Dear friends and supporters,

Thank you, once again, for standing with us to protect Glyndon Adventure Play Centre and other supervised Adventure Play Centres across Greenwich. Your signatures, messages, time, financial contributions, and determination have been powerful, and I am deeply grateful.

I am writing to update you on the Council’s most recent Cabinet decision — and to be honest about why it has left me disappointed and concerned.

What the Council decided
On 28 January 2026, Greenwich Council’s Cabinet approved a new youth services model called “NextGen Greenwich”, following the Re-Imagining Young Greenwich consultation.

While the Council acknowledges engagement with young people and families, the decision does not protect or guarantee the future of fully staffed, supervised Adventure Play Centres, including Glyndon. Instead, it leaves open the possibility of centres being downgraded, repurposed, or replaced.

This decision was taken despite thousands of residents signing petitions, raising concerns through consultations, public questions, protests, and meetings. The strength and consistency of community opposition has not been reflected in the final outcome. The council had also given "insufficient weight" to evidence presented by the Met Police's Neighbourhood Superintendent for Greenwich, Play England, London Play, The Playwork Foundation and Fair Play for Children, all of whom expressed concern about the removal of supervised play.

Why I am disappointed
I am disappointed because I believe strongly that:

Supervised Adventure Play Centres cannot be replaced by generic youth hubs or unstaffed spaces
There is still no clear safeguarding, equality, or crime-risk assurance explaining how vulnerable children and young people — particularly autistic and disabled children — will be protected if staffed provision is removed. These facilities should be expanded, not reduced, to support better physical and mental health and help prevent social isolation and youth crime
The voices of families, professionals and communities, expressed clearly and repeatedly, have not been meaningfully acted upon
Too often, decisions affecting our most deprived neighbourhoods feel pre-determined, even when they are presented as consultations
Glyndon is not just a playground. It is a lifeline — a safe, free, inclusive, staffed space that supports children, families, and the wider community every day.

What I am now considering
After much reflection, I want to share this with you openly.

I have been a Labour Party member for many years. However, I have become increasingly disappointed by how grassroots concerns — particularly those affecting children, families, and vulnerable communities — are being overlooked. I recently resigned my membership because I no longer felt that community voices were being listened to or valued.

As a result, I am considering standing as a councillor candidate for Plumstead Glyndon Ward in the May 2026 local elections—most likely as an Independent Socialist candidate in Greenwich. I am being supported by diverse communities in Plumstead, including the Nepalese Alliance, and by the newly formed Your Party, led by former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, which genuinely believes in investing in children, young people, and essential public services, rather than cutting or selling them off. I am also working to secure the support of the Green Party.

I am taking this step because I genuinely believe in investing in people and public services, not stripping them away.

This is not about ambition or party politics.
It is about values, accountability, and representation.

I believe in:

Investing in children, young people, older residents, and disabled people
Protecting essential public services — including play centres, libraries, car parks, green spaces, and community facilities
Saying no to the sell-off of public land for densely packed, unaffordable high-rise developments
Ensuring that any development happens alongside proper infrastructure — SEND provision, schools, GP services, transport, parking, green spaces, and safe places for children and young people to play
When communities repeatedly speak up — across five Adventure Play Centres — and are still ignored, it raises a serious question:
Who is local government meant to serve?

A final thank you — and an invitation
In the coming weeks, I will be reaching out to listen — to hear your views, ideas, and hopes for Plumstead Glyndon ward. If I do move forward, I will also ask, humbly, for your support and involvement.

Whatever happens next, please know this:
Your voices matter. Plumstead and Glyndon matter. And this campaign is not over.

Thank you for standing with our children, young people, and our community.

With gratitude and determination,

Narendra Kandel
Lead Campaigner – Save Glyndon Adventure Play Centre
Parent Governor | Carer | Community Advocate
Royal Borough of Greenwich

Email: narenkandel@gmail.com

Mob: 07415102310