White City Adventure Playground Tops London Awards
Beating off competition to win London Aventure Playgound of the Year
White City Adventure Playground has won the title of London Aventure Playground of the Year, beating competition from other inventive play settings across the capital.
The playground, in the heart of the White City estate, encourages children to embrace their freedom by building stuff from recycled materials, destroying, swinging, climbing, cooking over fire, playing with water, dressing up, getting dirty, painting and generally choosing how they want to play.
Young people from the playground headed to the awards ceremony at the Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley on October 28 to watch a short film they had put together as their awards entry.
Set to the Pharrell Williams hit Happy, it was partly shot using an improvised tyre-seat on wheels. YOu can see the video here.
The judges - children from last year’s winning playground, Shakespeare Walk in Hackney - handed over the prize to the excited White City group.
The prize includes a new structure for the playground, to be designed and built by APEs Adventure Playground Engineers with the help of the children, and £500 worth of materials.
Team Leader Mike Dessington said: " It’s fantastic to win the award and it means a lot to the children because it’s their playground.
" If we can encourage more local children to play we can also encourage adults to be more playful themselves, and to recognise the value of play. We want to work outwards from the playground into the community."
Cllr Sue Macmillan, H&F Council’s Cabinet Member for children and education, said: " This award is great news and very well deserved. The playground is a vital space for local children to enjoy physical activity and let their imaginations run free, which highlights the importance of play in all young lives."
White City Adventure Playground is part of Randolph Beresford Early Excellence Centre. It offers free open access sessions for eight to 15 year-olds during school holidays and half-term breaks.
For more information speak to the play workers in person or call 020 8749 0909, or visit the Facebook page here.
November 9, 2014
