Mums for Lungs Redbridge - Elmhurst Gardens
About us
Mums for Lungs is a grassroots organisation made up of ordinary people all connected by a shared concern about air pollution. We’re not all mums. We’re not all parents. But we are all active citizens raising awareness about the risks of toxic air and the harm it causes to our health and the health of our families. Mums for Lungs Redbridge is a brand new branch initiated by local mum Lydia Fraser-Ward who was concerned about air pollution levels in the outdoor children’s play area of her local park which borders the North Circular. The group actively campaigns throughout the London Borough of Redbridge for more air quality monitoring in outdoor play areas and gyms, whilst also supporting parents to set up School Streets and raises awareness of the risks of idling car engines and wood burning.
Our Aim
This monitor was secured by Woodford Green resident Lydia Fraser-Ward to measure the levels of air pollutants in Elmhurst Gardens, E18. After spending two years visiting the park every day with her toddler, she became increasingly concerned about the air quality in the children’s playground and the effect it could be having on her son’s health. This area of the park backs onto the North Circular / A406 where it meets a major interchange with the M11 at the Charlie Brown’s Roundabout. After weeks of research she found that there were no air monitors provided by the local authority in the nearby vicinity, and that there was very limited data recorded specifically in parks and play areas relating to air pollution. Lydia joined clean air campaign group Mums for Lungs and reached out to a number of community groups, schools, environmental projects and parents in the local area to raise awareness about this issue. With their support she put together a short film to apply to the Breathe London Community Programme for this air quality node. The data will be used to inform whether further mitigation measures are needed to protect park and playground users from the motorway’s toxic air.
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