Toxic Air Playgrounds
On Thursday 12th September we took a stand in several of the most polluted children’s playgrounds in Birmingham, London, and Manchester to highlight the health risks to kids around the UK. We need to get the government’s urgent attention but we need your help.
Why are we taking a stand?
99% of people in the UK breathe unsafe air.
There are more than 43,000 playgrounds in Britain and yet only 1% are compliant with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended limits on air pollution. Toxic air takes a heavy toll on children and young people – it stunts the growth of their lungs which can damage their health for the rest of their lives.
Only 429 playgrounds in the whole of England comply with air quality targets set out by WHO and they’re all, as you’d expect, in extremely rural settings, such as Rutland and the Isle of Scilly.
Toxic air playgrounds
On Thursday 11th September 2024, we stationed Toxic Air Officers across some of the most polluted playgrounds in the UK. We brought warning tape to warn people of the invisible dangers of toxic air which lurk in their local playgrounds, and we had billboards and pavement boards highlighting some of the major health risks of toxic air. Our A+L UK staff were on hand throughout the day to answer questions, engage with the public, and of course, keep an eye on air pollution levels.
With 1 in 8 UK households not owning their own garden (increasing to 1 in 5 within London), the vast majority of British children live in built-up urban areas, and require access to public playgrounds and outdoor spaces for exercise and recreation. They deserve better.
Our recent YouGov study revealed that 80% of UK adults surveyed think air pollution has a negative impact on children’s lungs, yet 56% admitted they aren’t concerned about the levels of air pollution around local playgrounds.
Jordan's story
Jordan, 31, has severe asthma, and lives in a flat in London’s Lewisham with her three children – Valentina, 11, Matthias, 6, and Yanay, 2.
She said: “I moved from Portsmouth to London six years ago to be closer to family, and it was the worst decision I’ve ever made, in terms of mine and my children’s health. The air pollution here is so bad that I’ve ended up in A&E nearly a hundred times.
“But it’s not just me I worry about. My son Matthias has asthma too and often wakes up feeling very wheezy, and my elder daughter Valentina also needs an inhaler, and her breathing issues are often triggered by being outside.
“I live in a flat and we don’t have a garden so during the school holidays we go to one of our two local parks twice a day which are both close to main roads. As a mother, I thought I was doing the right thing by giving my children some fresh air and a space to play, so I’m truly shocked to hear how polluted most parks are.
“I try and avoid the worst of it by checking local pollution levels daily on my phone, and taking the children out to play early when there is less traffic, but the government should be making people more aware of how to protect themselves because the threat really is invisible. Politicians seem to take sewage seriously, so why aren’t they tackling the dirty air our children are being forced to breathe?”
The risks of toxic air
Toxic air is increasingly linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia and poor mental health. In total, it contributes to up to 43,000 premature deaths every year in the UK and is the third most common cause of death in the UK, costing the NHS more than £9bn every year.