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News

Local schoolchildren do the timewarp for community park opening event

7 May 2008

Crampton Primary School pupils helped celebrate the opening of St Mary’s Churchyard Park by predicting the future when they buried a time capsule on Tuesday, May 6.
Year six pupils created a time capsule containing items they have collected including coins, badges, souvenirs, photos, a tube map, and a photo history of Elephant and Castle. They also produced a newsletter predicting how they think people will live in 50 years’ time.
The London Development Agency contributed an Olympic Baton to the time capsule’s contents, representing their involvement in ensuring the legacy from the 2012 games and an LDA publication entitled: "Investing in the future of London: Creating Opportunity.
Following a total renovation, St Mary’s Churchyard Park now provides much-needed green space in the heart of the city. Facilities at the new park include two new playground areas; seating and planted sections; and easily accessible entrances - creating a safer, more pleasant environment.
Southwark’s Mayor, Cllr Bob Skelly, officially opened the park, heralding the first completed phase of Southwark Council's £1.5 billion Elephant and Castle regeneration scheme.


One year six pupil at the school who helped with the time capsule said: "The Pokemon cards will show children in the future the type of playing cards we used.”
Another added: “We have learned that time stops for no-one and the best you can do is to leave remnants of your life for future generations to discover."
 
Cllr Paul Noblet, executive member for regeneration, said: “It’s fantastic to see how our school children have enjoyed making their time capsule and it has been a lovely way to involve the local community. Now that spring is here it’s also great that children and families in the area have an attractive open space to call their own.
“The opening of the park marks the completion of the first part of the council’s £1.5 billion Elephant and Castle regeneration scheme. My thanks to the Diocese of Southwark for supporting the project and the London Development Agency (LDA) for their generous £1.35m grant.”
Sarah Ebanja, Deputy Chief Executive of the LDA, said: “Improving London's public spaces not only creates more attractive places for people to gather, but can help boost the local economy, improve the safety of residents and act as a catalyst for further regeneration.
“The new St Mary's Churchyard Park is a great example of this - providing a safe and friendly environment in which residents can enjoy their leisure time, and helping to kick-start the much needed redevelopment of Elephant & Castle.” 
The park’s innovative playground facilities cater for two different age groups, there’s plenty of seating for adults and planted areas for everyone to enjoy. The new main entrance reconnects the park to the city with an open plaza where local residents, commuters, students and passers-by can relax away from the busy pace of the area.