1 Douglas Eyre Sports Centre Borough:LBWalthamForest Acreage:33

2 Peter May Sports Centre Borough:LBWalthamForest Acreage:32

3 London Marathon Playing Field, Redbridge Borough:LBRedbridge Acreage:12

4 Fairlop Oak Playing Field Borough:LBRedbridge Acreage:30

5 London Marathon Playing Field, Greenwich Borough:LBGreenwich Acreage:9

6 London Marathon Playing Field, Greenford Borough:LBEaling Acreage:22

7 Boston Manor Playing field Borough:LBHounslow Acreage:22

8 Prince George’s Playing Fields Borough:LBMerton Acreage:57(leasedtoDavidLloyd LeisureLtd)

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PROTECTING PLAYING FIELDS IMPROVING LIVES

The London Playing Fields Foundation, 73 Collier Street, London N1 9BEwww.lpff.org.uk / enquiries@lpff.org.uk / T: 0845 026 2292

THE

PLAYINGLONDON

FOUNDATIONANNuAL REPORT

2009& ACCOUNTS

FIELDS

WHO WE ARE

MISSIONTo become the first port of call for all things

related to playing fields in London and to become a champion for community sport.

The London Playing Fields Foundation was founded in 1890 by visionary Victorians who were concerned

about the loss of London’s green space and the impact this would have on the number of Londoners who could play sport and stay active. They recognised that in protecting playing fields they could improve the lives of local communities and this is still very

much our vision today.

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Chairman’s reportWhat We have achieved Female CoaCh Development

Coping Through FooTball

Keep on pLaYinG sportevents for

local schools

Q&a with len enoCh wansteaD CC

Summer evenTS

promotinG pLaYinG fieLds

the Year ahead

01

04

07

08

10

11

12

14

15

16

2 3

Chairman’sreport

Despite the gloomy economic climate across the country, 2009 witnessed another year of continuing growth for the Foundation. Our Victorian forefathers who established the charity in 1890 in an attempt to arrest the loss of green space would have been pleased with the way in which we have broached the task of safeguarding the long term future of London’s stock of playing fields.

We began the year with the aim of raising the profile of the Foundation in the following ways:

• As the acknowledged champion and leading expert in the protection, provision and promotion of playing fields in London

• As an organisation committed to providing sporting opportunities for disadvantaged, under represented and inactive groups

• As a charity worthy of financial support from the corporate sector and high net worth individuals.

The Foundation’s contribution to the Mayor’s Legacy Plan for sport, “A Sporting Future for London” in leading on a piece of work to create a network of multi-sport hub sites on playing fields that will help inform his investment strategy, has enhanced our strategic position. £3million has now been ring fenced by the London Community Sports Board for the modernisation and improvement of playing fields.

However, not all sites would qualify as multi-sport hubs. Indeed there are currently 1500 playing fields in the capital varying in quality from threatened derelict sites at one end of the continuum to vibrant multi-sport hub sites at the other. Unfortunately with information on location, size, ownership, usage level and profile, quality of pitches and ancillary facilities being so inconsistent, there is no early warning system identifying those sites under threat of commercial or residential development. In response to local intelligence, we have compiled a Fields at Risk Register (FARR) which not only highlights the grounds concerned but also includes support for those groups wishing to restore them to full use. Of course this type of reactive approach would not be required if there was a comprehensive continually updated electronic database of playing fields in London. After all it is very difficult to protect or improve a playing field if we do not know of its existence. Therefore we are advocating that the Foundation be commissioned to create and maintain a playing field database that will strengthen protection and also drive up sports participation.

Through our range of ground breaking projects we continue to demonstrate how playing fields

can improve the lives of local communities. Two new projects were introduced during the year. Female Coach Development, a project launched at London Marathon Playing Field Greenwich by Hope Powell in October 2008 and aimed at increasing the number of girls playing the game by qualifying more female coaches, is exceeding expectations. Record numbers of women have achieved the Level 2 Coaching Certificate in the last year. A pilot of another innovative project, known as Keep On Playing Sport (KOPS), aimed at tackling the obesity time bomb amongst non sporting teenage boys, was successfully run at Peter May Sports Centre. Funding for a three year expansion of KOPS across three of our grounds is currently being sought.

In an attempt to showcase our valuable work to the wider world a DVD entitled “Protecting playing fields, improving lives” was commissioned. It will be used primarily as a fund raising tool particularly with the corporate sector and high net worth individuals. The DVD illustrates the impact that modern, well managed, marketed and maintained playing fields can have on creating a happier, healthier more active London. We have also revamped the Foundation’s website so that it is more informative, dynamic and

user friendly. Having the means of reaching and engaging with our key audiences will play a key role in promoting our 120th Anniversary Dinner and commemorative events in 2010.

The year also witnessed changes to the Trustee Body with the retirement of our long standing Treasurer Julian Bell FCA. Julian served the charity with great distinction from 2000 and I would like to place on record the Foundation’s thanks for his excellent contribution. We welcome his replacement Bill Bilimoria FCCA. Other Trustees who have joined the Council are Sally Hopper, Matthew Van Poortvliet and Anthony Ratcliffe. All are great enthusiasts for our work and I am sure that they will make a very positive impact. Finally, I would like to thank all of my fellow Trustees and our staff for working so hard and so passionately on behalf of the Foundation.

Lord Cadogan

4 5

What We have achieved

Protecting PlaYing fieldsAs the acknowledged experts we have a pivotal role in the protection of the capital’s playing fields.

In April 2009 we featured in the London Mayor’s 2012 Legacy Plan entitled “A Sporting Future for London”. The Mayor affirms his commitment to safeguarding London’s playing fields and outdoor spaces through a number of initiatives one of which is the work we are undertaking to establish a network of multi-sport hub sites across London.

During 2009 we commenced work on the compilation of a Fields at Risk Register as a means of taking pre-emptive action to safeguard the future of vulnerable sites. Throughout the year we have been working with various community groups to support their efforts to save threatened local playing fields.

Jeff Neslen is the Foundation’s Development Manager and he is on hand to offer advice and support on a variety of playing field matters. He gives some examples of who we have helped.

“I received a call from Camden Community Football and Sports Association (a local community organisation) who were concerned about a field at risk which LB Camden had put up for sale.

CCFSA wanted to manage and operate it but had to submit their expression of interest in an open competition against professional developers.

They wanted our support and sent us a copy of their proposal. In turn we provided comments, written advice and lobbied Council members, officers and local MP’s to endorse their bid.

We supported their bid because they were a charter standard club, had a good business plan and wanted to preserve grassroots sports development at the ground. They had also secured funding from the London Marathon Charitable Trust for the purchase of the ground.

They were successful in their bid and secured the long term future of the site. Their next step is to raise funds to build the pavilion and maintain the ground in perpetuity”

“We were also alerted to a Building Schools for the Future scheme that would result in a loss of a playing field. A primary school in South West London wanted to build on their playing field. We objected to the planning application along with Sport England and the FA. This resulted in a great deal of local press coverage which led to the school withdrawing their original plan and submitting a revised plan with a smaller building footprint which did not result in a loss of the playing field. I also helped draft a communal use agreement with LB Richmond to ensure voluntary sector clubs could make use of the new facilities which included a MUGA and gym.”

Providing PlaYing fieldsWe believe protecting playing fields can improve lives and we achieve that through marketing our facilities to schools and clubs and also by delivering a series of innovative social projects and sporting opportunities at our grounds.

6 7

Female Coach Development enjoyed a successful first year after its launch at the end of 2008. The project, which is aimed at driving up girls’ participation by increasing the number of female coaches achieving Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Football, takes places at one of the Foundation’s grounds, LMPF Greenwich. During 2009 eight preparatory course sessions were delivered involving twenty six coaches. Fourteen coaches gained their Level 2 qualification and a further nine were waiting to be assessed. Three coaches were due to start their course at a later date.To celebrate this success an awards evening was held at the end of 2009 which was attended by Hope Powell, the England Women’s Head Coach.

Helen Goodacre, one of the coaches to qualify at Level 2 was presented her certificate by Hope Powell and was eager to hear from the most qualified female coach in the game, “It was inspirational to hear about Hope’s coaching career. I liked the fact that she was so down to earth with realistic expectations. It was also inspirational to see so many female coaches together”.

Helen, who completed her Level 2 course in September 2009, started her career coaching high school teams in the USA. At the time she

enrolled on the preparatory course she was coaching girls aged 11–16 years twice a week at a local school in London. “I enrolled on the Female Coach Development programme because I wanted to learn how to coach small sided games and develop new and exciting coaching drills”.

When asked about the preparatory course Helen said “I felt it set me up with more confidence and knowledge and motivated me for the Level 2.”

“I really enjoyed the chance to deliver practical coaching sessions and receive feedback from the mentors on my weaknesses which I could work on prior to the Level 2 course.”

Helen is now putting her Level 2 qualification to good use and is employed by Leyton Orient coaching the U14 girls Centre of Excellence team and the U10 girls Advanced Soccer School team (LOASS).

Female CoaCh

Development

8 9

Participants in the Coping Through Football project had a busy year during 2009. As well as the weekly coaching sessions and trips to football matches, they were invited to take part in the Stamford Bridge Cup at Chelsea FC organised by Square Mile Magazine. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for service users to play on the Premier League pitch and the day was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Coping Through Football was also short listed for a Beyond Sport London Legacy Award. The Foundation was one of five projects

Coping

Through FooTball

up for the award which was voted for by the public. Whilst we were disappointed not to win, the wide recognition and attention it gave us helped raise the profile of the project and the charity. One of the service users was even invited to take part in a radio show.

World Mental Health Day was celebrated with a five-a-side football tournament organised by Coping Through Football service users. The tournament was attended by Leyton Orient first team players Stephen Purches and Tamika Mkandawire.

“It was good watching the group play here today. Everyone was enjoying themselves which is the main thing about this project and sport in general.” Tamika Mkandawire, Leyton Orient FC

10 11

Towards the end of 2009 we piloted a new project which will provide the opportunity for 14–18 year old boys who have never represented their school or club to take part in organised team sport such as football and rugby. The project pilot, known as Keep On Playing Sport (KOPS) was funded by a small

KOPS participants

Kops

“i’ve learnt new skills in Football anD rugby. i Can even kiCk a Football now

whiCh goes in the right DireCtion.”

“i Would like to join a football team noW Whereas before i had no

confidence or motivation”

“Keep on playing SporT helpS me To meeT new people

and relieve The STreSS oF SChoolworK”

grant from Sport England. The sessions took place every Saturday and Tuesday at the Peter May Sports Centre with boys receiving top quality coaching in rugby, football and hockey. Over seventy seven boys took part in the pilot and a funding bid for the three year project will be submitted in 2010.

At the Peter May Sports Centre and Douglas Eyre Sports Centre, Waltham Forest Competitions Manager Christopher Donkin runs a series of events for local secondary and primary schools. Of the schools he works with only five out of sixteen secondary and six out of fifty five primary schools have their own playing field.

We asked Chris how important LPFF facilities were to his role; “They are crucial especially given lack of facilities in schools where we need them most.”

“Children need good sporting facilities to firstly satisfy their need for physical recreation and a healthy lifestyle. Secondly, the aspirations of many young children to be a future sports star could be severely affected without the provision of high quality sports facilities which could have a knock on affect on Britain’s ability to compete on the international stage.”

Like the Foundation he is keen to ensure London’s playing fields are protected for future generations “Given the expected legacy as a result of the 2012 Olympics it would be highly disappointing if the level of interest in sports participation can not be satisfied as a result of insufficient playing facilities.”

To ensure that all local communities have access to affordable and attractive facilities the foundation has devised innovative ways of funding the modernisation and maintenance

events for

local schools

of our grounds through fundraising, grants, commercial partnerships and approaches to the corporate sector.

In some instances it may be renting space for offices or day nurseries and in others it could take the form of leasing a section of a ground to a commercial five-a-side operator. The Foundation’s next major capital development is the refurbishment of the eighty year old pavilion and the installation of a drainage system at London Marathon Playing Field Greenford. Funding applications have been submitted to the Football Foundation, Sport England and London Marathon Charitable Trust to carry out this work.

12 13

What club do you belong to?I’m a member of Wanstead CC, one of the largest and progressive cricket clubs in the country. We have 1000 members including 350 boys and girls aged 6-18 of all standards.

What do you do?I co-ordinate the coaching and the Under 11 juniors. It was in this latter capacity that the club asked me to take over the role of mid-week league co-ordinator which Alex Welsh had set up.

Which grounds do you use?We offer a full indoor programme including winter coaching at the Peter May Sports Centre. We also use LMPF Redbridge and Fairlop Oak Playing Field for our junior mid-week league and some adult cricket games.

Tell us more about the mid-week junior league you run.There has been a big demand in recent years from both local clubs and some further a field. Fairlop Oak is bursting at the seams with matches on Wednesday and Thursday evenings from April until the end of the July school term.

There are two reasons for this popularity. First the fundamental objective which has remained unchanged is to introduce young cricketers to competitive cricket whilst at the same time emphasising the importance of participation. There are winners and runners up cups but also a player award for each team which can be based on effort and enthusiasm. There is also a Fair Play award.

The second reason is that the LPFF has facilities for five quality pitches at Fairlop Oak. The teams can play at any time. I am not aware of any other facility of its kind. It lends itself to cricket tournaments and festivals where youngsters can participate and do not have to wait for lengthy periods in between matches.

How do you find the quality of LPFF cricket pitches?The pitches generally have a consistent bounce and aren’t dangerous which enables players to develop good stroke play whilst also offering something for the bowlers. There is nothing worse than a dangerous pitch to put a youngster off forever.

How do LPFF pitches compare to others you’ve played on?Cricket pitches need to be carefully maintained by qualified groundstaff, which the LPFF certainly has. We have experienced a sharp decline in the standard of local authority pitches in recent years and we wish more of them were under the management of the LPFF!

FinD out what our Clubs think…Q&a with len enoCh, wansteaD CC

14 15

During 2009 we decided to revamp our communications material to focus more on the benefits of playing fields in improving people’s lives so that future donors and funders could get a real sense of the work we do.

In conjunction with Electric Sky we produced a DVD which showcased the work of the Foundation and brought the action and excitement at our grounds to the viewer. The DVD featured the different projects and sports that take place at our grounds alongside a host of sporting stars who support our cause.

Our website is the main form of communication with our supporters and users. We felt that it should reflect more

We organised a number of events throughout the summer to ensure local communities have access to regular organised sporting opportunities.

Three ladies 7-a-side tournaments were held at the Peter May Sports Centre in May, June and July with over one hundred women taking part.

A Pre-Season league was held at Douglas Eyre during July and August which allowed clubs the opportunity to practise, keep match fit and try out new members.

We held a London Communities League registration tournament to encourage teams to sign up to the league and register their players through offering the chance to take part in a series of matches. Ten teams attended the event registering over one hundred and fifty players. The league itself started the following week catering for fourteen teams.

Summer evenTS promotinG

pLaYinG fieLds

closely what happens at our grounds and the people who use our facilities. We worked with website design company Five10 to totally revamp the website. We wanted visitors to get a sense of the vibrancy and variety of our work and for it to feel fresh and dynamic. The final design fully achieved this brief and after working closely with Five10 the website went live in July 2009. There are plans to further develop the website and online presence and during 2010 we will be working with Five10 on phase two.

During 2009 our Chief Executive Alex Welsh along with three head groundsmen, Colin Howard, Mark Hickford and Ray Lambell celebrated 20 years working for the Foundation.

16 17

the Yearaheada rePort from the chiefeXecutiveIn setting priorities for the year ahead we are influenced by two key drivers:

• The need to respond to events and opportunities

• A desire to shape our own future by assuming more of a leadership role

resPonding to eventsThe global economic downturn has affected all institutions and organisations including the charity sector; and in most cases in a negative manner. The Foundation has been disadvantaged in a variety of ways: for example we have lost an advertising agency at one of our grounds and a number of clubs have folded due to lack of funds. To compound matters it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain both capital and revenue grants from traditional sources. Stiff competition and dwindling budgets mean that more organisations are bidding for less money. However, despite these challenging conditions, the Foundation has remained positive and is committed to not only enhancing its strategic work and delivering its core services and inclusion

projects but also to significantly increasing its fund raising efforts.

Planning has already begun on a major fund raising dinner which will take place in 2010 to commemorate our 120th Anniversary. In addition to making money on the evening, the objective is to raise the profile of the Foundation with organisations and individuals who may become long term friends, supporters and funders. In this respect the dinner could be seen as a “first date” in what we hope will be a long lasting relationship.

The economic climate has also been responsible for temporarily halting progress on the London Gateway project at Boston Manor. As soon as the situation improves we will put the project back on track as the revenues to be gained from the iconic structure have the potential to transform the Foundation’s long term future.

In terms of our modernisation programme, London Marathon Playing Field Greenford remains our priority. We are working with the London Marathon Charitable Trust and Sport England on a funding package to refurbish the eighty year old pavilion without losing any of its charm and character. We have received funding from the LMCT and Football Foundation to install a new drainage system as the ground has a history of waterlogging during wet weather. Making capital improvements is never a short term process but we will be patient, resolute and adaptable in our pursuit of funding and eventual procurement of the works.

shaPing the futureOur unique selling point is our experience and expertise in owning and operating playing fields without any direct central or local government funding, and we intend to put this to good use in taking a leadership role in playing fields in London. We are already acknowledged as a key contributor to the Mayor’s Legacy Plan for Sport, “A

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Sporting Future for London” and we wish to strengthen this position. We will be extending our Fields at Risk Register as the need arises and at the same time we will advocate for a comprehensive continuously updated electronic database of the capital’s playing fields. This will not only provide an early warning system of those sites under immediate threat but also identify where investment should be made and how sites can be restored to full use.

Given that the best form of playing field protection is full use, the Foundation can also demonstrate leadership in how it designs, develops and delivers ground breaking projects aimed at widening and increasing participation. One such project that the Foundation will implement to utilise off peak time on its fields is Keep On Playing Sport (KOPS), an initiative aimed at non sporty teenage boys who are in danger of becoming obese because of their inactive lifestyles. It involves providing team sport opportunities for those 14–19 year olds who were never considered good enough to represent their school or club. Having successfully managed a pilot, we believe that we have discovered an extremely effective way of introducing previously inactive participants to sport, a point that resonates with the Mayor’s Legacy Plan for Sport and the Whole Sport Plans for football, cricket, hockey and rugby union. Applications for funding to deliver the project across three of our grounds have been submitted.

The year ahead will also mark a pivotal period in the history of Coping Through Football which has the potential to transform community mental health services. The intention is, at the end of the first three year funding cycle, to have this innovative mental health project mainstreamed within the LB Waltham Forest as a precursor to implementing the model in other areas of London.

We can summarise the Foundation’s approach in the coming year in three ways. We want to become a:

• Champion for sport and the power it has to transform lives

• Crusader for playing field protection

• Custodian of a comprehensive electronic database of London’s playing fields.

For a charity of our size to achieve what it does is amazing and I am extremely grateful for the loyalty, hard work, initiative and enthusiasm of a terrific team of groundsmen, development officers and Head Office staff.

Alex Welsh

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PatronHRH The Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO

PresidentField Marshal The Lord Bramall KG GCB OBE MC

Vice PresidentsThe Lord Coe KBEMike Gatting OBEJohn Hollins MBEPeter Nathan OBE DLMicky Stewart OBEBob Wilson OBE

ChairmanThe Rt Hon The Earl Cadogan DL

Hon TreasurerJulian Bell FCA (retired 21st September 2009)Bill Billimoria FCCA (appointed 21st September 2009)

TrusteesColin AingerChristopher AndersonChristine DoubleMatthew FlemingIan GordonGilbert Holbourn FCA FCCASally Hopper (appointed 21st September 2009)Nick JudgeJohn LawtonJack MillerAnthony Ratcliffe FRICS, FRSA (appointed 23rd November 2009)Andy Sacha (retired 21st September 2009)Evan Stone QCAndy SutchMatthew van Poortvliet (appointed 21st September 2009)

Chief ExecutiveAlex Welsh

Head OfficePaul BakerGregory WolcoughJeff NeslenJo McKenzieKatherine ShutlerJenna Schillaci

Professional Advisors

SolicitorsFarrer & Co LLP

Property ConsultantsSavills plc

Investment AdvisorsHoare & Co

AuditorsCrowley Young

BankersBank of Scotland plc

Incorporated by Royal Charter in 1925. Charity No 302925

The Foundation is extremely grateful to the following organisations that have supported it throughout the year:

London Marathon Charitable Trust, Football Foundation, City Parochial Fund, Sport England, City Bridge Trust, London Councils, Henry Smith Charity, Cadogan Charity, Arsenal Charitable Trust, Wates Foundation, LBWF Children’s Services and Nike.