How we make a difference to the lives of our young people and their families
The Triangle is a safe environment in which our young people develop personal and social skills through creative interaction in enjoyable and varied play alongside dedicated playworkers. We help improve their physical and mental health, enabling them to establish active lifestyles; feel secure in themselves and their ability to achieve their potential; develop fulfilling relationships with peers; avoid being drawn into crime and involve themselves positively in their wider community.
We currently have 674 active users who made a combined total of 13,675 visits to Triangle between April 2018/19. An average of 57 users per session.
Our Lambeth ward ranks as seriously deprived in the official indices. Parents may not have time to teach children to cook, play football, camp, dig holes, or take trips. Working parents rely heavily on our free play sessions throughout the year, knowing that their children are safe and gaining independence and skills.
Take a listen to what our young people have to say about their Triangle…
A safe and fun place
A recent survey showed 95% of our young people feel safe at Triangle, 91% say Triangle is always/usually a fun place to play and on average had learnt 4 new skills.
72% of parents say we help their child stay healthy, 78% say we offer their child new experiences and 67% say we help their child's self confidence. 70% of our working parents rely on us for free childcare.
We are based in a concentrated inner city area of London that hinders the free and expressive movement of young people which in turn leads to increased mental pressures. The improvement of young people’s mental health is at the forefront of what we do. Various methods of combating negative mental health such as exercise, art, friendship and nutrition are amongst those on offer every day at Triangle.
The unstructured nature of our play sessions means we attract children with ASD and other special educational needs whose parents praise our impact on their lives…
“Thank you so much for taking the time to help me with X's behaviour this afternoon... (he) has a form of epilepsy that has made it difficult for him to control his anger and temper sometimes...I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your interest and help this afternoon. You all do very good and important work." - Triangle parent 2018
It doesn’t have to be a special occasion to get a fire going at Triangle. Our young people love the destructive and outdoor play before getting the marshmallows out to keep energy up!
They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch… well at Triangle there is!
Many young people enjoy our cooking sessions, learning valuable life skills and helping feed their peers a proper lunch. Fruit and snacks are provided after school throughout the year and during our holiday play schemes we provide hundreds of meals to all young people and any parents on site. Special thanks to Fare Share, Kitchen Social, Tesco & Waitrose.
We consider our impact to be formed on a day to day basis, these build into successful long term outcomes measured in case studies that showcase Triangle’s involvement throughout the childhood and teenage years of our young people. Parents have reported improved behaviour at home after their child begun attending Triangle, and are often impressed by their child’s new found cooking skills! Whether it be the student beginning her illustration BA degree after using Triangle as a place of sanctuary and endless free art materials during her younger years, or the young man who spent his childhood playing at Triangle and is now a full time play worker helping the next generation.
We have the stories of our young people’s success and how we helped shape their lives.
“I played at Triangle for 12 years, now I’m proud to be a play worker.”
J. aged 20
After 62 years of play our track record is strong. Valued by our community, trusted by our young people and respected throughout Lambeth.
Triangle has won many awards for our work, most recently London Play’s Adventure Playground of the Year 2018, but we are most proud of our reputation throughout Oval. A frontline service that offers very regular contact for disadvantaged young people with play workers who they have known a long time and therefore feel comfortable speaking to or sharing problems with. The play workers have the time and inclination to listen and not judge, allowing mental freedom to express alongside the physical freedom of play. Our knowledge and existing contacts with other local organisations means we can arrange or seek advice for any specialist issues that arise for young people growing up in Lambeth. The strong bonds formed at Triangle help integrate new families into the community, giving young people and parents a chance to make friends as well our play workers helping parents find jobs and school places for their children.
“Triangle Adventure Playground provides a rich community resource where children can engage in adventurous play. The quality of play that I observed during a recent visit was exceptional. There is no doubt in my mind that the mental health of the children who play here is better as a result of this playground and the opportunities it provides.”