The Community Playbus is a double decker bus providing play opportunities for children of all ages in Walsall. The playbus is inclusive and suitable for children of various abilities.
This play provision is an example of:
The Community Playbus is fitted with various games and equipment, such as computers, televisions, stationary, arts and crafts, a sandpit and kitchen appliances. There is an all weather awning so children can use the area outside the bus. The bus has travelled to nearly every park and school within the borough to provide play opportunities for children.
The playbus has a chairlift to lower deck, hearing loop system and defined hi visibility edges so that children with disabilities can utilise the service. They are currently working on a healthy lifestyle project for special needs children. They offer a smoking project in which several young peers are trained as mentors to pass on their knowledge about the dangers of smoking to the 8-12 year-old youth club members. One mentor has quit smoking because of the project.
The provision offers free play educational activities on requested themes. They rarely see the young people before they arrive at the bus to consult with them so any feedback is done informally. The users and hirers of the bus are given the opportunity to complete a survey about the service provided.
The staff consists of play workers and youth workers with NVQ level 2 or 3 in child care. The playbus has various policies on health and safety and child protection. The service is a registered charity, part funded by the local authority and partly from generating income from hiring to clients. The individual users of the bus do not pay for the service, but clients do.
The service runs all year round at various times of day depending on the clients needs. Access is dependent on the particular session. For some sessions children and young people have to book places in advance and need to stay for the whole time. For other sessions places do not need to be booked and they are free to come and go as they wish. The children and young people who attend are of all ages, depending on the activities and sessions.
Jackie Hewitt (Community Playbus Coordinator)
Tel: 0192 265 4710
Email: playbus@walsall.gov.uk
Page updated September 2008