The charity that ran four adventure playgrounds and the Paradise Park nursery resolved to wind up on 18 August. Here is what is still open, and what is not.

Islington Play Association has been formally wound up. The charity that ran four of the borough’s adventure playgrounds and the nursery at Paradise Park Children’s Centre passed a resolution to liquidate on 18 August. The notice was published in the London Gazette six days later.

This is a creditors’ voluntary liquidation, which means the charity could not pay what it owed. Martyn Ewing and Adam Henry Stephens of S&W Partners LLP, at 45 Gresham Street in the City, were appointed joint liquidators by creditors on 18 August. (The Gazette, notice 5196555) (The Gazette, notice 5196589)

Companies House now lists the charity’s status as “Liquidation”. Its registered office has moved from Paradise Park Children’s Centre on Mackenzie Road, N7, to the liquidators’ address. (Companies House, company 03989283)

What it ran, and when it stopped

The charity’s own website carries the closure notice. It says 22 July 2026 was “Islington Play Association’s (IPA) last day running services for children and young people in Islington”, and adds: “There are legal restrictions on the information we can provide at present, however please know that all possible avenues were explored, and this option was the only financially viable route.” (Islington Play Association)

IPA surrendered two council contracts because of its finances. It ran:

  • Crumbles Castle adventure playground, Pembroke Street, N1
  • Lumpy Hill adventure playground, Market Road, N7
  • Martin Luther King adventure playground, Sheringham Road, N7
  • Timbuktu adventure playground, Grenville Road, N19
  • the nursery at Paradise Park Children’s Centre, Mackenzie Road, N7

The council stepped in on 23 July and took over all four playgrounds on an interim basis, safeguarding the play workers’ jobs. It says it will look for a new long-term provider. The nursery closed on 22 July. (Islington Council, 15 July 2026)

Those four playgrounds are not a small operation. Between April 2025 and May 2026, almost 1,100 children attended at least one of them, making more than 28,500 individual visits. Across all of Islington’s adventure playgrounds in 2024/25, more than 3,300 children attended at least once and more than 2,200 went at least five times.

The finances behind it

The charity’s filed accounts show the squeeze building over several years. In the year to 31 March 2025 it took in £1,367,670 and spent £1,445,070, a shortfall of £77,400. The year before was worse. The register rounds those figures to £1.51m of income against £1.70m of spending.

Islington Play Association income against expenditure, five years to March 2025

Reserves went with it. The register’s “other assets” line, which covers cash, bank balances and debtors, fell from £531,480 at March 2022 to £191,590 at March 2025. Liabilities stayed close to £160,000 throughout.

Income from government grants barely moved across those five years, sitting between £939,490 and £999,360. At the last count the charity had 40 employees, four trustees and 301 volunteers. (Charity Commission, registered charity 1086165)

IPA was incorporated on 10 May 2000 and registered as a charity on 17 April 2001.

What it means for you

If your child used one of the four playgrounds, they are still open and still free, under council management. Children aged six and over who live or go to school in Islington can attend, but they must be registered with the provider first, and registration has moved to the council’s own form.

Be aware that the council’s published information is not consistent on term-time hours. The main adventure playgrounds page gives summer opening times for the four sites, which ran to 28 August, then says of term time only: “The council will be looking for a new provider to take on these four facilities in the long term. Please check back here for further updates nearer the time.” (Islington Council, adventure playgrounds)

The council’s own directory entries for the same four playgrounds still list term-time hours of Monday to Friday, 3.30pm to 6.30pm, and Saturday, 12pm to 5pm, with family time from 12pm to 2pm. Those entries date from the previous operator. Ring or check before turning up, rather than assuming either page is current.

The six playgrounds run by Awesome Adventure Play, and Hayward on behalf of KIDS, are unaffected and do publish current term-time hours.

If you used the Paradise Park nursery, the council said in July that temporary provision at the site, staffed from its Westbourne Early Years Centre, would run until the end of September while families move to permanent places. The council said it is in direct contact with those families.

Creditors, including anyone owed money by IPA, should contact the joint liquidators at S&W Partners LLP. The Gazette notice gives Yiannis Katsaros as the contact, on 020 4617 5405.

The council’s general number is 020 7527 2000. For other free and low cost things to run for children in the borough, see our guide to things to do in Islington.

Sources