ABOUT US
Our Adventure Playground offers over an acre of safe, staffed space where children & young people can come to play, make new friends, develop skills & try new things.
We are open to children of every background between the ages of 6 – 16.
We believe
- Children thrive with positive social interactions
- Play helps children develop responsibility through risk
- that children who can play freely develop strong social skills and positive connections with others in their community
- that children need space to take responsibility, explore and challenge themselves
We also have a Under 5s Stay and Play program, community volunteer days in our edible garden, corporate volunteer opportunities, 17-21 employment and training programs, and rent our premises for parties.
OUR MISSION
We believe that children in the borough of Lambeth between the ages of one and twenty-one have the right to play freely and safely in a healthy outdoor environment. We believe such activity is important to their social, mental and physical well being and as such contributes to their present and future lives.
We Believe in CHILD-LED PLAY!
Who uses us?
During the holidays we average over 100 children each day.
Over the year we have well over 4,000 visits to the playground alone. While we do not target a particular ethnic group 72% of the children that use us are from Black and multi ethnic groups.
Registration data:
80% of children were aged 6 – 10 years old and 20% were aged 11+.
50% of the children were boys and 50% were girls.
Children attend a wide range of schools; 80+.
About 75% of our families qualify for Free School Meals.
About 20% are SEND families.
Children per day
Visits per year
%
Black & multi ethnic groups
Entry is FREE!
So much to do
There’s a big emphasis on outdoor play with gardening and the Edible Playground as well as our exciting structures and free play. You can also come inside and try arts and crafts, cookery, table tennis and much more.
Recent activities, events & projects include:
- In partnership with Urban Growth we built a new growing area, pond and greenhouse & teach children and young people to gardening skills
- Bee Urban and our thriving bee hives produced over 120kg of delicious Slade Gardens Adventure Playground Honey – come in & try some! We sell our honey too.
- Brixton Chamber Orchestra held a concert.
- We had a community Sports Day in the summer.
- We love bringing the community together for Bonfire Night too.
- Last year we visited Clip & Climb, Flip Out Trampoline Park, Crystal Palace, Myatts Field Water Park, Vauxhall City Farm, went bowling, went to the movies, had a slime making workshop, made brilliant things out of scrap & recycling, designed T-shirts and much more besides
Want to come along?
Just turn up! All you need to do is register and sign in. Staff are on hand to ensure your safety and enhance everyone’s play experiences. Parents and carers are welcome.
Childcare groups and play schemes are also welcome but we ask that you contact us to book first to avoid overcrowding.
Trustees
Katharina Bielenberg, Chair
Renata Funari, Secretary
Tom Stabler, Treasurer
Jamie Bulloch
Michaela Carmichael
Jonty Edwards
Rebecca Jarvis
Gilly Johnson-Hill
Janis Marsh
Olga Muniz
Contact us if you would like to learn more about being a trustee. We welcome enquiries of interest. We are actively looking for trustees with financial, IT, building project management, carpentry, painting, community development, social media, communications, marketing or fundraising experience. We are also seeking user perspectives of the facilities as a parent or carer or a young person (18 – 25 yo) to be represented on the board. Is this you? Time commitment is two hours per month, and more if you can spare it.
Past Trustees
In April 2023 we said goodbye to two amazing trustees Robin Langton, who stepped down as Chair, and Veronica Plowden, who was Secretary. They have poured their heart and soul into Slade Adventure Playgrounds. Our community is forever grateful for all that they have done over the years. Together, with a team of then concerned locals, they formed this charity in the 90s to keep the adventure playground open.
Thank you also to Crispin Royle Davies our most recent Treasurer and Annabel Elkington previously Co-Chair.
All our trustees, past and present, make a positive difference to the lives of neighbourhood children. Thank you.
Staff
Jamie Young, Playground Manager, works Mondays-Fridays and is the first port of call for all enquires.
The Charity Director Cadella Patterson works Mondays-Thursdays 10am – 2pm.
Our team of dedicated playworkers are here to help and enhance every visit.
Anke Zeller manages the Edible garden, gardening club and education workshops.
Membership
There is no charge for membership – it’s FREE to be a member. Members vote at AGMs and can have an active and crucial role in how we work!
Members must be 18 years of age or older and support the Charity’s work for the children of Lambeth as set out in the Constitution and the Community Service Agreement.
When you register as a user family, you automatically become a member.
As a community charitable organisation, we encourage all members of our community, be it caregivers, local schools, friends or neighbours to join the association to have representation and have a vote at our AGMs.
We are your community.
Please get involved.
We’re better together.
Everyone is welcome.
Important information
View and download a copy of our safeguarding policy.
If you have any questions about our work or our plans for the future please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Sponsors, Friends and Contributors
As an organisation that relies 100% on grants, donations, gifts in kind, legacies, and volunteers, we are very grateful to the following
Grants
Awards for All
Children in Need
Fressport Fund
Garfield Weston
Gregg’s
Haberdashers
Hedley Trust
Hibbert Trust
Hindon Trust
Lambeth Council
LCHN
Lord Mayor’s Green City Fund
Longfield Sgapveilia
OBE Foundation
Pinebridge Global Funds
Play England
Power to Change Trust
Sainsbury’s
St Matthew’s Church, Brixton
Social Investment Bank
Southwark Council
Stockwell Park Residents Association (SPRA)
Stockwell Revolving Dinner
Tesco
The Peter Minet Trust
Waitrose
Walcot Foundation
Woodward Trust
Woodward Education
Young Lambeth CO-OP
Volunteers & Partners
Architectural Association
Aviva
Bank of America
Bee Urban
Karen Sorab, Beyond Autism
BUPA
Churchman Landscape Architects
Danone
Dasl
Daylesford Organic
Deutsche Bank
Equals Consulting
Friends of Slade Gardens
Fluro Finance Platform
Goldsmiths College
Jam Jar Flowers
London Play Design
Maremma Restaurant
Max Architects
Pinebridge
Price Waterhouse Cooper
QBE
Ricoh
Santander
Urban Growth
Whitby Ward
XCO2
and those that have left us a
Legacy in their Will
or
Donated GIFTS IN KIND
We would like to thank every one of our supporters past and present – we wouldn’t be here or having nearly so much fun without you!
You’ve made a BIG impact on the lives of the kids in Lambeth. Thank you!
OUR HISTORY
On 22 June 1944, a flying doodle bomb hit and destroyed several houses in Stockwell. Killing 11 people, the damage led to an empty space that allowed the formation of Slade Gardens which became the site for our much-loved adventure playground.
In 1999 Slade Gardens Community Play Association was created as a charitable trust responsible for running the Adventure Playground and the many other things we do as a community hub.