
The Limes ... is
passionate about providing an environment where disabled and non-disabled
children can play and work together, where no one is excluded, where difference
is valued and everyone can participate to their full potential.
The Limes Community and
Children's Centre is an inclusive project at the heart of the community that
was established to meet the need for a play and recreational centre in the
London Borough of Waltham Forest that is accessible to disabled and
non-disabled children and young people.
The Limes was set up following prolonged lobbying by local parents and
local disability service providers, particularly Barnardo's Hamara Family
Project, for a dedicated safe play space, which meets the needs of all
children. The Project consulted widely with parents and young people about the
problems that faced them and many people stated that they had difficulty
accessing leisure services including parks.
It is widely acknowledged
by child development specialists that play is a fundamental part of every
child's development. Therefore, children who may have additional needs arising
from a specific disability are in need of extra stimulation and should
consequently have access to a suitable play environment that is designed to
meet individual needs and enable all children to fulfill their potential.
During 1999, in
partnership with
Following the ‘Where
Can I Play?' conference in May 1999, Hamara were approached by the New
Opportunities for Walthamstow Single Regeneration Board to be partners in the
development of an inclusive, dedicated play building. The Limes finally opened
it's doors at William
Morris Hall in June 2004 and since then we have been developing lots of fun and
exciting activities!
The Limes works to
actively empower young people in the area, particularly those at risk of social
exclusion and it also seeks to provide a model for inclusion not only within
the centre but within the wider community as a whole through providing a space
where everyone is accepted as equal and where diversity is embraced.