Annual Report 2015-16

Midlothian Association of PlayAnnual Report 2015-16Contents

Welcome 4Who we are 5What we do 5Improving children’s health, wellbeing and development 6Increasing family and community capacity and action for play 8Finances (2015/16) 10Funders 11

This annual report covers the period of April 2015 to March 2016. Note that as this year we moved from writing a report on the calendar year, to writing a report on the financial year, you will find a content overlap with our 2015 report.

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WelcomeMAP has had a year of growth in income and in service provision. Laura Baigrie, Claire Blatchford and Ailsa Nicol joined us as Community Playworkers, delivering the Out2Play sessions. This year we also welcomed Alexandra Mortimer as Playworker, on a shorter work experience contract.

A thank you must go to Volunteer Midlothian, for a successful partnership with MAP, which led to 16 young people aged between 14 and 18 helping to run MAP’s playschemes. I would also like to take the opportunity to offer our many thanks to the funders that have supported MAP over the year. We also greatly appreciate the generosity of people who have donated to MAP or participated in our fundraising dinner.

The contribution of our partners, supporters and volunteers is essential to the success of MAP. Thanks also to the management committee for their time and energy, to the members for their ongoing support, and to Lifelong Learning and Employability and the Early Years Team at Midlothian Council for their support.

Irene Hogg MBE, Chairperson

This has been a busy year for MAP, starting some new areas of work as well as continuing longstanding services. We are delighted to have achieved funding from Inspiring Scotland to run Out2Play outdoor play sessions in Cowden Park, Woodburn, Dalkeith, further to our pilot of this approach which ended in 2013. We are also pleased to be working in partnership with Midlothian Council on a Play Strategy for Midlothian.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank MAP’s staff and volunteers, a team which expanded again this year, who have worked hard to make all of the achievements reported on here possible.

I hope you enjoy reading this report and finding out more about what we do.

Susan McIntyre, Development Manager

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Who we areMAP has been providing services since 1996 and is a Scottish Registered Charity (no SC025474) and a Company Limited by Guarantee (no 240729).

TrusteesIrene Hogg (Chairperson) Stewart Geddes (Treasurer)Ben Bradbury (Vice-Chairperson) Louise Gough (Trustee)Eliza Waye (Minute Secretary) Sam Eliot (Trustee, until June 2015)Fiona Davis (Trustee) Stephanie Walker (Trustee) The management committee has had the support of Midlothian Council via: Laurence McIntosh, Performance and Planning Officer; Paul Johnson from Lifelong Learning and Employability; and Councillor Derek Rosie.

Staff teamSusan McIntyre Development ManagerJennifer Brownlie Play Development OfficerHayley Finlay AdministratorLaura Baigrie Community Playworker and Playscheme CoordinatorClaire Blatchford Community PlayworkerAilsa Nicol Community PlayworkerAlexandra Mortimer Playworker

Sessional playworkers:Laura Baigrie Ashleigh Cotter Anne Bain Helen FosterDaisy Belton Joanne QuinKathryn Belton Jessica Seaton Claire Blatchford

VolunteersCara Davidson George RoyBrooke Bisset John Morris

Furthermore, 16 young people aged between 14 and 18 volunteered at MAP’s playschemes, though a partnership with Volunteer Midlothian’s Transform project.

What we doWe work to improve and increase children’s opportunity to play, because we know how important play is for their health, wellbeing and development. It is important for their lives in the here and now as well as for their future life chances.

We provide direct to children play services as well as building family, community and professional capacity to support play. We also provide strategic development support to play in Midlothian.

In the past year, we provided services attended by over 1,400 individual children and young people, 60 organisations and over 550 individual adults.

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Improving children’s health, wellbeing and developmentOut2PlayWe launched Out2Play in August, delivering twice weekly outdoor play sessions in neighbourhood spaces in Woodburn. Our Community Playworkers provide a selection of open-ended play resources and opportunities such as the fire bowl, crafts and group games. The sessions help reassure children and parents it is safe to play out, so that children can gain the health, wellbeing and development benefits of outdoor play. The Community Playworkers support children’s relationships and inclusion. 110 children and young people have participated.

CASE STUDY

Out2Play

A group of boys had worked together to create a giant tent. A conflict arose between the boys and other children who wanted to play in the tent they had built. The playworkers monitored the conflict, but did not intervene. After some negotiation, the children agreed a solution between them – they would all work together to create a new den. The playworkers noted that a few months previously, intervention would have been necessary to prevent the conflict escalating.

Holiday play opportunitiesIn 2015 we held Easter and summer playschemes for children aged 5-12 in Gorebridge, Mayfield and Woodburn and a summer only playscheme in Loanhead (63 sessions in total). The sessions included resources to support all types of play and healthy snacks.

A total of 306 children participated across all the playschemes. 16 young volunteers aged between 14 and 18 participated in running the playschemes.

‘I like running around and

playing outside, I wish there was more things like

Out2Play.’ (Boy, 8)

‘We can play together nicely with you here.’

(Boy, 6)

‘If it wasn’t for the playscheme

my son would have been in the

house all summer.’ (parent)

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CASE STUDY Playschemes

A number of the children across the playschemes initially struggled to engage with the materials presented and seemed unaccustomed to using their imagination to play; rather they tried to set up more traditional activities. When presented with ‘junk’, including a wide range of cardboard of differing sizes and shapes, they asked the staff what they were supposed to do. When told they could choose to do whatever they liked, they gradually began to experiment and to create structures, several of them commenting on the fact that they would not be permitted to do this at home. As the days went on, they created all sorts of structures, including houses and dog kennels. During the process, which lasted over several sessions, children required less and less input from the staff and became immersed in their play, working together to build and play, resolving differences of opinion and working together with great enthusiasm.

‘Likes making new friends and improves social skills.’ (parent)

‘I like that we get to play outside and have lots of fun building dens with the staff.’ (child)

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Increasing family and community capacity and action for play

Midlothian play strategyWe are working in partnership with Midlothian Council on the production of a play strategy, with an action plan, to make Midlothian a better place for children to play. We are on the subgroup that leads the process as well as the Working Group with responsibility for agreeing the content. We have played a key role in developing the process for devising the content. We are also responsible for writing parts of the strategy.

Playday1,100 people participated in our 2015 Playday event in August at Vogrie Country Park, and enjoyed opportunities such as soft play, treasure baskets, arts and crafts, drumming, cooking over a fire, and more. Partner organisations, including Midlothian Libraries, RUTS and Homelink Family Support, also provided stalls and activities.

85% of our survey respondents said that Playday had encouraged them into taking action to improve play.

Information and resourcesWe have provided:

• A monthly e-bulletin for members• A website with information on play• Free trips to Dynamic Earth with our Golden Ticket for members•PVG checks for member organisations

Additional support needs grants £48,500 in grants was distributed between successful applicant childcare organisations, providing additional capacity to include children with additional support needs and enabling 23 children to participate in mainstream provision.

‘Fantastic day for families to play

together and be supported.’

(Playday participant)

‘Try to recreate some of the new activities

we’ve tried today.’ (Playday participant)

‘Given new ideas of things to do at home.’

(Playday participant)

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Mayfield community playgroundWe are supporting community use of new play spaces in Mayfield, to be used by Mayfield and St Luke’s Primary Schools, and other local partners.

We have supported 378 children and 30 adults on:• The Boo to Poo campaign, to tackle dog fouling where children play • A loose parts week, with every class in the schools• Two play training sessions for the playground supervisors from the schools• Loose parts resource kits for partner groups, including risk-benefit assessments

and play facilitation guidelines• Two days of den-building sessions at Outdoor Learning Week at St Luke’s Primary

School• A week of enabling all classes from the schools to explore the new playground

and supporting children’s risk assessment

Best Play: Best StartWe work with parents and carers with children aged 1-3 years, including through their involvement in community groups such as parent and toddler groups, to increase play skills and ideas:

• 14 sessions at the Traveller site• 19 school holiday park sessions, attended by 74 children at Easter and 180 at

summer (and their families)• 15 sessions across four playgroups

72% of parents at park sessions said they felt more confident about playing with their children at home as a result of MAP’s play sessions.

In January we began working in partnership with Midlothian Sure Start on provision of a Dad’s Adventure Play Club, for fathers and male carers with their children, which runs monthly in Mayfield.

We have also:• Created two play idea information sheets for parents• Held two workshops for parents and their young children in Gorebridge

CPD programmeWe have delivered:

• A conference, ‘Un-popping the bubble wrap: a conference about risk and challenge in play’, attended by 96 delegates, who heard from Tim Gill and participated in practical workshops

• Five training courses on various aspects of play and playwork, attended by 73 delegates

‘Yea, look at them, they look forward to coming, and great to meet other dads too, and their bairns.’ (dad)

‘I know a lot of the families found this really good and would love to see more in the future.’ (Patsy Bruce, Gypsy/Traveller Support Service, Education)

‘Really thought provoking about practise, linking to theory/equipment/tools for play. Very knowledgeable.’ (training delegate)

‘As usual fabulous conference – well organised with interesting speakers and workshops.’ (conference delegate)

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Finances (2015/16)Balance sheet

AssetsCurrent Assets £159,169Creditors -£43,469

£115,700FundsUnrestricted funds £21,777Restricted funds £93,923

£115,700

Income

Expenditure

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Charging for services: £13,380Grants: £132,315Community-based fundraising: £2,024Other: £774

Salaries and ON costs: £70,136Non-salary overheads: £6,806Grant-making: £58000Project expenses: £18,718Costs of raising funds: £3,943

FundersWe extend our thanks to those whose funds supported our work in 2015/16.

Asda Carrier Bag Community GrantsThe Cattanach TrustChildren in NeedCommunity Jobs Scotland (SCVO)The Daisy Chain TrustFairer Scotland FundInspiring Scotland (Go2Play)Lloyds TSB Foundation for ScotlandMidlothian Council The Nancie Massey Charitable TrustRed Nose Day Community CashTesco Charity Trust

10 Woodburn RoadDalkeithEH22 2AT 0131 663 2243

info@map-midlothian.org.ukwww.map-midlothian.org.uk Facebook - www.facebook.com/Midlothian.Association.of.PlayTwitter - @MidlothianPlayDonate to MAP - https://localgiving.org/charity/midlothianplay

Registered Scottish Charity No. SC025474 Company Limited by Guarantee No. SC240729