Brent Council has said the maintenance work will be completed this week
A North London nursery fears its annual sports day event is at risk of not going ahead as the field they use each year has been left to become overgrown – despite assurances by the council that the field will be ready. The nursery described the prospect of the children missing out on the event as “upsetting”, while the council has said the space will be cleared this week.
Pre-school of Excellence, a nursery in Kilburn for from birth to five-years-old – including those with special educational needs (SEN) – holds its annual sports day event at the South Kilburn open space each year. However, it has been left “very disappointed” that the area is currently overgrown and unusable – putting tomorrow’s (July 9) event in doubt.
The space is maintained by Brent Council, who said the recent weather has resulted in a “higher-than-expected growth”. Local residents and a member of the nursery are today (July 8) “desperately trying” to find a last-minute solution to save the sports day and ensure the children don’t miss out.
A spokesperson for the nursery told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “We’re very disappointed that the South Kilburn open space is so overgrown, as we hold our annual sports day here about the same time every year and it isn’t suitable for tomorrow’s event. Staff are now desperately trying to clear a small section of the grass themselves in a last-minute effort to make the day possible for the children.
“The space is especially important for our people, particularly those with SEND, as its close proximity to the nursery allows us to provide inclusive outdoor activities in a safe, familiar environment. It’s upsetting that the children could miss out on such an important day, and we hope the space is brought back into a usable condition as soon as possible for the good of the whole community.”
Jennifer Mair, the mother of a young non-verbal autistic child who attends the nursery, said that for some SEND children travelling to another park further away “is not a simple alternative”. She, alongside other local parents, are attempting to do the maintenance work themselves so the sports day can go ahead.
Ms Mair told the LDRS: “Our nearby open spaces matter enormously because travelling through busy roads and unfamiliar environments can itself present a serious safety barrier [for her child]. We will be there today attempting to cut the grass ourselves so that the children do not lose their sports day. We are simply local parents and a small community organisation, so this is very much a last-minute DIY effort rather than professional grounds maintenance, but we felt we had to try.”
Speaking to the LDRS, a Brent Council spokesperson said the grass at South Kilburn Open Space will be cleared this week “in time for the nursery’s annual sports day”. They added: “The area is maintained on a regular schedule having last been tended to three weeks ago, but high temperatures and heavy rains have led to higher-than-expected growth.”
Ms Mair, alongside her husband, also runs Autism Places CIC – a Brent-based community organisation focusing on helping autistic people and their families access local spaces and services. She said the regeneration of South Kilburn, which has been going for years but recently stalled due to financial difficulties, is impacting children and families currently growing up in the area.
She said: “We are beginning a local campaign called ‘Safe Spaces While We Wait’, calling for an interim safety, maintenance and accessibility plan for South Kilburn Open Space and the routes children and families use to access it.
“We are not asking for the regeneration programme to be completed overnight, We are asking for children growing up in South Kilburn today to have a safe, maintained and practically usable local space while they wait.”
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