From the mouths of babes.

“Well, I don’t think you understand how much the Winch matters to us kids. I am 12 years old and I have been coming to the Winch since I was six. If the Winch goes we won’t have a lot to do and young youths like us will just hang around on the streets. Me and my brother love the Winch, they are like family. My Mum does not know what she would do without the Winch. BE CAREFUL!”
This was written by 12 year old Asha Solanki, in a bid to get Camden council to rethink the planned cuts to play provision across the borough. She was not asked to write it; it is simply a reflection of how she, and many other of the children and young people who benefit from attending the Winch, feel about it.

Children and young people come to the Winch for a number of different reasons:

· To take part in a range of activities and experiences which will all contribute to their development
· To bring them into contact with a diverse and colourful community
· To allow low-income parents or those in difficult circumstances to work and provide for themselves
· And to be part of a wider family structure that nurtures, advises and supports.

Camden council is currently proposing to cut 65%-80% of its play provision. If these cuts are made, the Winch and other play providers in the borough face closure as it would be impossible to find alternative income streams quickly enough. The result of this would be catastrophic both to the children we care for and the social fabric of our communities in the future.

All children have the right to a childhood – to play and learn and interact socially with their peers. At the Winch we strive to inspire and educate our participants, to realise their dreams and reach their potential. If there is no more play provision at the Winch, these children and young people will lose their chance to live out their childhood in a safe and stimulating environment. They will be left with nowhere to go, except, as Asha says, ‘hanging around on the streets’. Surely, Camden wants to get young people off the streets and into environments like the Winch? Is it really going to turn its back on its younger residents now or should it aspire to a better future for its children, young people and families?

Kim Mabbutt

Read the full Camden New Journal article here: http://bit.ly/f1Rg80