Play England’s national leadership helps secure £18m in the Budget for England’s play areas
Play England’s national leadership on children’s play has helped secure a major Budget commitment, with the Chancellor set to announce £18 million to refurbish 200 play areas across England. The investment follows sustained lobbying from Play England, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Play chaired by Tom Hayes MP and growing cross-party recognition of the deep inequalities in children’s access to play.
Play England welcomes £18 million investment in children’s play areas – and continues our calls for a new National Play Strategy and Play Sufficiency legislation
The Chancellor will announce £18 million in the upcoming Budget to refurbish 200 children’s play areas across England. The investment, trailed today in the national media, forms part of the Government’s wider commitment to strengthen communities and break down barriers to opportunity so every child can thrive.
Treasury officials confirmed that the funding is intended to “breathe new life into play areas across England, creating safe, exciting spaces for thousands of children” as part of the Pride in Place programme.
The decision reflects the mounting evidence Play England has brought forward. Research by our partners, the University of Sheffield, shows that children in more deprived communities often have significantly fewer places to play, with major gaps in access, quality and inclusion. With children from poorer households spending less time outdoors, the commitment marks an important shift in recognising the role of play in children’s health and wellbeing.
Our response
Play England welcomes the announcement but is clear that one-off funding will not close the deep and persistent gaps in children’s access to play. The Government is now responding to the case we have consistently presented: that play is fundamental to children’s health, wellbeing and development, and that long-term national action is needed to address inequality.
Eugene Minogue, Executive Director of Play England, said:
“£18 million for 200 playgrounds is a welcome step and a clear signal that play is finally back on the Government’s radar. Our work with the University of Sheffield shows just how unequal playground provision is across England, with children in deprived areas having far fewer places to play. Children make up 20% of our population, but they are 100% of our future, and their access to play should reflect that.
But one-off funding will not close these gaps. We urgently need a new National Play Strategy and Play Sufficiency legislation within the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. That is why Play England has published It All Starts with Play! our ten-year strategy to restore a play-based childhood for all children by 2035. Without a national framework, playgrounds will remain unequal, often inaccessible, and too rarely designed to be fully inclusive.
This Budget announcement is positive. Coupled with a new national play strategy and legislation, it could be the start of real, lasting change for children, families, and communities across England."
Tom Hayes MP, Chair of the APPG on Play, said:
“Until this year, MPs hadn’t debated playgrounds for eight years. MPs and the Government are listening to families when they say they want better playgrounds. Every child deserves safe, fun, and inclusive places to play and we’re doing right by our children.
When the last government effectively ignored playgrounds, is it any wonder they were left to rust – or that people felt pushed away from politics? This investment is a downpayment not only on better playgrounds, but on brighter, stronger communities.”
Momentum for national reform
This Budget announcement builds on growing cross-party and public support for national action on play. Play England has led proposals for a Play Sufficiency amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, informed by our formal evidence submission and driven through the work of the new All-Party Parliamentary Group on Play.
With the Government preparing to consult on revisions to the National Model Design Code, and with Pride in Place accelerating investment in community assets, there is a clear opportunity to embed play more firmly in planning, policy and public life.
Play England will continue to work with Parliament, government, local authorities and communities to ensure this investment becomes the foundation for long-term, systemic change.
#ItAllStartsWithPlay!