Fairground fun day raises money for playground facing closure

KIDS came out in droves despite the rain for a fundraising fun day to help keep a playground facing closure open for longer.

Staff and volunteers turned Weavers Field Adventure Playground, off Bethnal Green Road, into a colourful fairground yesterday as part of a series of fundraising events to try and keep the popular playground open a few more months. The coucil’s park rangers also helped out.

Kids brought along their pocket money for a ride on a giant tea cup and parents were urged to make donations during the event which also featured face painting, trampolining, a sandpit and blowing giant soab bubbles.

The playground, which is run by the voluntary sector, is finding it increasing difficult to secure the variety of charity grants it relies on and has been facing closure next month unless it can secure future funding.

The playground is one of five staffed playground in Tower Hamlets and its annual council grant of 22,913, is “not enough” to keep it open, according to staff. The playground in Viaduct Street started charging kids an entry fee earlier in the summer to avoid cutting down its opening hours.

Playworker Victor Williams said: “The playground needs a minimum �6,000 a month to stay open because of staff cost. Hopefully this and other events might help us stay open at least another couple of months. We need to sit down with the management committee and look at the money raised and the obtions we have.”

Over �700 was raised from the fun day and a sponsored walk on August 11 raised �170 for the playground.