4/7/06 - Ealing Homes swings extra funding for play areas and the Traveller and Gypsy Site
Ealing Homes last week secured half a million pounds of extra funding to spend on
developing the borough.
A bid for £300,000 of government funding to develop the Bashley Road Traveller and
Gypsy Site was successful, with an additional £100,000 matched funding from Ealing
Council as part of the bid.
Ealing Homes has also gained £100,000 from the Big Lottery Fund for developing
three play areas – on the Traveller and Gypsy site, Islip Manor Estate and Havelock
Estate.
Ealing Homes Community Involvement Officer Gerard Rosato, who coordinated both
bids, said it was important for young people to have play areas close to their home.
“Not only is it easier and more accessible for parents, it means residents create
friendships and support networks. Play areas are a great way for both children and
adults to meet and develop a sense of community."
Parts of the Bashley Road site are in need of refurbishment and work can now be
done to make the access road safer for pedestrians and improve the environment, he
said.
“Most of the residents at the site are there permanently and this will greatly improve
the quality of life for them."
Consultation for all the projects will be starting soon with residents.
“Now that we’ve got the funding, we can start working out the dates and details. We’ll
be consulting the people in these areas to see what they want and then go from
there."
For further information please contact:
Ealing Homes Communications Team
020 8825 6970
communications@ealinghomes.net
Notes for editors:
1 Ealing Homes’ play area funding comes from nearly £800,000 of funding assigned to Ealing
organisations from the Big Lottery Fund. Sixteen organisations applied for a total of just over
£1,600,000.
2 Ealing Homes also helped coordinate a successful bid by Surestart Northolt for funding for
a play area at Medlar Farm Estate.
3 Ealing has one of the largest traveller populations in Greater London with 42 authorised
dwellings at the last count.
4 Ealing provides 24 permanent plots at its Bashley Road site.
5 Ninety eight per cent of Ealing’s Travelers are Gypsy Travellers – predominantly Irish with
a few Eastern Roma.
