Hackney Playbus was set up in 1972 with the aim of taking exciting play opportunities onto housing estates in Hackney where so many children were growing up. We've now been taking our service to parks and estates in and around Hackney for over 40 years! We run play sessions for babies and children 0-10 years old in our fully converted double decker bus called Bugsie. Our bus is full of fun stuff including a sandpit, painting, arts and crafts, a play drivers seat, a mini kitchen, a reading corner and where ever we can we set up lots of outdoor play too.
Hackney Playbus was set up and initially funded by the Hackney Council enabling the project to buy and convert our first double decker bus and employ staff. In 1998 we became an independant registered charity, and the project went on to attract substantial Sure Start funding to take our service out into the community in Hackney and Tower Hamlets, reaching around 5,000 children a year. We now work closely with children’s Centres where Hackney Playbus found a new role providing outreach working in partnership with Centres. 2012 found us working with 7 different Centres making sure no one in the community is left without support, by taking our services practically to their door step!
In these difficult financial times we are changing the way we think about funding to make sure that we can keep bringing our bus to the people and the areas who need it. Our sessions are massively popular, attracting as many as 79 children and their carers per session in the summer months. Our sessions also act as a base for us to carry out door to door outreach in the surrounding areas to make sure that everyone knows about their local children's centre and other support services.
We would love your support.
Our staff team:
Claire Kelly - Director
Jane Lavelle - Early Years Lead
Ian Hastings - Bus Manager
Sarah Wilson - Play Lead and Communications Officer
Amjid Hussain - Playbus Driver
Plus our fantastic sessional team of Playworkers and Early Years Practitioners.
