A Historic Moment: The Inaugural Meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Play
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Play held its inaugural meeting and Annual General Meeting on 2 September in Committee Room 17 of the House of Commons – marking a significant moment for children’s right to play in England.
The session brought together a remarkable cross-party group of MPs and Peers, alongside leaders from the play sector, academia, children’s organisations and public bodies. With the room at full capacity and Members actively participating throughout, the meeting demonstrated the growing national momentum behind the case for play.
This new APPG follows the commitment set out in It All Starts with Play! – Play England’s bold, new 10-year strategy launched in May – to rebuild the political foundations needed for long-term, cross-party leadership on play. Its formation also reconnects Parliament with the legacy of the first APPG on Play (2005–2010), which helped shape England’s - first and only - National Play Strategy in 2008.
Cross-party leadership for a national priority
Tom Hayes MP was elected Chair and Registered Contact of the Group, supported by Vice-Chairs Lord Howard of Rising, Natasha Irons MP and Vikki Slade MP. The Group confirmed its purpose and strategic objectives, committing to:
Champion every child’s right to play in Parliament
Advocate for a new National Play Strategy
Support Play Sufficiency legislation
Strengthen protection for play spaces in planning policy
Expand political awareness of play’s impact on health, wellbeing, communities and public services
Play England was formally appointed as the Secretariat.
Setting the agenda: Strategy, evidence and national calls to action
Members heard from Eugene Minogue, Executive Director of Play England, who provided:
An overview of Play England’s role and history in shaping national play policy
A briefing on the first APPG on Play and its impact
An introduction to It All Starts with Play! our bold, new 10-year strategy
Details of recent gains for play in Westminster, including amendments to the National Planning Policy Framework and the smoke-free playgrounds commitment
This was followed by a presentation from Paul Lindley OBE, Chair of the Raising the Nation Play Commission, outlining the Commission’s final report Everything to Play For and the urgency of restoring a play-rich childhood across England.
Members reflected on the evidence presented in the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee’s State of Play inquiry earlier that day, reinforcing the timeliness of the APPG’s formation.
Strong engagement from Parliament and the sector
The inaugural meeting was extremely well attended, with MPs, Peers and sector leaders filling Committee Room 17. Contributors included representatives from:
Starlight
OPAL
Right to Play UK
LEGO
University of East London
Playing Out
London Play
Play Innovation
Youth Sport Trust
The discussion highlighted shared priorities across Parliament and the sector: the need for coherent national leadership on play; the importance of embedding play into planning, public health and education; and the value of sustained investment in community play spaces.
A renewed political platform for play
The re-establishment of the APPG on Play marks an important step in placing children’s right to play back on the parliamentary agenda.
It provides a dedicated forum for MPs and Peers to:
Scrutinise policy
Shape legislative proposals
Champion local and national initiatives
Hear directly from experts, practitioners and children’s organisations
Build long-term, cross-party consensus on play as a national priority
The Group will meet regularly throughout the year, with upcoming sessions focusing on playground provision, the play industry, Article 31 of the UNCRC, adventure playgrounds and playwork, early years, and school-based play.
Full details, including minutes, agenda papers and future meeting dates, are available on the APPG website.
Looking ahead
A decade after the first APPG on Play helped deliver England’s original National Play Strategy, Parliament has once again signalled that play matters. With strong attendance, shared purpose and an ambitious programme of work, the Group is well positioned to drive forward the national conversation – and to help ensure that every child, in every community, has the time, space and opportunity to play.
#ItAllStartsWithPlay! #APPGonPlay