. The Committee of Friends of Maryon and Maryon Wilson Parks strongly oppose these proposals.
The Friends of Maryon and Maryon Wilson Parks Committee Position- : Regarding the closure of Woolwich Adventure Play Centre:
We strongly and actively support the campaign to save the Woolwich Adventure Play Centre.
The Friend’s position is to lobby robustly against the proposal for the Woolwich Adventure Play Centre to be closed. We have already started leafleting local streets and joined awareness events and campaign groups.
We believe in the ethos of Adventure Play Centres feel strongly that their USP is that they are supervised by trained staff, thus ensuring the safety and inclusivity of all service users (including individuals with special educational needs). Please visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/778083291304240 for the campaign pack, which gives you some great background and information about how you can inform the public consultation. Please sign the petition, share the campaign pack widely, email your local councillors and join the Save Greenwich Adventure Play Centres WhatsApp groups. You helped us to save the Maryon Wilson Animal Park. We are now calling on you to support this incredibly vital community asset and save it.
The Friends of Maryon and Maryon Wilson Parks Committee Position- Regarding the Council’s proposal to establish an unsupervised MUGA in Maryon Park (if the Council closes Woolwich Adventure Play Centre, despite vigorous community opposition).
We strongly oppose Maryon Park as a site for the MUGA.
Maryon Park already has various amenities, including tennis courts, an outdoor gym and a children’s playground. Siting a MUGA in Maryon Park would mean the local community has much less space to enjoy picnics and walks with their families (and pets). It would also detract from the natural beauty of the park.
Furthermore, the identified space is the only area in Maryon Park where community events such as fairs and festivals can be held, thus losing a much-valued community space. We urge the Council to reconsider the proposal to close Woolwich Adventure Play Centre.
Friends Of Maryon Park and Maryon Wilson Park 