Play England joins the Chancellor in Kettering to shape the £18m playground investment and strengthen the British play industry
Play England’s Executive Director, Eugene Minogue, joined the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves MP, together with Tom Hayes MP, Chair of the APPG on Play, and Rosie Wrighting MP for Kettering, for a visit to the Wicksteed Leisure factory in Kettering. The visit followed last night’s meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Play, where organisations from across the sector discussed the £18 million secured in the Budget for England’s playgrounds and the central role of the British play industry in delivering this investment.
Wicksteed is one of England’s oldest play manufacturers. Seeing their design, engineering and production first-hand reinforced a core message from the APPG: national investment in playgrounds supports children’s play while strengthening Britain’s manufacturing and small business economy.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves MP, said:
“I’ve announced £18m for playgrounds because we know how important they are for kids and parents, but I also want to make sure that we use that money for play equipment built in Britain and that’s why I’m at Wicksteed today.”
Tom Hayes MP, Chair of the APPG on Play, said:
“This visit demonstrates exactly why the Budget’s £18 million investment matters. It will help renew playgrounds in the communities that need them most and support the British play industry, which delivers skilled jobs and fun, high-quality play spaces for children across the country. I am grateful to the Chancellor for securing this funding and to Play England for bringing together industry, Parliament and Government to ensure it delivers real impact for children and families.”
Katherine Peacock, Managing Director of Wicksteed Leisure, said:
“It was an honour to welcome The Right Honourable Rachel Reeves MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rosie Wrighting MP, Tom Hayes MP and Eugene Minogue from Play England to our factory to see firsthand how playground equipment is manufactured. The Budget announcement allocating £18 million to play is outstanding news, and when combined with the Pride in Place funding, it will significantly improve deprived playgrounds, bringing new life to these spaces and creating meaningful, lasting benefits for families. This investment will also support local employment and help strengthen the wider supply chain.”
A significant national investment for children’s play
The £18 million investment (comprising £16 million capital and £2 million revenue) is the first national commitment of its kind since the 2008 National Play Strategy and is expected to support improvements to up to 200 playgrounds in areas of highest need. Play England’s evidence, advocacy and engagement were instrumental in securing this outcome, building on work across 2024 and 2025 to highlight inequalities in access to play and the health, social and economic benefits of high-quality play infrastructure.
At the APPG meeting, Play England set out how Government, local authorities and the play industry should work together to ensure the funding is targeted effectively and delivers inclusive, accessible and sustainable play areas. This aligns with our work with the University of Sheffield and the development of the Playces platform to support consistent national mapping and evidence-based decisions.
Connecting policy, investment and industry capacity
Discussions during the Wicksteed visit included:
The opportunity to renew up to 200 playgrounds in areas of highest need
The importance of national guidance to support councils to design and deliver inclusive, high-quality play areas
The contribution of the British play industry to jobs, skills, advanced manufacturing and local supply chains
The need for long-term certainty so councils, communities and manufacturers can plan beyond 2028
Insights from the APPG briefing by the University of Sheffield, including the state of playground provision and emerging sector innovation
The need for Play Sufficiency legislation, a new National Play Strategy and our bold new strategy - It All Starts with Play!
The visit reinforced a consistent message from the APPG: investing in play strengthens children’s rights, tackles inequality and supports economic growth.
Play England’s priorities
In line with the priorities set out at the APPG, Play England is advocating for:
A transparent, needs-based funding model aligned with Pride in Place principles
Strong national guidance to ensure consistency, quality, inclusion, accessibility and long-term maintenance
A long-term delivery approach that provides stability to councils and the British play industry
Recognition of staffed, community-led and adventure playgrounds as essential infrastructure within a wider play sufficiency approach
Children’s play and economic growth are connected. England’s playgrounds form part of our national infrastructure, and the British play industry is central to building and sustaining it.
Play England will continue working with HM Treasury, MHCLG, Parliamentarians and industry partners to ensure this investment delivers meaningful and lasting outcomes.
#ItAllStartsWithPlay!
Local reporting on the visit is available via the Northants Telegraph: Rachel Reeves on festive chocolates and memories of playing at Wicksteed Park.