Update: Changes to Lewisham youth and play services
The Youth Service contract is currently provided by Youth First, with the contract ending on 31 March 2025. From 1 April, the youth service for young people in Lewisham, will be fully transferred into Lewisham Council. This includes youth activities, mentoring and targeted support, Adventure Playgrounds, and the newly refurbished Riverside Youth Centre in Deptford.
From 1 April, as the Council brings youth services back in house, Youth First made the decision to also hand back the £1.38m play contract, so will no longer operate or maintain the five legacy adventure playgrounds, which means there will a loss of play provision in the borough temporarily while we look into longer-term options.
With the successful completion of the Lewisham youth service contract transferred into the Council, Youth First has announced that it will be closing as a charity on 31 March 2025. The Council and Youth First are working together to ensure that there will be minimum disruption. Young people will not see any difference as mainstream youth activities continue.
Cllr Chris Barnham, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said, “Youth First have been an excellent partner over the last eight years and we look forward to growing the service from the foundations and memories they have created for our young people. We are proud of Lewisham’s young people and we are determined to continue to provide a strong youth service to support them. We know that a modern and inclusive youth offer is essential for helping young people develop the confidence and resilience, engage meaningfully with their communities, and to start well and thrive into adulthood.”
Riverside Youth Centre
The £1.2m Riverside Youth Centre project is being delivered by Lewisham Council in partnership with Millwall Community Trust and has been made possible by a £745,000 grant from the Football Foundation, £270,000 raised by Youth First and s106 funding from the Council. It was planned Youth First would operate the Centre, as services move in-house, the Council will now initially operate Riverside from April 2025.
New Youth Offer proposals
A new Strategic Youth offer was agreed in October last year, following recommendations approved by Mayor and Cabinet. The new youth offer will deliver a modern and inclusive offer, better matched to the needs of Lewisham’s young people. The new approach results from a comprehensive review, including a detailed analysis of the youth offer landscape, and significant consultation was undertaken with our stakeholders, with young people at the forefront.
Young people told us they wanted more support to make better choices – especially as they manage life’s challenges, access to more activities locally, more safe spaces, and trained youth workers who understand their needs and backgrounds.
Play Strategy and Adventure Playgrounds
Alongside this co-produced youth offer, the Council remains committed to giving every child the best possible start in life. In recognition of the importance of play to children’s wellbeing and development, we have adopted a five-year Play Strategy and a new long-term programme to refurbish or replace Lewisham’s play areas.
From 1 April, as the Council brings youth services back in house, Youth First made the decision to also hand back the £1.38m play contract, so will no longer operate or maintain the five legacy adventure playgrounds, as they cease operating from the 31 March.
Unfortunately, some of the Adventure Playground facilities are dated and in need of maintenance. Officers are arranging a condition survey to establish possible capital needs for next five years. As we reevaluate what we can offer, it does inevitably mean some temporary closures and/or reduction in play sessions while we work with partners to find a new long-term solution as we cannot manage and maintain them in their current state alone.
Playgrounds facilities in Lewisham
Over time, and as resources allow, we will work to ensure that all children have accessible, high quality play facilities within walking distance. Currently there is 140 play areas, which include 41 parks/playgrounds, 58 Lewisham Homes play areas, 18 Phoenix Homes play areas and five Adventure Playgrounds.
Over the past three years we’ve invested £1.3m in upgrading play facilities, including 12 new and refurbished playgrounds. This year we have invested £700,000 from Section 106 and NCIL funds to upgrade play areas in three popular Deptford parks – Sayes Court, Evelyn Green and Folkestone Gardens.
We have also allocated over £500,000 in the new NCIL funding round for new football pitches, basketball courts, and play equipment. And plans are in place for a new Dumps adventure playground to replace the old structure in the south of the borough, alongside the expanded Watergate special school, due to open in 2026.