August 2023

26
Wanstead Village Directory
CENTRE of ATTENTION
In the third of a series of articles by those who have benefitted from
attending Wanstead Youth Centre – which is under threat of closure –
Jenny Steedman reports on the work of Forest Twins and Triplets Club
I
am the chairperson of Forest Twins and
Triplets Club, a friendly, welcoming
and supportive playgroup for parents
of multiples. We have been running for
48 years this year and we meet weekly at
Wanstead Youth Centre.
The centre is a lifeline for parents of multiples.
I joined the club when I had my twins in 2016
and it was such a relief to find somewhere to
go and meet other multiple parents that was
easily accessible with a twin pram. The help,
advice and support given has benefitted so
many families over the years and is invaluable.
If the youth centre does close, then it is
highly unlikely our club can continue. We
have specific venue needs due to how much
equipment we have to store, as well as access
and safety requirements. So far, we have
failed to find any other venue that can meet
our needs. If our club didn’t exist, it would
have an extremely detrimental effect on our
members. Parents of multiples need our group
to have a safe and supportive place to take
their children to play and talk to other parents
in the same situation. It’s hard enough to
get out of the house with one baby; imagine
having two or three! I have often had parents
say they are too scared to leave the house on
their own, but once they have been to our
club, they are so pleased they did and are very
grateful.
If the centre closes, many new parents will
just stay at home, which is really sad. They
will miss out on a multitude of help, advice,
friendship and support, and their children will
miss out on socialising with other children.
If the past few years has taught us anything,
it is the importance of having a supportive
community we can meet up with in person.
To think these parents and children could be
Jenny’s twins Leah and Luke
outside Wanstead Youth Centre
denied that is heartbreaking. And it is not only
our group who would be impacted. There
are lots of other groups for older people and
children run there, which are so important to
the mental health and well-being of all.
The effects of the centre closing would be
catastrophic for the wider community! Where
will all the fantastic groups go? Will their
members just give up on their favourite
activity? Will people lose touch with their
friends and become lonely? The effect on
people’s mental health, fitness and well-being
would be very serious and put additional
strain on the NHS.
I ask the council to invest in the community by
refurbishing and updating the building so it
can be kept as a vital centre for the people of
Redbridge.
For more information on the Forest Twins
and Triplets Club, visit wnstd.com/fttc
Wanstead Youth Centre is located at
144 Elmcroft Avenue, Wanstead, E11 2DB.
For more information on the Save Our
Wanstead Youth Centre campaign, visit
wnstd.com/sowyc or call 07403 649 306
To advertise, call 020 8819 6645 or visit wnstd.com