Clapton school in funding bid for playground in ‘urgent need’ of revamp

Millfields Community School staff and pupils rally to the cause.

A school in Clapton is bidding for a £25,000 community award to revamp its playground parents say is “urgently in need” of improvement.

Millfields Community School on Hilsea Street, which has 670 pupils with 25 per cent SEN (Special Education Needs) is urging Hackney residents to cast a vote for the school for the OneFamily foundation award. 

The community award bid is the latest in a string of fundraising efforts by the school’s determined PTA to turn the concrete outdoor space into a “safe and exciting space for all children to play in.”

Playground designers with a “self-build ethos” Made From Scratch have worked in collaboration with Millfields pupils on the designs.

Co-Director Gemma Mudu explained that the children took a recce trip around other Hackney playgrounds to check out the competition, before coming up with elaborate drawings and models of their dream play spaces.

“Then we translated the children’s designs into something do-able,” says Mudu. “We put in pods, tree-houses, slides, ropes and hanging swings. Millfields have really embraced the play curriculum.”

“It is not just about a static playground, they need things to manipulate. We’re hoping they will get some funding because we are really excited about possibility of building it.”

Millfields Community Playground as it is today.

Headteacher Jane Betsworth said: “We are one of the largest schools in Hackney with one of the the smallest playgrounds. The school is in a Victorian building, it is 120 years old, and there is nowhere for us to expand so we’re trying to make the best use of the space.

“We have a lot of children with autism and SEN and we need a lot of space for them to run around.”

The OneFamily foundation community award, provided by the newly formed savings mutual OneFamily, offers awards of 5,000 or £25,000 and encourages its customers to nominate projects close to their heart.

Vote for the improvement of Millfields playground here.