£500,000 National Adventure Playground Fund launched
A new national funding programme has launched to protect, restore and grow staffed adventure playgrounds across England.
The Adventure Playground Fund is a £500,000 programme offering unrestricted grants of £20,000 to £50,000, alongside expert sustainability support and peer learning. It is designed to help adventure playgrounds build long-term financial resilience and safeguard their future. The fund has been made possible through a philanthropic donation, reflecting growing recognition of the importance of adventure playgrounds.
Adventure playgrounds are not discretionary amenities. They are distinct, staffed spaces that enable child-led, freely chosen play supported by skilled playworkers. They create the conditions for managed risk, independence, inclusion and year-round community connection.
Yet in recent years, many adventure playgrounds, particularly those serving low-income neighbourhoods, have faced sustained financial pressure as local authority budgets have tightened. Provision has reduced in some areas. Several sites remain at risk.
Play England has been clear that this trajectory must change. In oral evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee last year, we described adventure playgrounds as civic treasures. They are community anchors where children shape their own play, supported by skilled playworkers. Once lost, they cannot simply be recreated.
Under the Spaces priority in our 10-year strategy - It All Starts with Play! we make a clear commitment to restoring and protecting adventure playgrounds. TThat commitment is now translating into tangible support. Sustained advocacy is being matched by investment.
What the Fund offers
Unrestricted grants of £20,000 to £50,000 per playground, available to eligible organisations
Practical, expert-led support focused on long-term sustainability
Peer learning and shared insight from others facing similar challenges
Priority given to playgrounds in low-income communities and those facing financial pressure
Who can apply
Registered charities and community interest companies operating adventure playgrounds are eligible, provided they:
Are free of charge and open access
Are staffed by skilled playworkers
Enable children to choose how they play
Important deadline
Applications close at 12 noon on Friday 20 March 2026.
This launch comes ahead of the upcoming All-Party Parliamentary Group on Play meeting on Wednesday 25 February, which will focus specifically on Adventure Playgrounds and Playwork. National attention on the future of staffed play provision is increasing. Funding, policy and parliamentary scrutiny must reinforce each other if long-term change is to follow.
Funding decisions will be communicated by the end of April 2026.
Why this matters
Adventure playgrounds provide free, open-access play in communities where children may otherwise have limited opportunities for independence and exploration. They contribute to wellbeing, inclusion and stronger neighbourhoods. They are part of the preventative fabric of healthy, fair communities.
They are not an add-on. They are core social infrastructure.
This fund will not resolve every challenge facing the sector. But it provides immediate support, renewed confidence and a clear signal that the national direction is shifting.
Play England will continue to lead nationally, shape policy, and challenge where necessary to secure a sustainable future for adventure playgrounds.
If you run an adventure playground, or support one in your area, this is a practical opportunity to strengthen your long-term resilience.
Visit adventureplaygroundfund.org.uk for full details and apply by 20 March 2026.
#ItAllStartsWithPlay!