Tributes and tears as Stonebridge Adventure Playground closes

The closure of Stonebridge Adventure Playground as a result of a heartless double whammy by Brent Council (demolition to make way for school expansion financed by sale of land for house building plus withdrawal of funding) continues to reverberate around the Stonebridge community.

There have been tears from children and adults as equipment is moved out ahead of total closure at the end of the month.

The 'Stonebridge Adventure Playground  Must Stay For Ever' Facebook has received many messages of support and regret amidst tributes to Doug and Glynis Lee.

This one posted by  Robert 'Becks' Beckles speaks for many:

It's with sadness that I'm writing this, I've recently found out that the STONEBRIDGE ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND will close its doors for the final time at the end of March 2015, now to a lot of people reading this it won't mean much, but for me even at my age now, this place represents some of the best childhood memories that any young person could wish for.

Staff who were friendly, approachable, professional and made sure that the young people in their care were kept safe at all times. 

Trips like Chessington, Margate, Boxhill all for 50p!, events such as Bonfire and Halloween parties, celeb's such as Lenny Henry, Marvin Hagler, Audley Harrison and the late Jeremy Beadle (R.I.P), have all passed through the doors of Stonebridge Adventure. Playing arcade games, play fighting on the inflatable, playing on the Nintendo NES, stuffing our faces with toasted cheese sandwiches and chips or having chip butties, jam on toast or putting 2 straws in our tip-top drinks!, all added and helped make the adventure playground the best provision for young people EVER!!

So to Douglas Lee Glynis Lee Patrick Coley Everette Junior Colin Hunter Charlie Boots (Richard), Barry, Steve, Yvonne, Yasmin, Ian, Dave, Jennifer Parris-Buckley Carmen Williams, Joel and Ieisha WE THANK YOU!! Bless

Julyann Pusey wrote:

Big tribute to Glyn and Doug. Passion, tenderness, devotion, loyalty, love of people. They fought the fight from beginning to end and still they fight.....Stonebridge has lost two great soldiers. Side by side they fought Brent council. With their knowledge; wisdom and passion they made heads turn in Brent. They exposed the government for the people they really are!!.

Pain and anger as news of Stonebridge Adventure Playground closure spreads

Audley Harrison and children fight for the playground

Following Brent Council's vote to close Stonebridge Adventure Playgroubnd after nearly 40 years of serving generations of children in one of London's poorest areas comments are pouring into the playground's Facebook page:

One of the most galling aspects of the campaign is the contempt that councillors have shown to campaigners not hesitating to lie when it suits them:

A 'mumble for Mo' as assault on children and young people is approved by Brent Cabinet

It is customary in government, when spending priorities are being decided,  for each departmental minister to make the case for his or her department to the Treasury and to the Cabinet. Their effectiveness can be gauged by their success,

Transferring that to Brent Council level it was clear at tonight's Cabinet meeting that Ruth Moher, lead member for children and families appeared to have been particularly ineffective. Putting aside Children's Centres, which are Michael Pavey's passion, the main losers were children and young people.

Stonebridge Adventure Playground remains defiant -the fight goes on despite being presented with a fait accompli

A Valentine's Day from Stonebridge chidlren to Brent Council

The Cabinet will be finalising the budget and cuts package at its meeting on February 23rd and it will then go to Full Council on March 2nd. Well, that's the theory but it appears that things have already been decided with Muhammed Butt, at his Leader's Briefing, saying that the cuts will go ahead.  In addition Stonebridge Adventure Playground have been told that their funding will definitely stop.

This is a letter from one of Stonebridge ward councillors posted on the Adventure Playgrounnd's Facebook Page LINK:

Dear Glynis,

It was unfortunate that all efforts to keep our cherished Adventure playground open was unsuccessful with the decision of withdrawal of the funding. It will be a devastating news to the Stonebridge community and environs who use this facility.

Regarding your concerns and some information you requested,I'll email you later today for those request and also enquire if their will be room for time to sort out the Staff that work in the Adventure playground instead of March 31st deadline.

Kind regards,
Ernest
Cllr. Ernest Ezeajughi
Stonebridge Ward

Clearly the hope is that the campaign will accept this but the struggle will carry on until the last Stonebridge kid whizzes down the zip wire crying out 'Stonebridge will Stay Forever!'.

I wrote a message on the Facebook page amongst the messages of sadness:

We should not accept that funding is to be stopped until we have exhausted all campaigning opportunities and lobbied all councillors, MPs, candates etc Exactly as you have been doing so well. The Cabinet does not offically decide its recommendations until February 23rd and then they have to be approved by Full Council on March 2nd. Muhammed Butt may have decided funding will cease but are we saying that the rest of the process is therefore meaningless? It doesn't say much for local democracy if so. Let's not give up yet - look at the Kilburn Times fron page today.

The Kilburn Times story is about a rise in youth cautions in the borough and includes a quote from Colin Hunter, a playground worker:

Without youth services it's far too easy for young people to be swayed by peer pressure and get involved with gangs and go down the criminality route, so the figure will rise.

And Doug Lee wrote a message of defiance on the Facebook page:

IT IS NOT OVER We will fight on and even harder for JUSTICE . The gloves are off now and we at Bridge know how to fight and WIN There are at least three rounds to go .Come on everyone lets finish the job and finish it well We are not some walkover We stand our ground and always will . Bless all our supporters .

Stonebridge child gives Labour Council leaders some home truths

Outsdie Brent Civic Centre last night

One of the children from Stonebridge Adventure Playground surprised workers who had accompanied her to last night’s Consultation event at the Civic Centre. They said what happened ‘made the whole event worthwhile’.

The girl had been scribbling away on one of the comments cards that had been distributed and onlookers assumed she was doodling out of sheer boredom.  But then she took the microphone  and gave an impassioned speech from her notes.  She mentioned the hardship that would be caused to single and working parents, and how the closure of the Adventure Playground  would mean there was nowhere for the community to mix, people would just stay in their flats and not let their children go out. She also mentioned CCTV cameras which she said aren¹t as necessary when young people have somewhere to go.  

The councillors responded that at an earlier meeting the users of the Millennium Centre had spoken up for their centre in a similar way (thereby apparently implying it was pointless trying to argue from a human perspective) 

Doug Lee from the Playground spoke about the six months that kids aren't at school, the length of time the playground has been in operation and the money Brent Play Association has raised on behalf of other groups in Brent (supplementary schools, CVS, Pakistani Workers Association to name just three) 

Glynis Lee said that the council were saying 20% cuts to front-line services but Stonebridge Adventure Playground  was getting a 100% cut. The cuts were going to decimate front-line services, whilst councillors sat in their glass tower taking a 20% rise and people in Brent were suffering.
Although Jo Coburn from BBC Politics, who chaired yesterday’s meetings for a fee of £2,500, wanted to get into the subject of where the cuts should be made, Glynis was having none of it.

She told the councillors they were elected by the people of Brent as Labour councillors and were doing the work of the Coalition. She asked, ‘how do you guys sleep at night?' 

Deputy Leader Cllr Michael Pavey said they did have trouble sleeping but to not go ahead with these measures would be breaking the law and they weren't prepared to do that.  

The Youth Parliament representatives also mentioned the increase in councillors' allowance and Butt responded they wanted to attract the best councillors and not just retired people or those with enough funds to do it.

People in the room also asked about proposals to work with the voluntary sector to continue to provide services in some way, and Anne O'Neil from Brent Mencap pointed out that the procurement process would hinder this unless it was vastly improved. 

An important question was raised from the floor about the use  of  Section 106 money for communities affected by redevelopment. Cllr Butt answered this, unsatisfactorily according to some, implying  that these funds just went into the general pot, and not to the respective communities. 

Butt told: 'This is a line you should not cross!' as Stonebridge fights back

This is the second part of a recording of Mo Butt's meeting with supporters of Stonebridge Adventure Playground who are trying to stop its demolition by Brent Council. I am full of admiration for Doug Lee as he launches an impassioned defence of the playground and its work. This is how a community fights back!

The last consultation on the plans takes place at Stonebridge Primary School from 5-78pm tonight. There is still time to email Brent Council with your views stonebridge.consult@brent.gov.uk or visit www.brent.gov.uk/stonebridgeconsultation

The consultation closes on November 17th 2014