News from Westminster Labour
Westbourne Councillors save Meanwhile Gardens Playhut
Labour’s three Westbourne Councillors, David Boothroyd, Adam Hug and Papya Qureshi, have given a £6,400 lifeline to the Meanwhile Gardens Playhut from their Ward Budget to support the “Tiny Green Fingers Grow and Eat Project”, following Westminster City Council’s decision to withdraw core funding from the community garden earlier this year. The project runs a range of learning opportunities on healthy eating, nutrition, nature and the environment and is very popular with users.
Last year a total of 4,568 children visited the Playhut between 1st April 2009 and 31st March 2010, and of that 1,363 children were from the Westminster wards of Queen’s Park, Westbourne and Harrow Road wards.
The Westbourne Councillors say they were contacted by many local families in Westbourne Ward following the Council’s decision to withdraw funding who told them:
“I have been using this facility for my children for the last 2 years and could not do without it as we live in severely over-crowded accommodation.”
“This Playhut provides a breath of fresh air to many Westminster families who like us live in small accommodation.”
“I have been using it with my 3 children for years and do not know a better place to go with young children in the area.”
“It is the only place of this quality in the area, with garden space as well as indoor space.”
Councillor David Boothroyd said: “Until this year Westminster Council had provided core funding for the Meanwhile Gardens Community Association to run the Under-5s drop-in Playhut scheme, which is free and open to any child under the age of 6 without having to make appointments. Although Meanwhile Gardens is just in Kensington, many Westminster families live in cramped conditions and needed a safe place for their children to play and learn to socialize.
Councillor Adam Hug said: “Although Meanwhile Gardens is now located in Kensington, it was in Westminster when the Gardens were first laid out and the Playhut opened 34 years ago. Parents and carers need to escape the isolation often felt when bringing up young children. The service continues to be free to local residents, which is especially important to those families on low incomes.”
Councillor Papya Qureshi said: “The Playhut works on a voluntary basis but needs the funding to cover essential utility bills and Criminal Records Bureau checks to ensure children are safeguarded. The amount of money that the Playhut needs to cover its core spending is an absolute pittance in the context of Westminster’s £250 million a year budget. If Westbourne Councillors had not stepped, the centre may have been forced to close.”
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