I ensured children had a safe place to play during the pandemic

Kevin is the lead youth worker at the Roman Road Adventure Playground, owned and managed by Clarion Housing Group. He shares how he helped the local children when the playground shut during the first national lockdown.

Shutting the playground was a big loss for the children

I am the lead youth worker at the Roman Road Adventure Playground which is owned and managed by Clarion. The playground has come to form a well-loved facility in the community here in Bow.

It was a big loss for the children having the adventure playground closed during the first lockdown, in what was a really uncertain time for them. And especially so for children that didn’t have siblings to play with at home, or access to outside space. I’m a big believer in learning and making sense of the world though play and exploration. I’ve seen first-hand how the adventure playground can really aid kids’ development.

I had to do whatever I could to get the playground up and running again, in a safe way for families. I quickly got to work researching Covid-19-secure measures that could be deployed for outdoor play areas to make sure the playground was as safe as possible. With the measures in place, I contacted parents to arrange visits in groups, creating play bubbles for the children, using WhatsApp to co-ordinate arrangements. It was fantastic to be able to welcome them back.

This year I was awarded the Outstanding Practice Award by a national charity called the Foyer Foundation for my efforts in ensuring that children had a safe place to play.