A much-loved environmental education centre in North London is facing closure after the charity that has been running it for the past nine years announced it will stop at the end of the month.
The charity has said it “cannot continue to sustain” the financial losses of operating the Brent site. Meanwhile the council is looking to develop a new facility for young SEND people in its place, though it won’t be a like for like replacement with many of those benefitting from the current centre unable to have the same access at the new site.
Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre (WHEEC) north of Neasden is described as a wildlife haven by Thames21 – a charity that works with communities to preserve the River Thames and its tributaries. It is located in a 15-acre woodland, alongside two ponds, and a meadow, and indoor educational spaces close to the Welsh Harp Open Space and Brent Reservoir.
However, due to Thames21 operating the centre “at a loss for several years”, it has given notice to Brent Council that it is withdrawing from running WHEEC at the end of July. The charity said that it is sad to have to make the announcement, which leaves the centre facing imminent closure.
Despite “the value of the work being done”, Thames21 has said that it “cannot continue to sustain these financial losses”. In a statement released by the charity on Monday (July 14), it added: “We had hope – and still hope – that the council might step in, especially given their plans to redevelop the site.”
The charity’s CEO, Chris Coode, said: “Over the last nine years, the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre has had a significant impact on the local community and is a much-loved facility. I want to pay a special thanks and tribute to the schools, schoolchildren, volunteers, employees, members and local community who have made this place so great.
“We hope that the council will work with local partners to find a long-term suitable solution to keep the centre open and offer vital opportunities for children and local people to learn and spend time in nature. Thames21 remains committed to working in the borough and will continue to focus on working with communities to restore and care for our rivers.”
The WHEEC is currently well-used by local primary schools in order for children to get educational experiences outside of the classroom. They learn about “nature across the seasons, develop new skills, and build confidence” through the discovery of the natural world, according to the centre.
However, the two classrooms that form the centre have been deteriorating for years and Brent Council wants to build a new permanent centre, specifically designed for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The proposal include four teaching spaces, a kitchenette, dining area, first aid room, office, a shower and changing area, and a roof garden. The local authority has said partner organisations, including Thames 21, will run programmes at the new facility.
A local environmental campaigner – and former teacher, head teacher, school governor – Martin Francis, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that it is important that the future of the centre is secured, however the council’s plans appear to be more limited in terms of who will be able to use the site.
Martin said: “It is imperative that Brent Council find a way of ensuring that the WHEEC survives […].The potential new [SEND] building will address the dilapidated state of the present building. Generations of Brent residents benefitted from the centre and we owe it to the next generation to ensure its future, particularly as we face an all too obvious climate and environmental emergency.”
A council spokesperson described its plans for Welsh Harp as “big and exciting”, with training opportunities available for young SEND people, including horticulture classes. They told the LDRS: “Thames21 have done so much to expand local children’s knowledge of and love for our environment over the years, and we’re very grateful to them.
“But we know that the existing centre and model hasn’t been sustainable for some time, so we understand why they’ve taken the decision to stop providing the service. We’ve been working with Thames21 alongside other partners to make sure our proposals for the future are sustainable so that young people benefit from the Welsh Harp for generations to come.”
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