Save the Inclusive Play Project at Hilldrop Community Centre
Save the Inclusive Play Project at Hilldrop Community Centre
The Issue
The decision to close this service due to "financial unviability" is both sudden and contradictory to HACA’s own public reporting:
The Financial Contradiction: HACA’s most recent Annual Report (2023-24) describes the charity as being on a "firm financial footing" with "target level cash reserves" specifically intended to mitigate the risk of ending of a service agreement..
The Outreach Gap: The Board cites a "long-term decline" in numbers. However, families at local schools like Hungerford Primary—which HACA is officially committed to serving—report a total lack of awareness that the service was even available to them. You cannot claim a service is "unviable" if the target community doesn't know it exists.
The Impact on Working Parents: For parents of children with an EHCP, this closure isn't just an inconvenience; it is a threat to their ability to work. Generic clubs often cannot provide the "containment" and expertise that the Play Project offers.
We, the undersigned, call on the HACA Board of Trustees to:
Immediate Moratorium: Pause the closure for 3 months to allow for a formal consultation with parents and schools.
Transparency: Release the 2024-25 financial data to justify why "firm footing" has turned into "unviability" so rapidly.
Active Partnership: Proactively market the service to Hungerford and Tufnell Park parents to fill the current vacancies.
Local Government Engagement: Work with Islington Council to secure "High Needs" funding to protect this specialist-capable provision.
I know what happens when Iola calls a parent into that office, because I have been that parent. I didn't just get a report on my son; I got a masterclass in Emotional Intelligence. I got a support network. I have seen it many times.
When I see Iola calling other parents in, I don’t see a 'behaviour talk.' I see her doing the heavy lifting for the community—preventing breakdowns, identifying medical needs, and stabilizing families before they collapse. This isn't 'childcare'—it's frontline family support that the Board is about to throw away for a Pilates class.
I stared a crowdfund, all money returned if we dont reach the target.
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/hilldrop-play-project
contact - chair@hilldrop.org.uk
606
The Issue
The decision to close this service due to "financial unviability" is both sudden and contradictory to HACA’s own public reporting:
The Financial Contradiction: HACA’s most recent Annual Report (2023-24) describes the charity as being on a "firm financial footing" with "target level cash reserves" specifically intended to mitigate the risk of ending of a service agreement..
The Outreach Gap: The Board cites a "long-term decline" in numbers. However, families at local schools like Hungerford Primary—which HACA is officially committed to serving—report a total lack of awareness that the service was even available to them. You cannot claim a service is "unviable" if the target community doesn't know it exists.
The Impact on Working Parents: For parents of children with an EHCP, this closure isn't just an inconvenience; it is a threat to their ability to work. Generic clubs often cannot provide the "containment" and expertise that the Play Project offers.
We, the undersigned, call on the HACA Board of Trustees to:
Immediate Moratorium: Pause the closure for 3 months to allow for a formal consultation with parents and schools.
Transparency: Release the 2024-25 financial data to justify why "firm footing" has turned into "unviability" so rapidly.
Active Partnership: Proactively market the service to Hungerford and Tufnell Park parents to fill the current vacancies.
Local Government Engagement: Work with Islington Council to secure "High Needs" funding to protect this specialist-capable provision.
I know what happens when Iola calls a parent into that office, because I have been that parent. I didn't just get a report on my son; I got a masterclass in Emotional Intelligence. I got a support network. I have seen it many times.
When I see Iola calling other parents in, I don’t see a 'behaviour talk.' I see her doing the heavy lifting for the community—preventing breakdowns, identifying medical needs, and stabilizing families before they collapse. This isn't 'childcare'—it's frontline family support that the Board is about to throw away for a Pilates class.
I stared a crowdfund, all money returned if we dont reach the target.
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/hilldrop-play-project
contact - chair@hilldrop.org.uk
606
The Decision Makers
Supporter Voices
Petition created on 3 February 2026