Camden to close play services

Six of the council’s projects, including play services for disabled children, families living in temporary accommodation and an adventure playground, will close in March, followed by the rest of the council-funded play projects at the end of August.

The playschemes that will close are: Caversham Transitions Project; Regent’s Park Transitions Project; Weedington Road Transitions Project; Fusion Transitions Project; Kilburn Grange Park Adventure Playground; Temporary Accommodation Play Project.

The rest of the council-funded play projects are closing at the end of August 2012, and a new service will start in September 2012.

The council said a new play service will start in September.

The move follows a review by the council last year into the services it offers for children, schools and families, when it considered closing all council-run play centres, holiday provision and breakfast and after-school clubs in schools, to make savings of between £80m and £100m over three years.

The council has agreed a budget of £1.5m for commissioning the new services, which will be supplemented by £0.11m of the budget for short breaks for disabled children. Funds will be allocated to provide services to children who are in the most need using a grants model.

Camden Council cabinet member for children, schools and families, Councillor Larraine Revah, said, ‘We have had to make some difficult decisions in this financial climate and we just couldn’t afford to keep the play service running as it was.
  
‘We consulted with as many service users as we could and we will be working with community-run organisations to put together the best possible offer for services.

‘We know that children from low-income working families rely on the play service to help them keep working and we want to make sure that this is protected as far as possible.’