A new community centre with projects for children and young people at Slade Gardens in Stockwell is looking for £1.5 million in funding, after securing £1 million from Lambeth Council.

Plans for the scheme, which will be run by the Slade Gardens Community Play Association, include volunteering and training opportunities, a teen parent club and a cafe.

Young people from Divert, a Met Police charity which steers young people away from crime, will work at the new cafe  which will be supplied by food growing from its garden.

But the association has to find a further £1.5 million for the project.

Robin Langton, Slade Gardens Community Play Association chair, said: “With Lambeth’s support, we have the best chance of securing the money we need for this project and realising our dream of keeping this marvellous children’s facility going alongside a state of the art new community centre which will then serve the park and all the local people here.”

Cllr Andy Wilson, the council’s Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance, said the project would go towards creating stronger communities.

He said: “We’re delighted to be working with the play association on this project which will expand and improve local services for our residents. We thank the local people for their commitment to this project.

“Tackling inequality, building stronger communities and giving children the best start in life are our top priorities. Giving control of this site and this project to the community, alongside extra funding, helps achieves these goals.”

Work is expected to start in May next year, with the new community centre set to open in May 2021.

Under the plans, a series of huts on the site will be replaced by an environmentally friendly 5,000 square foot sunken double-height modern building.

It will feature three flexible meeting or play spaces which could be combined into one large area for conferences or performances, upstairs offices, a new café and public toilets.