Pop up Parks has been working with families living in the Unwin and Friary Estates located along Peckham Park Road and near the Old Kent Road in Southwark. Over the summer we are running a series of Pop up Parks with a community of children and families. They are gaining the confidence to use their surrounding urban environment for outdoor activities and are keen to develop a more permanent space in the area. The space would be managed by the local community who are keen to develop a site that would build social cohesion between families. Pop up Parks is supporting this community to prototype and trial ideas for the development of a landscaped family play space that would cultivate supportive relationships between parents, carers and children.

This project has the support of a number of partners including:
• The estates TRA (Tenants and Resident’s Association)
• Southwark Council
• Groundwork London

What we'll deliver:

• Provide lock ups in the space to avoid local vandalism
• Re-design and re-landscape a run down area in the Estate
• Work closely with families and children to design outdoor play equipment
• Green the area through sustainable planting

Why it's a great idea:

The project would make a huge difference to the community. It would:
• Provide a new outdoor space for children and families on the Estate that has a high density of young families. The current exterior spaces for children and families are limited and where they exist they are rundown.
• Help the community to design out issues of crime and street drinking by reclaiming space, breathing new life into a specific ‘community owned’ area and empowering the community to reclaim this space.
• Create a supportive environment for young families with young children to come together and support one another.
• Provide opportunities for the community to engage in issues of health improvement.

We also think it is important because Article 31 of the UN Convention states that every child has the ‘right to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child…’

Steps to get it done:

• Consult with the community on the design of a new space
• Co-design and make the space with the community
• Work with a landscape architect to help design the space

This project has the support of a number of partners including:
• The estates TRA (Tenants and Resident’s Association)
• Southwark Council
• Groundwork London