Lambeth Early Action Partnership (LEAP) have announced a rebuilding and refurbishing programme of children’s early years buildings, using £4 million of National Lottery funding, starting with the improvement of The Mulberry Centre in Myatt’s Field Park.
LEAP is a ten-year Lottery funded project to support the social, emotional, communication and language development of babies and children, their diet and nutrition as well as parents’ wellbeing.
The Mulberry Centre is the first to benefit from the LEAP Capital Project which was developed in partnership with the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) and Lambeth council. The Centre is run by Myatt’s Field Outdoor Urban Pre School and holds a free One O‘clock Club for children under 5. The work included improvements to safety and security, soft landscaping, renovations, new kitchen facilities, new flooring as well as new children’s toilets and repairs to the plumbing.
Other redevelopments will follow over the winter on estates, children’s centres, early years hubs and One O’clock Clubs across the Lambeth wards of Stockwell, Vassall and Coldharbour in Brixton and Tulse Hill.
Laura McFarlane LEAP director said: “It is fantastic to complete the work here at Mulberry One O’clock club and we are now looking forward to developing other sites in the Lambeth area.
“It is crucial that children in Lambeth have the facilities to ensure that they get the best start to life as possible. The rebuild will provide a warm and welcome new space for families to meet and engage with the LEAP programme.”
Cllr Jane Pickard, Lambeth’s cabinet member for families and young people, said: “It’s great to see this work completed, the first of a series of LEAP-funded improvements to play areas and buildings across four of Lambeth’s most deprived wards.
“The council believes that intervening early to tackle some of the problems many families face can make a real difference to the future life chances of their children. LEAP, in which the council is a key partner, is critical in carrying out some of this work, especially in showing what methods work best.
“But first we need to create attractive, high-quality places for families to come and meet while children play. The work done will enable Mulberry to be one of these places. I look forward to meeting families there when it is finished.”
Cllr Paul Gadsby, Vassall ward councillor, said: “It’s great to see this space being spruced up for local parents and children. This is a highly valued centre and the work being done should ensure it attracts many more families for years to come.”
LEAP Capital Project
The LEAP Capital Project will include rebuilding and refurbishment work on the following sites:
- The Mulberry Centre
- Cowley Early years Hub
- Tulse Hill Early Years Hub
- Brockwell One O’clock Club
- Max Roach One O’clock Club
- Mursell Early Years Hub
- Loughborough Estate Early Years Hub
- Jubilee Children’s Centre
- Loughborough Children’s Centre
- St Stephens Children’s Centre
- Liz Atkinson Children’s Centre
