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Summary: Today, Minister for Culture David Lammy MP visited Somerford Grove Adventure Playground in his constituency of Tottenham. Somerford Grove is the only adventure playground in the borough, and the first open-access adventure playground to open in London in 20 years.
Today, Minister for Culture David Lammy MP visited Somerford Grove Adventure Playground in his constituency of Tottenham. Somerford Grove is the only adventure playground in the borough, and the first open-access adventure playground to open in London in 20 years. Lammy experienced first-hand how the adventure playground is giving local children and young people somewhere fun and challenging to play. Somerford Grove Community Project and Adventure Playground, built and managed by the local charity Haringey Play Association, is a vital resource in an area ranked among the five percent most deprived wards in the country. Somerford Grove, which is open to all local children and young people up to 15 years old, addresses the severe lack of services for children and young people to ‘hang out’ in the borough.
David Lammy MP said: "Play is a necessity, not a luxury. There is much over-crowded housing in this area, which increases the need for playgrounds and open spaces like these. It is great news that local parents have reported a marked improvement in their children’s behaviour and development since this new facility has been open." Speaking at a conference last week, Lammy also said that he had "grown up on the streets of Tottenham" and intends to be a ‘play champion’ in Westminster. London Play hopes this visit will encourage him to recognise the wide-ranging benefits that adventure playgrounds offer, and support London Play’s campaign to increase the number of adventure playgrounds in the capital, and the resources available to them.