CANONBURY YOUTHS GET THEIR OWN SPACE (Islington Liberal Democrats)

Islington Liberal Democrats <Islington_ld@cix.co.uk>

CANONBURY YOUTHS GET THEIR OWN SPACE

February 1, 2006 12:00 AM

New play equipment specially designed for young people over seven opened in St Paul's Park on Saturday (28th January), thanks to the Friends of Rose Bowl Youth Club and South Area Committee councillors.

The Friends, who support the youth club adjacent to the park and work to provide funding for youth activities, came up with the ambitious scheme to provide more appropriate equipment for older young people. Beforehand, the play facilities in the park were only appropriate for under sevens.

After being offered £24,000 for the scheme by an anonymous local benefactor, the Friends worked with Islington Council's Greenspace to draw up plans, based on consultation with local young people. Greenspace offered a site for the equipment, and agreed to manage and maintain the structure at the council's cost. They also contributed an extra £5,000 toward the scheme.

However, at a cost of £41,100, the Friends were still short of the full funding, so last year they approached South Area Committee to step in and provide funds. South Area's Lib Dem councillors were happy to get behind the scheme, and provided the extra £12,100 that has completed the project.

Canonbury Lib Dem Councillor Barbara Smith says: "The new equipment is imaginative and great fun, and the Friends of Rose Bowl are to be praised for their hard work on this. It also shows what a difference having local delegated council budgets can make, giving councillors like myself the chance to help valuable community projects like these."

Fellow Councillor Lucy Watt says: "It is great that there is now more for older children to do in the area. The Rose Bowl Youth Club provides an excellent programme of events for the young people in my ward, but most of the existing play equipment in the New River Green Estate is focussed at under sevens. Teenagers have a lot of energy and throughout the scrutiny investigation that I have been chairing into anti-social behaviour, I have been told that we should give them more to do, so I hope this climbing wall and frame will be well used and enjoyed in the years to come. I'm really pleased that we've been able to fund such a great idea."