Play England Annual General Meeting Monday 4 June, 12.30 – 1.30pm Bristol Town Hall, College Green, Bristol BS1 5TR All welcome! Play England is delighted to announce that this year its Annual General Meeting is being hosted by Bristol City Council and Bristol Play Network. Taking place on Monday 4 June, it will update members[…]
Play is an essential part of every child’s life, and children at school and in early years settings need time and space to play. Children should have the opportunity to play before school, during break times and after school hours. Playtime support including training and awareness-raising for school staff and parents is vital, as well[…]
With the latest report by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing girls spending more time involved in play activities than boys, Play England is highlighting how the chronic funding crisis on the play sector means girls in particular are missing out on play opportunities. The ONS report ‘Children’s engagement with the outdoors and sports[…]
Submission to London Plan Consultation: Policy S4: inclusion of adventure playgrounds in new developments Play England welcomes the Mayor of London’s Draft London Plan, particularly Policy S4 on Play and Informal Recreation which calls on London Boroughs to: undertake audits of existing play and informal recreation provision and opportunities, and assessments of need, considering the[…]
Play England wants to expand its board of trustees! We’re seeking people from a broad range of backgrounds with skills in HR and/or employment law, fundraising, and marketing in particular, as well as people from related sectors such as child psychology, social work, healthcare, teaching or youth work. Trustees meet every two months in London,[…]
Shiremoor Adventure Playground is the latest play organisation to be accredited with Quality in Play (QiP), Play England’s quality assurance system for playwork practitioners. Shiremoor, in Newcastle upon Tyne, is a former mining area with high levels of deprivation. The adventure playground opened in 2010 as part of the Play Pathfinder Programme on a previously[…]
At a time when staffed play provision is being forced to close due to funding cuts, helping show the myriad benefits of outdoor play is vital. Research and evaluation projects that demonstrate these benefits can help local play organisations, including adventure playgrounds, secure funding. Play England’s recent ‘Street Play’ evaluation – that provides evidence[…]
As we reach the 30th anniversary of, founder Mick Conway looks back at its development and impact. Thirty years ago we had a problem. Children’s play provision was under threat because of massive central government cuts to local area funding. Three of us called a meeting and nobody came. We went to the pub[…]
Press release New research published by Play England shows that playing out increases children’s physical activity. At a time of continuing concerns about childhood obesity, the research shows how playing out helps children meet daily targets of physical activity. The reports evaluate the three-year Street Play project, funded by the Department of Health, and delivered[…]
Nic Mcewan is lead for the three year project, Play Works, designed to help adventure playgrounds improve how they monitor the impact they have on their communities. Here she describes how the project works. “Still something of a newbie on the play scene, it was only a couple of summers ago that I walked into an[…]