London Play has issued the following statement in response to plans by Greenwich council to close, downgrade and de-staff four of the borough’s five adventure playgrounds.
London Play strongly opposes any move by the Royal Borough of Greenwich to close or downgrade its staffed adventure playgrounds. Such action would seriously harm local children and be a backwards step at a time when national attention is finally recognising the essential role of play in children’s lives.
As set out in our submission to the Commission on Play[1], staffed adventure playgrounds are not interchangeable with standard fixed-equipment playgrounds. They are specialist, irreplaceable parts of the play ecosystem, offering social, creative, challenging and developmental opportunities that children cannot access elsewhere. They are especially important for older children and teenagers, a group largely ignored in typical playground provision. They provide safety, trusted adults, and opportunities for independence that families rely on.
Children consistently describe adventure playgrounds as places where they feel free, have fun, make friends and feel accepted. There they mix with children of different backgrounds, abilities, ethnicities and socioeconomic circumstances in a way that does not occur in more segregated or inaccessible environments. For many families who face barriers to outdoor play, particularly safety concerns in parks or on estates, adventure playgrounds are the only places where children can confidently spend time outside. Parents frequently allow their children to attend these staffed spaces independently while saying they would never permit them to go alone to an unstaffed playground, showing just how essential these staffed play spaces are.
Adventure playgrounds also provide food, warmth, shelter and consistent adult support. For some children, especially during school holidays, they meet basic needs that may not always be met at home. Skilled playworkers offer stability and belonging and are central to the inclusive, child-led ethos that defines these settings. They ensure all children feel welcome, and that children experiencing economic hardship can take part equally and without stigma.
Closing or downgrading this provision would place Greenwich at odds with national developments. The creation of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Play[2], cross-party support for a statutory Play Sufficiency Duty[3] and the Commission on Play’s[4] call for a National Play Strategy show rising political commitment to improving children’s access to play. At a time when the UK is finally acknowledging its importance, Greenwich risks going backwards.
Quote from Fiona Sutherland, Director of London Play:
“Greenwich’s adventure playgrounds are irreplaceable. They are community assets where children feel safe, valued and free. Closing them would remove opportunities that cannot be recreated elsewhere. As national policy begins to recognise the importance of play, Greenwich should be leading, not stepping back.”
London Play urges the borough to protect and invest in these vital spaces. The children of Greenwich deserve nothing less.
[1] https://londonplay.org.uk/our_news/children-make-the-case-for-adventure-play/
[2] https://www.playengland.org.uk/appg
[3] https://www.playengland.org.uk/newsblog/a-critical-step-forward-play-sufficiency-amendment-reintroduced-in-the-lords
