Kevin

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-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.

Kevin
Lead youth worker