Wandsworth is launching a ‘Year of Play’ and harnessing the power of its status as London Borough of Culture in 2025 to drive forward the vision for play described in its new three year play strategy.
The strategy is aimed to respond to diminishing play opportunities in recent years since the pandemic and start of the cost-of-living crisis, and aims to boost physical and mental wellbeing, spark creativity, and make the borough the best place to grow up.
Cllr Kate Stock, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “Play is fundamental to the healthy development and wellbeing of children and young people, and that’s why we want it at the top of everyone’s agenda.
“While we already have over 300 fantastic play spaces, including a range of award-winning parks and our brand-new Roehampton Family Hub, our ambition doesn’t stop there. This investment demonstrates our commitment to listening to residents and creating a borough where every young person can thrive.”
The strategy also commits to investing over £380k in the Lady Allen adventure playground in the next year, to ensure it can provide the best experiences for children with additional needs and their siblings. The vision also includes:
- More places to play: A £4million investment to upgrade playgrounds across the borough with modern, inclusive, and age-appropriate equipment, ensuring everyone from toddlers to teenagers has a space that meets their needs.
- Affordable fun: Free soft play sessions for under-8s at leisure centres and free access to council-owned spaces for community groups running youth activities, ensuring play is at the heart of our ambitious Access for All programme.
- Life-changing experiences: A new ‘10×10’ programme will ensure every child in Wandsworth gets to experience 10 life-enriching activities—like visiting cultural landmarks, trying new sports, or taking part in creative workshops—by the age of 10. We’ll also harness our status as London Borough of Culture in 2025 to drive forward our vision for play.
- Safer spaces: Supervised sessions for teens, better lighting in play areas, and new “play streets” to create secure spaces for young people to play outside.
- Longer play hours: Extended opening hours at family hubs and playgrounds, giving families and young people more time to enjoy their local spaces.
You can read the full strategy here.