'The Coalition has betrayed a generation of children' says former Director of Play England  

The former director of Play England (part of leading children's charity the National Children's Bureau) Adrian Voce OBE, last night accused the coalition government of betraying a generation of children by abandoning the ten-year strategy to make neighbourhoods, streets and green spaces safer and more suited for healthy outdoor play. He warned that there would be long-term consequences for children's health and wellbeing. 

Speaking after Play England's annual meeting at a special event marking his departure from Play England and the launch of his own new campaign to make the case for government action on play (www.policyforplay.com), He said: 'Government has an obligation under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to ensure that children's right to play is respected and promoted. 

'In spite of the Deputy Prime Minister's promise of a task force to investigate new ways to support community play provision, and the pre-election statement from Children's Minister Tim Loughton, that 'it would be a false economy to cut children's play services', every penny of government funding for play provision and play policyhasbeen cut.'

Voce was damning in his verdict on the coalition's lack of response to the issue of children's declining freedom to play out: 'This puts the government in breach of an important international treaty, but worse than that, the government is letting down a generation of children, their families and communities who were promised a ten-year plan to reverse the deeply damaging decline in children's enjoyment of the outdoor world.'

 

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

1. Play England, part of the children's charity the National Children's Bureau, campaigns for all children to have the freedom and space to play throughout childhood. As the national organisation for children's play, Play England works with all those who have an impact on children's lives to support and champion play as an essential part of childhood. Play England also coordinates Playday, the national day for play (www.playday.org.uk). For further information visit www.playengland.org.uk.

 

1. The National Children's Bureau's (NCB) mission is to advance the well-being of all children and young people across every aspect of their lives.  As the leading national charity which supports children, young people and families, and those who work with them, across England and Northern Ireland, we focus on identifying and communicating high impact, community and family-centred solutions.  We work with organisations from across the voluntary, statutory and private sectors through our membership scheme and through the sector-led specialist networks and partnership programmes that operate under our charitable status. www.ncb.org.uk.

 

1. Adrian Voce is a freelance writer, trainer and consultant, specialising in the politics of children's play and how to secure public policy commitments for its provision as an integral part of the public realm.  He is a member of the core group of the European Network of Child-Friendly Cities and on the organising committee of the bi-annual international Child in the City Conference. He was the national government's main advisor on childrenm's play from 2006 - 10. Adrian was awarded an OBE for services to children in 2011.

Email: adrianvoce@me.com
Twitter: @adevoce
Web: www.policyforplay.com