www.playengland.org.uk

Creating Playful CommunitiesLessons from the Engaging Communities in Play Progamme

By Paul Greatorex, Leisure and the Environment

Author: Paul Greatorex, Leisure and the Environment

The Engaging Communities in Play programme was delivered by Play England in partnership with Playwork Partnerships, SkillsActive and KIDS.

Play England staff who worked on the programme: Adrian Voce, Catherine Prisk, Steven Chown, Stephanie Young, JudithAnderson, Mick Conway, Richard Gott, Lakhvir Sahota, Simon Brooks, Angelique Brorsson, Lara Burnett, Judith Carrie, StephenClose, Neil Coleman, Jane Hembrow, Louisa Kelly, Mark Lister, Dave Marsh, Richard Newson, Janet Orrock, Ashley Rogers, IngridWilkinson and Sarah Wills.

Play England aims for all children and young people in England to have regular access and opportunity for free, inclusive localplay provision and play space.

Play England provides advice and support to promote good practice, and works to ensure that the importance of play isrecognised by policy-makers, planners and the public.

Published for Play England by NCB© NCB May 2011ISBN: 978-1-907969-22-5

National Children’s Bureau, 8 Wakley Street, London EC1V 7QE Tel: 020 7843 6000 Website: www.ncb.org.ukRegistered charity number: 258825

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrival system, or transmitted in any form byany person without the written permission of the publisher.

The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and not necessarily those of NCB.

Play England is part of NCB and issupported by the Big Lottery Fund.

Contents

3 Foreword

5 Introduction

6 How can communities get involved in play?

8 Making a difference when time is short

Ongoing involvement - at a local level

Ongoing involvement - at a strategic level

9 The wider context for play

10 Benefits of community engagement

Communities taking the lead

12 Play projects as a catalyst for change

15 Support for engaging communities in play

17 What’s been learned from EngagingCommunities in Play?

19 Author's recommendations

20 Further information

3

Foreword

The Engaging Communities in Play programmewas commissioned by the Department forEducation to deliver one of the first nationalcontracts awarded by the new coalitiongovernment. It replaced Play England’s role asthe previous government’s delivery partner,supporting and challenging local authoritiesto deliver the play pathfinder and playbuilderprogrammes that ran from 2008-11.

Research suggests that the social, physicallyactive childhoods that earlier generationscould take for granted are now denied togrowing numbers of children, with potentiallyserious consequences for their health1. Amajor challenge in addressing this is to makepublic and green space safe and accessiblefor children’s play. The work highlighted in thisreport was to seek the ‘innovative, newsolutions’ 2 the government was calling for; toexplore ‘how we can empower people todeliver these changes in their ownneighbourhoods... by giving communities morecontrol over what gets built in theirneighbourhoods... and by making it easier forvolunteers and charitiesto get involved’ 3.

This report, researched and authored byindependent consultant Paul Greatorex,points to some of these solutions. It speaksof what is possible when communities allytheir irreplaceable local knowledge and loveof their own neighbourhoods – and theaspirations they have for them – withspecialist and targeted support from adedicated and professional team. It looks atthe role of the voluntary and communitysector – or civic society – in providing playservices and maintaining play spaces. Inparticular, it speaks of the need that allcommunities have for good places for theirchildren to play and of the immense energyand commitment that can be harnessed tothat cause with the right help and support.

What this report clearly finds is that for themost part local people cannot do this alone.The expertise of our Engaging Communities inPlay team, aligned with local play specialistswas a vital ingredient for these communitiesto achieve the outcomes that they did. Thissupport was possible because thegovernment provided the resources for it.

We hope this report conveys the importanceof children’s play spaces as part of the fabricof community life. Children’s play is part ofthe lifeblood of our culture. Providing thebest places possible for children to be able toplay together will always be a priority forcommunities themselves because they knowthat children playing are happier, healthierand more resilient than children who are not.

We hope that the coalition government andall future national governments come torecognise that building a ‘big society’ mustbegin with places where all children can play.Such places are at the heart of any civilisedvision for the public realm. That they shouldbe owned by and cared for by localcommunities themselves does not absolvecentral and local governments from ensuringthat they have the resources to thrive.

This is a huge challenge as budgetseverywhere come under unprecedentedpressure, but we must realise this vision, nomatter what the prevailing context. The healthand happiness of our children depends upon it.

This report begins to show the way.

Adrian Voce, DirectorPlay England, May 2011

1 See, for example, Sandercock, Dr G; Essex University; reported in Acta Paediatrica, May 2011.2 Nick Clegg MP, Deputy Prime Minister, Speech to Barnado’s, 17 June 20103 ibid

Introduction

Creating Playful Communities sets out todemonstrate the benefits of community involve-ment in the management and maintenance oflocal play spaces. Equally importantly, it showsthe role of communities in bringing their playspaces to life, and how, through their con-tribution, they can become hubs for widercommunity activity.

The report illustrates how communities cantake a lead in developing and managing theplaces where children play, and how local peoplecan be a catalyst for positive change. Ithighlights the support communities need fromothers to do this work effectively and where tofind it. It also makes clear recommendations forthe future in how communities can be moresuccessful in Creating Playful Communities.

This publication is based on lessons learnedfrom the Engaging Communities in Play (ECP)programme funded by the Department forEducation, which ran from September 2010 toMarch 2011. The main aim of the project wasto enable communities to develop, manage andsustain local play spaces. The programme wasdelivered by Play England in partnership withPlaywork Partnerships, Skills Active and KIDS.

Engaging Communities in Play included a ‘univer-sal offer’ to access resources and informationthrough the Play England websites (in particularwww.playfulcommunities.org.uk) networks and anational helpline providing advice to grass-rootsplay organisations. KIDS provided advice andsupport on how to make play spaces accessibleto disabled children

In addition, there was a ‘targeted offer’ fortwenty selected areas. The aim was to supportthe development of local play projects thenpromote the good practice examples whichemerged, from which other local communitiescould benefit.

Engaging Communities in Play– the twenty targeted areas

• Bath and North East Somerset• Blackpool• Bradford• Cumbria• Camden• Cornwall• East Riding• Enfield• Gateshead• Hackney• Haringey• Kent• Liverpool• Knowsley• Manchester• Oxfordshire• Peterborough• Richmond• Southwark• Torbay

These communities were offered:

• Five days of consultancy support from thePlay England development team aimed atfostering greater community engagement

• A Play Shaper training module designed withPlaywork Partnerships to help localprofessionals understand the importance ofplay and how best to involve communities

• Practical workshops for groups with aspecific interest in improving communityengagement in play (for example, friends ofparks groups, volunteer managementgroups, spatial planners, registered sociallandlords and parish councils).

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How can communitiesget involved in play?

One of the most striking observations from theECP programme is how important local peoplethink play is for the health of their communityand how much they are willing to get activelyinvolved in improving local play opportunities.

For most families, taking part in leisure activ-ities whether it’s a visit to the cinema, a localfootball match or even going for a swim, is anexpensive undertaking. A picnic or a visit to alocal, creatively designed, exciting play area orpark is free, fun and accessible to all, irres-pective of income.

This broadly perceived experience of the valueof play is reinforced by Playday1 research whichfound that 81 per cent of adults believe childrenplaying outside helps to improve communityspirit and 70 per cent think that it makes anarea more desirable to live in. 85 per centsupported the idea of neighbours workingtogether to improve a local area.

Parents and the local community can get in-volved with improving play provision in many waysand with varying levels of commitment. Even witha small input local people can make a difference.For individuals with a strong commitment there

are opportunities to take a significant lead inimproving the quality of play provision for, andwith, local children and young people.

As well as having spaces to play in parks andthrough provision of specific play areas, localpeople and communities can become involved inmaking public space more child-friendly than it is.

Local planning decisions often have a significantimpact on children’s play. Play England thereforerecommends that spatial planners should bepart of a local play partnership and that playpartnerships should be consulted in relation toall significant planning proposals. Local peopleshould be involved when new developments areplanned.

Loss of play space to new developments can alsobe opposed through the planning system bycommunity involvement.

The residents of the Treloweth estate in Poolnear Redruth successfully campaigned tosave part of a play area threatened byhousing development.

Both the Parish Council and Cornwall CountyCouncil initially refused the application butthe developer then appealed to the HomeOffice Planning Inspectorate to have thedecision reversed.

The residents organised a petition opposingthe development signed by 77 local residents.It was then presented through the planning

system to the county council. They were alsosupported in their efforts by the local parishcouncil and nearby town councillors

Thanks to this strong public oppositionthe appeal was rejected and the whole playarea saved. Many of the residents of theTreloweth estate are young families andthey are delighted that their children cansafely continue to enjoy their local play areato the full.

The campaign has also energised localresidents including children and young peoplewho have now put forward ideas to furtherenhance the area. Plans include plantingflowering scented shrubs and meadow grassas well as adding a new slide or zip wire.

Case study: Trewelothestate, Pool, Redruth

1 ICM survey commissioned by Play England for Playday 2010 available at www.playday.org.uk

Case study:Kent Play ShaperThe Play Shaper - Engaging Communities inPlay seminar was designed to support‘decision makers’ from a wide range ofrelevant local public and voluntary sectoragencies to enable communities takecontrol of spaces where their childrenwould like to play.

Each full day event was tailored to addressthe specific requirements of the local area.A key outcome was to identify priorities forplay in the future and to secure practicalshort and medium term ‘pledges’ from everyparticipant that would help to meet thesepriorities.

In Kent, examples of pledgesfor action included:• Putting sand and water in open spaces to

widen play opportunities• Aiming for play rangers to attend

Ashford play areas particularly new sites• Creating safe and accessible places of

play including improvements to streetlayouts

• Improving support for parish councils andvoluntary groups

• Improving consultation for playdevelopments with partially sightedchildren

• Developing a ‘play awareness’ course forprofessionals and schools

• Writing funding bids to help sustainsuccesses and ensure retention ofsupport for Kent Children’s Fund Network

• Adapting the Maidstone play strategy toinclude more council departments

• Piloting a social enterprise summer playclub paired with our play ranger scheme

• Embedding play within the localdevelopment framework

• Working with the university to develop afoundation degree in playwork

Images are from other Play Shaper events.

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Making a differencewhen time is short

Even community members with limited timecan help influence local play provision simply byresponding to consultation and communityengagement initiatives organised by others.This might include completing a questionnaireor survey related to play provision orparticipating in a workshop designed to givechildren and their families a chance to getinvolved in the process of designing moreexciting and dynamic play spaces.

It is possible for local people to becomedirectly involved in a single issue campaign, forexample, to save or improve a local play area;or to help on the day of a play event at the localpark. Such activity may involve local fundraisingor campaigning. Local people may also wantto ask their local council or Member ofParliament what they are doing to supportchildren’s play.

Ongoing involvement- at a local level

The next level of voluntary engagement involvescommunity members taking up a longer termrole relating to play in the local area. This mightinvolve setting up or joining a friends of thepark or friends of the play area group orgetting involved with a recreation trust thatmanages a local play area. Residents’ andcommunity associations are often interestedin improving local play and youth facilities. Someareas have ‘playwatch’ schemes in which localpeople take on a role of ‘adopting’ a local playarea and liaising with the local council to reporton any damage, vandalism or anti-socialbehaviour. This can involve receiving training inbasic maintenance, organising litter picks etc.

In some places there are opportunities tobe involved with staffed play provision suchas adventure playgrounds, play centres,playschemes or as part of play ranger/wardenprojects. Community members can becomeregular volunteer playworkers at such schemesor committee members of the associatedmanagement group.

Children and young people can also becomeinvolved in the development and delivery of localplay provision, for example, as helpers toyounger children, becoming representatives onplay management groups, or via children’s playand youth councils.

Ongoing involvement- at a strategic level

In many areas there will be opportunitiesfor community members to volunteer or helpwith organisations and groups who have a moreextended remit or level of responsibility such as:

• Play associations. These vary considerablybut normally are voluntary sectororganisations that provide a wide rangeof play services having both paid andvoluntary staff. They often, but by no meansalways, work with a local authority. SomeCVS and similar organisations also provideplay services, frequently beingcommissioned by the local authority andother public bodies.

• Town and parish councils and recreationtrusts. Many of these are major providersand managers of local play areas and workwith the help of local volunteers and play,youth and other community groups.

• Voluntary sector organisations primarilysupplying advice and guidance on playsuch as County Playing Field Associationswho advise parish councils, recreationtrusts and other community organisationson play space issues, protection of playareas, maintenance and insurance etc.

• Play partnerships. These bring togetherlocal agencies involved or interested inchildren's play including different localauthority departments and other publicbodies, and voluntary and communityorganisations. Play partnerships can take a lead on engaging local communities inmaking decisions on what play opportunitiesshould be offered; and how and by whomthese are best provided.

Contacts for such groups and organisationsshould be available from the local authorityleisure or children’s information service.

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The wider context for play

Current government policy emphasises volun-teering and neighbourhood based communityaction, including community ownership andmanagement of services.

Play provision has a proven track record in thisway of working. It provides a focus for com-munity engagement and brings together a widerange of stakeholders. Play has always been alocal concern which people are passionateabout, with much of provision delivered by thevoluntary and community sector, based on needsand solutions identified by local communities.

Improving opportunities for play provides addi-tional benefits to the simple fun and enjoymentthat it gives to children and young people:• Play is important for children’s health –

both physical and mental. Active physicalplay can contribute to reducing levels ofchildhood obesity.

• Access to play and informal recreationopportunities can help to reduceanti-social behaviour

• Providing play opportunities bringscommunities together and is a strongforce for community cohesion.

As play cuts across many service areas includingleisure, parks and green space, education andchildren’s services, spatial planning, health,community safety, crime reduction, and regener-ation, it also provides the opportunity for a widerange of services and agencies to work togetherwith and for the benefit of local communities.

Play is a universal right of all children and whenplanning for play in a local area it is essential toensure that children and families from all partsof the community are fully involved in theprocess. This will include considering the needsof disabled children and other ‘hard to reach’groups such as BME communities.

Case study:Design 2gether in Dudley

In Dudley disabled children are activelyinvolved in play space design. The local playpartnership set up a children and youngpeople’s panel, Design 2gether, in whichdisabled children were fully engaged. Thepanel provided feedback directly into playspace design.

To recruit the panel play staff visitedvarious other decision making panels inwhich young people were taking a lead. Thisincluded Dudley Decision Making Kids;me2 young people's panel (for disabledchildren and young people); KIDS Orchard(for disabled children and young people);and Chat Back Productions (for lookedafter children).

There are 12 members of the Design 2getherpanel aged between 8 and 14. As severalmembers require support due to disabilityand care requirements, arrangements aremade to provide sufficient staff to cater forindividual needs. The venues for meetings andtheir location are carefully selected to ensurefull access for disabled children.

Design 2gether has brought fresh ideas,enthusiasm and innovation to the playprogramme in Dudley. It has made sure thatlocal play development is inclusive and led bythe children and young people themselves. Inrecognition of their work the group won theYoung Volunteers of the Year award at theDudley Volunteers awards in 2009.

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Benefits ofcommunity engagement

Engaging communities in decision making and inprioritising and delivering local play projects hasmany benefits:

• Better communication, understanding, trustand relationships between stakeholders(public, private and voluntary) through, forexample, play partnership and play forums

• Increased satisfaction and ownership ofservice provision – where play provision isshaped by local people it tends to be moreappropriate and in turn better used andlooked after

• More transparency and accountability – local people can see how decisions aboutplay are made and know who to contact ifthings go wrong

• Development of local skills, a strongcommunity sector and a local voice

• Improved community cohesion – improvingplay and informal recreation for localchildren is often an aspiration shared byall sectors of the community

There are also lots of personal benefits andopportunities for those involved including:

• Helping to ensure play facilities and servicesare improved and better meet local need

• Enabling local people to express theiropinions, make their voice heard and bemore involved in decision making processesthat impact on play provision

• Providing opportunities to learn new skillsand gain knowledge and confidence inexpressing and presenting their views

• Identifying solutions to issues and helpingto avoid or resolve conflict. By engagingwith all sectors of the community indecisions about play provision potentialconflict about, say, the location andappropriateness of different kinds ofplay provision within a neighbourhoodcan be minimised

• Meeting new and like minded people,discovering more about different people andcommunities and learning from experiencesof others. Play opportunities should takeinto account the various cultural traditionsfound in diverse ethnic communities.

Communitiestaking the lead

The Engaging Communities in Play programmehas provided many examples of how com-munities can take a lead in developing andmanaging the places where children play. It alsoillustrates many of the benefits of local peoplebeing actively involved in play provision.

Community involvement in the management oflocal provision and services

It is likely that current government policy willlead to more local organisations taking a greaterlead in the provision of local play opportunities.Such engagement is already common in manyexisting play projects and much can be learnedfrom established good practice, for example,community managed adventure playgrounds,play centres, and friends of parks/play groups.

Indigos Go Wild is an environmental playproject created, staffed and managed bya group of local parents in Brixham, Devon.Initially a small group of local parentsidentified a derelict wooded site adjacentto a local school and thought it would be agood space to carry out play sessions withlocal children. With the support of theschool they formed Indigos and gainedpermission to lease the land for 25 years.

Indigos have worked with adult volunteersas well as children and young people tocreate a magical play space where childrenand young people can build dens, makefires, cook, grow plants and climb trees.Parents are encouraged to volunteer tohelp and in so doing develop new skills. Theparents have sustained the project since2003 through successful fundraising andhave worked with other agencies includingchildren’s services and other voluntary andcommunity groups.

Case study:Indigos Go Wild

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Communities creating new, innovativesolutions to local need

Many people involved with play are skilled indeveloping new and creative approaches tosupport and sustain play services. To best meetthe challenges of changing times even long-established play organisations should ensurethey review their practice and be bold in makingnecessary changes.

Providing opportunities for young volunteers

Young people can be provided with opportunitiesfor volunteering by becoming involved with localplay and informal recreation projects. Youngpeople are often highly motivated to work oninitiatives that aim to improve local play andyouth facilities and services.

Case study: Play TorbayPlay Torbay is an incorporated charityand was launched in October 2010. Itspredecessor Torbay Play Forum hadbeen operating for ten years but follow-ing widespread local consultation itwas decided that a new re-launchedmembership play association would bebetter placed to meet local play needs.

Play Torbay’s purpose is to improve thequality and quantity of play provision forchildren and young people living in Torbay.Play Torbay has set itself up to be:

• Inclusive and have an openmembership for all playworkersincluding those from the voluntaryand statutory sector, friends of theparks, parents and the local authority

• A charity which raises funds andintends to be self sustaining

• Ready to be commissioned to deliverservices and work strategically and inpartnership with the council

• A voice for young people - through anassociated children and youngpeople’s group, Young Play Torbay

• An information hub: a contact pointfor everyone in Torbay involved increating, organising and facilitatingplay opportunities for children.

The change from the old play forum toPlay Torbay provides a single voice for playin Torbay. It is fit for purpose in the neweconomic and policy context and everyoneis working well together to facilitate andinfluence positive change in play, both forand with local children and young people.

In Eastleigh a Promoting Opportunities forPlay (POP) Project recruited young peopleaged 12 – 18 years as volunteers tobecome play champions. The role includedtaking part in official openings of playareas, promoting play in the area andencouraging widespread community useand care of the new play spaces.

Young people were made aware of the POPproject through schools, youth clubs andcommunity groups. Early engagement withyoung people included consultation onwhat the young people would like to see innew play areas; workshops to design a logofor the project; setting up and runningactivities for all ages and abilities andcarrying out consultations within thecommunity. Activities like circus skills, andballoon modelling helped make sure thatparticipation was fun as well as productive.

The initial aim was for 26 play champions.This has been exceeded as over 100 playchampions have taken part in workshopsand events demonstrating the benefit ofa flexible approach that allows the projectto be driven by participants’ input.

The play champions have given thecommunity the opportunity to see andengage with young people as positive rolemodels. The volunteers have enhancedtheir leadership and communication skillsand have improved their self-confidencethrough working with members of thecommunity of all ages and abilities.

Case study: Young PlayChampions in Eastleigh

Play projects as acatalyst for change

Play provision providing a focus forcommunity action

Play projects can bring a group of parentstogether who initially have a focus on improvingplay opportunities for their children but whomove on to thinking and planning in relation towider community issues. Providing opportunitiesfor play is also often part of a more extensivecommunity initiative. Sometimes it can be thespark which galvanises the community intomaking more extensive changes and improve-ments in their local neighbourhood.

Case study:The Plantation,Writhlington

The Plantation is a small copse of trees,grass and woodland plants in Writhlington,Radstock owned by Somer CommunityHousing Trust. When the trust tookownership of the site in 1999 the land hadbecome a dumping ground for rubble,rubbish and dog mess. In 2002, theystarted consulting with the local com-munity to establish their aspirations forthe site and to develop ways in which theHousing Trust, local residents and otherpartners could work together.

Over the years The Plantation has beentransformed, always with the activeinvolvement of local children, young peopleand their families:

• New paths have been laid and rubbishbins, a new gate and fencing installed

• Dogs have been banned from the siteafter a community vote

• Dangerous trees were felled and thetimber used for benches and playfeatures

• The CVS worked with local children andyoung people to create a bike trail,stage and den building area

• A wood sculptor worked with localchildren and young people and pupilsfrom St Mary’s Primary School to carvesculptures on tree stumps and createan entrance archway

• Horticultural students from NortonRadstock College became involved inmaintenance .They also created log andstone piles as wildlife habitats, put upbird and bat boxes and designed aninformation board showing what plantsand wildlife can be found on the site.

It is now an exciting green space that can beenjoyed by everyone, where children can playin safety in a stimulating natural environ-ment, where plants and wildlife flourish andwhere local people can learn about natureand how to look after it.

As one local resident testifies:

‘Through my kitchen window it’s absolutelyamazing to see the children playing and toknow that they have somewhere safe thatthey’re enjoying, whilst playing in naturalelements. I think this helps them to takegood care of the space too.’

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Staffed play provision providing a hub forcommunity action

Staffed play provision, often managed by volun-tary management groups and involving volunteerplayworkers takes many forms including:

• Adventure playgrounds• Play and children’s centres • Play ranger schemes• Mobile play provision e.g. playbus projects

Play England’s experience is that parents andcarers are frequently enthusiastic supportersof staffed play provision. Parents also recognisethat staffed provision offers creative and chal-lenging play opportunities in a safe environmentand they appreciate the input of skilled anddedicated playworkers. It is not uncommon forsuch services to become a hub for widercommunity projects and activity once theybecome established.

Community involvement bringing differentgenerations together

Community engagement with play can be acatalyst for bringing different generationstogether. Older people can feel intimidated bygroups of children and young people in theirneighbourhoods yet tend to agree that it isimportant that play facilities and services shouldbe provided for local children.

Barriers can be broken down if young peoplebecome actively involved in planning forimprovements in their play and youth facilitiesas, if done well, this will involve them in discussionwith older residents through communityconsultation events, making presentations toresidents associations and parish councils etc.

Adventure playgrounds and other staffedprovision also often provide opportunities forparents and older people to volunteer and helprun local play provision. In long-establishedstaffed playgrounds parents often becomehelpers having been users of the playgroundthemselves as children.

Case study: New Ark Adventure PlaygroundIn Peterborough the New Ark adventure play-ground has been in operation since the early1970s. It started off life as a City Farm andover time expanded to include an adventureplayground, a nature garden and an EcoCentre. It is managed by a managementcouncil of local people nearly all of whom areparents whose children play at the New Ark.

New Ark adventure playground is a real hubfor community action. It is staffed by a teamof 25 full and part time employees and inaddition about 100 volunteers help with allkinds of jobs on and off the adventureplayground, farms and garden. They currentlyhave over 300 children registered and itsservices have developed well beyond thestaffed play provision of the adventureplayground, to include:

• A toddler group• pre-school playgroups• a city farm• a nature garden • an after school/school holiday programme

- including a service to Newark Hill Schoolto meet/bring children to the playground

• an environmental programme• a play support service.

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Case study:Garston AdventurePlaygroundGarston Adventure Playground known locallyas ‘The Venny’ is located in a housingregeneration area in Liverpool. It’s managedby a voluntary management committee andhas been open for more than 30 years. Itemploys three playworkers who played on theplayground as children and has a dedicatedteam of active local play volunteers many ofwhom also used the playground as children.

Clare, one of the playworkers tells us‘I’ve been working here for sixteen years. Istarted when I was five and I’m still here now.This is your childhood here. This is the bestthing that can ever happen to a child, to cometo this playground. It’s fantastic. It was mychildhood. Everything about my childhood isthe memories I’ve got of this place - theopportunities this playground gave me’.

An eight year old boy of today is equallyenthusiastic and says simply ‘it’s got every-thing that you ever wanted’.

The importance across the generations isreinforced by Carmel who brings hergrandson to the playground:

‘I started coming to Garston adventureplayground when I was 14. Then when I grew upand had my children I used to bring them hereand it was really good. They loved it and neverwanted to go home. And now my daughter hasgot a son of her own and I bring him here. Andso it’s like three generations of my family haveused the playground and we’ve all enjoyed it’

A video that gives a vivid taster of Garstonadventure playground and the extent towhich it’s success has brought differentgenerations together can be found atwww.playengland.org.uk/resources.

Support for engagingcommunities in play

Local authorities supporting communityinvolvement in play

Though not a statutory service, most localauthorities have a play strategy and choose toprovide a range of services and support to playfacilities and services. Current governmentpolicy makes it likely that in many areas localcouncils will tend to look more and more toworking with the voluntary sector to identifylocal priorities and then to contract servicesfrom the sector to best respond to the playneeds identified.

Community engagement in play and working to-gether with local authorities will be increasinglyimportant in order to provide the best playoutcomes for local children.

Local authorities supporting volunteering

Some local authorities encourage volunteers tobe involved in delivering their own play servicesand this is most successful when the localauthority has clear procedures for recruitment,training and ongoing support for its volunteerplayworkers.

Case study: Ashford Borough Council

Ashford Borough Council takes a proactiverole in supporting play in partnership withlocal communities. This includes:• Support to the Ashford Play Forum and

town/parish councils• Producing a downloadable community

Play Pack covering:� - setting up play sessions and activities� - consultation and community

engagement� - working with staff, volunteers and

parents � - designing, constructing and maintaining

play spaces

� - applying a risk-benefit analysis to playspaces

� - health and safety issues includingsafeguarding children

• Ok to Play - a play space qualityassurance mark that looks at design,location and providing challenging play withina safe environment.

In 2011, the council completed a full reviewof their play strategy and in addition tocelebrating successes the new strategyreinforces the Council’s commitment to playbased on three key themes:

• Plan4Play - Planning and evaluatingoutdoor play spaces so they are assetsto the community and children and youngpeople have happy fulfilling play time

• Go4Play - Promoting and providingchallenging play opportunities that areinspired, designed and run by children andtheir families

• Connect4Play - Connecting fresh ideasexperience and expertise to meet theplay needs of children and families moreeffectively

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Social enterprises supporting communitiesaround play

In some parts of the country support forchildren’s play is taken on primarily by thevoluntary sector through Play Associations, PlayForums, the CVS or other such voluntary sectorsupport bodies. Sometimes this service iscommissioned by the local authorities. Most ofthese support bodies are continually involved infund-raising and they are able to apply for fundsthat are not accessible by local authorities.

Communities involved in identifyingsustainable funding solutions for play

In times when public bodies are facingunprecedented reductions in their funding it isbecoming increasingly necessary for local playproviders and organisations to be inventive insearching out new means of sustainability.

Case study:Southwark CouncilSouthwark Council and its play servicerecognise the importance of volunteersand the excellent service that they canprovide to the Borough’s adventureplaygrounds and play projects. They alsosee the importance of volunteers beingproperly trained and are aware of thedifficulties sometimes faced in recruitingand retaining the voluntary play workforce.

In recognition of the valuable contributionfrom volunteers the council have launcheda volunteers’ credit scheme. Credits arebuilt up through volunteering and thesecan then be ‘cashed in’ to gain additionaltraining and development opportunities.The types of training available include Skillsfor Life NVQ level 2, a personal develop-ment plan and the shadowing of a seniorplayworker or the play service manager.

The play service has also recently addedoptions that may be more attractive toyounger volunteers who can now swaptheir credits for non-training relatedbenefits such as access to various leisureand recreation facilities in the borough.

Case study:Playworks NottinghamPlayworks, Nottingham Children's PlayResource Centre, is the home ofNottingham Play Forum, an incorporatedcharity owned by its members. Their aim isto improve the quality and quantity of playprovision for children and young people, byproviding training, education, resources,support, advice and information toindividuals, groups and organisations.Playworks provides:

• Play development and informationservices including:

� - strategic lobbying for children’s playopportunities and playwork

� - advice and information through a playlibrary, publications and a regularnewsletter

� - a forum for play open to individualsand organisations

• A scrap store and arts and crafts shop • Playwork training – activity based and

certificated courses • Hosting play events and conferences• Delivery of street play provision in

targeted communities • Opportunities for voluntary work in play • An onsite crèche, which supports

Playworks services and training

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What’s been learnedfrom EngagingCommunities in Play?

In only six months the Engaging Communities inPlay programme has highlighted and suppor-ted many projects in a way that clearlydemonstrates the value and potential ofdirectly involving local communities in localplay provision. From that experience manylessons were learned:

• Children, their families and the widercommunity believe that having good localplay opportunities in their neighbourhood ishugely important and they are prepared towork hard to help make sure they get them.

• There are many different ways for localpeople to become engaged in making theirlocal play spaces and services better.Even those with limited time can make avaluable contribution. It is not always easyrunning a local voluntary play organisationor recruiting and retaining volunteers.Groups often need and appreciateprofessional support from skilled workers.This sometimes includes very practicalguidance such as advice on playgroundinspection and maintenance. Support canbe provided by either, or both of, the publicand voluntary sectors.

• Play cuts across many service areasincluding leisure, parks and green space,education and children’s services, spatialplanning, health, community safety andcrime reduction, and regeneration. As such,it provides the opportunity for a wide rangeof services and agencies to work togetherwith and for the benefit of active localcommunities.

• Effective communication and partnership isimportant. Where a strong local playpartnership is in place that has directcontact with decision making bodies playgets more support and is better protected.

• Play England resources such as Design forPlay, Managing Risk in Play Provision, thePlayful Communities web-site, and thevarious play briefings papers are widelyused and found useful by local communitygroups, parish councils etc.

Case study: Roman RoadAdventure PlaygroundRoman Road Adventure Playground inTower Hamlets opened its doors inFebruary 2011 and is proving to be amassive hit with local children with over100 already on the register. ParksideResidents’ Association was instrumental ingetting community buy-in in the earlyplanning stages, supported by outreachprogrammes delivered by PATH, the TowerHamlets Play Association.

It is the first adventure playground to haverevenue funding sponsored by a sociallandlord. Following an approach fromParkside Residents Association and PATH,Old Ford Housing Association hascommitted revenue funding for two yearsfrom 2011 and sees the adventureplayground as a key asset, not only to itsown residents, but to the wider community.It aims to seek future funding for playwithin the rest of the organisation toenhance opportunities for children andyoung people in sustainable communities.

There are plans to use the building as aborough-wide training facility for staff,play-workers and volunteers to help withsustainability and maximise use when notopen to children. The aim is to develop it asa community hub for local people, whilekeeping the primary purpose as theplayground’s indoor play area.

Mick Conway, from Play England said: ‘Thisis an excellent model of how partners canwork together to overcome challenges anddeliver a brand new and sustainableadventure playground in the heart of thecommunity’.

• When communities are fully engaged withthe provision of local play opportunities,services and facilities tend be of a higherquality and better used.

• Local people really value voluntarymanaged play provision such as adventureplaygrounds and play centres. It is alsoimportant to celebrate the success oflocal voluntary play projects to maintainand widen community involvement.

• The play and voluntary sector are oftenvery creative and innovative in theirwork and are very willing to help eachother. There is great scope for learningfrom each other especially outside thelocal area.

• Play provision is strongest where there isa well-developed and positive relationshipbetween the local authority and thevoluntary sector and parish councils andwhere each party is clear about its roleand function.

• Hard facts and figures highlighting theimpact of investment in play are a criticaltool for demonstrating its value whenbudgets are tight. Play projects should aimto collect such evidence wherever possible.

• National economic conditions, the end ofthe central government Play programmeand reductions in local authority fundingare currently having a dramatic impact onplaywork and play development in localareas, with many local authority playservices and voluntary sector playorganisations struggling to keep going.There is a pressing need to devise newmethods, and refresh old ones, to adapt tothe changing times and sustain playservices and organisations through thisdifficult time of transition.

Local authorities and their voluntary sectorpartners have consistently reported that theyhave benefitted from the workshops and thebespoke services provided through theprogramme. In many cases they have describedthe experience as a catalyst that has sparkedprojects and developments in play that wouldnot otherwise have happened.

This pilot has therefore demonstrated boththe value of engaging local communities in playand how support from Play England can helpmaximise the benefits of such engagement. The

resources produced by the programme will be alasting and valued support to local groupsacross the country .

Case study: The EastRiding of YorkshireECP programmeIn East Riding the Play Shaper event had alocal focus and involved all partnersinvolved in the future of the pathfinderfunded Withernsea Adventure Playground.It ensured that partners had a deeperawareness of its value and helped tohighlight the value of having a strong‘friends of’ group for the playground.

Play England also provided support to theadventure playground steering groupmeetings and facilitated links with thevoluntary sector. This gave all involved moreconfidence in working together to sustainthe playground.

Workshops were held with the town andparish councils that resulted in manyparishes adopting new way of working tohelp maintain and sustain their communityplay spaces. It enabled the parish councilsto appreciate the importance of takingmore responsibility for ‘animating’ the playspaces as well as simply maintaining them. The ECP programme was reallyappreciated in East Riding. A councilofficer commented

‘Play England has been so supportive, quickand responsive to all of our requests andhas brought expertise that we don’t havehere. It is crucial that you continue toprovide such training packages (bothfacilitated and ‘train the trainer’information). The Play England goodpractice information and guidance is souseful to us and you must continue toproduce these documents.’

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To national government

1. Central government should continue todevelop the policy context in which localcommunities can be better supported andbe more effective in developing andproviding play opportunities for their ownchildren. Policy on schools childcare andchildren’s services; planning, housing andtransport; public health and theenvironment – each have a bearing onchildren’s play. These should be coordinatedso that a joined up approach to creatingmore child-friendly public space in generaland more extensive community playopportunities in particular can be developed.

2. This national play policy should be informedby expertise based on robust evidenceincluding, in particular, evidence of theoutcomes and impact of different kinds ofprovision so that judgments can be madeabout the social return from investment incommunity play. Such research should becentrally funded.

3. Central government should thereforeprovide a national resource to enable thegrowth of local initiatives and localinvestment in play from non-statutorysources. There is a need for a central pointof information, guidance and support forcommunities to draw upon to ensurecommunity play provision is a significantpart of local plans.

To local government

4. Local authorities should work with civicsociety and local charities to maintain,develop and support effective playpartnerships, enabling effectivecommunications and the development ofcohesive local plans to deliver and sustaineffective and cost-effective play provisionwhere it is most needed. These playpartnerships should be formally consultedon all relevant planning applications andspatial development strategies.

5. Play partnerships should sit within localchildren's services commissioningframeworks so that voluntary andcommunity play provision may be fullyconsidered among the range of earlyinterventions for investment from pooledbudgets.

6. Play partnerships should be resourced todevelop a strategic, cross-cutting role forplanners, police, parks and green spaces aswell as for schools and extended services.They should also provide expert advice,resources and support for communities todevelop, manage and maintain their ownlocal play opportunities.

To Play England

7. Play England should continue to provide anational voice for play, making the case forplay both in its own right and as animportant element of other agendas suchas health and community cohesion. PlayEngland should also lobby for fundingnationally, provide practical resources tosupport local campaigns, and research newand innovative means of sustaining playopportunities locally.

8. Play England should continue to develop andprovide accessible practical guidance, adviceand support to play partnerships across thecountry as well as direct, complementarysupport to local voluntary and communityplay organisations wherever possible.

Paul Greatorex May 2011

Author's recommendations

Further information

Further information on the Engaging Communities in Play programme can be found at: www.playengland.org.uk/communityplay

Useful Play England resources

Adventure Playgrounds – built by communitiesPlay England publication with case studies drawn from the third sector adventure playgroundgrant programme. This shows how community run adventure playgrounds can provide value formoney become hubs for different types of community action and build community cohesion.www.playengland.org.uk/builtbycommunities

Design for Play - A guide to creating successful play spacesPlay England guide shows how to design good play spaces and provides advice on how toengage and involve the community at all stages of the design processwww.playengland.org.uk/designforplay

Get organised!Guide produced to support local communities groups and others to plan Playday eventsprovides useful information about working in partnership with your local communitywww.playday.org.uk/playday_events/resources.aspx

How to involve children and young people in the development and design of play spacesPlay England and Participation Works publication on involving children in the design process.www.playengland.org.uk/howtoinvolvechildren

Our Play, Our ChoiceGood practice briefing outlines the findings of a play consultation on how disabled children canbe involved in the design of play spaces.www.kids.org.uk/briefings

People Make PlayA Demos report, commissioned by Play England, that shows the vital role of staffed playservices, often run by the voluntary sector.www.playengland.org.uk/peoplemakeplay

Planning for Play: Guidance on the development and implementation of a local play strategyThis guide provides useful advice for those who are leading the development of a local playstrategy.www.playengland.org.uk/planningforplay

Playing on: sustaining play provision in changing timesChildren’s Play Council publication addresses key issues of attracting longer term funding andthe sustainability of play provision.www.playengland.org.uk/playingon

Better Places to Play through PlanningPlay England guidance outlining how play opportunities can be enhanced through the spatialplanning system.www.playengland.org.uk/betterplaces

Save Children's Play - Action PackPlay England resource that communities can use and adapt to establish their own localcampaigns for children's play.www.playengland.org.uk/our-work/save-children's-play

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Further information continued

Community play briefingsPlay England has produced a series of briefings on a range of subjects of interest tocommunity play providers. To accompany these briefings several videos about community-ledplay provision have also been made.www.playengland.org.uk/communityplay

Play England and associated websites

Play EnglandPlay England exists to promote excellent free play opportunities for all children and youngpeople.www.playengland.org.uk

Playful CommunitiesPlayful Communities provides information, advice and resources for individuals, localcommunity groups, voluntary sector organisations and others who are developing playprovision in their local neighbourhood. The website includes resources for local people involvedin managing staffed play projects and volunteering, as well as for those supporting ormaintaining play areas.www.playfulcommunities.org.uk

Play DayPlay Day is an annual celebration of the child’s right to play. The website provides informationand resources for community groups and others to organise local events to promote the rightto play including working with the media and how to publicise your project.www.playday.org.uk

Play ShaperPlay Shaper helps the people who plan, design build, and manage our public spaces tounderstand their role in creating more child-friendly communities. The website is packed withuseful information relating to play under a number of different headings including play andplanning, play and schools and play and health. www.playshaper.org.uk

Other useful websites

Association of Play Industries (API)The Association of Play Industries (API) is the lead trade body in the play sector; with over 80members it represents the interests of manufacturers, installers, designers and distributorsof both outdoor and indoor play equipment and safer surfacing.www.api-play.org

Children’s Play Information Service (CPIS)CPIS is a national information service on children’s play, part of NCB’s Library andInformation Service.www.ncb.org.uk/cpis

Fair Play for ChildrenFair Play for Children promotes children and young people’s right to play, in the UK andworldwide.www.fairplayforchildren.org

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Further information

Other useful websites continued

Fields in TrustFields in Trust is an independent UK-wide organisation dedicated to protecting and improvingoutdoor sports and play spaces.www.fieldsintrust.org

KIDSKIDS' vision is a world in which all disabled children and young people realise their aspirationsand their right to an inclusive community which supports them and their families.www.kids.org.uk

PlayBoard Northern IrelandPlayBoard Northern Ireland is the leading agency for the development and promotion ofchildren and young people's play in Northern Ireland.www.playboard.org

Playing OutThe Playing Out website provides materials and resources to support street play as a normalpart of neighbourhood play.http://playingout.net/

PLAYLINKPLAYLINK is a multi-faceted independent play and informal leisure consultancy working in theareas of design, planning, policy, strategy, local engagement, fundraising and organisationaldevelopment.www.playlink.org

Playwork PartnershipsPlaywork Partnerships, based at the University of Gloucester, aims to enrich children andyoung people's lives through their experience of quality play by promoting the importance ofplay and playwork, and increasing the learning opportunities for playworkers.www.playwork.co.uk

Play ScotlandPlay Scotland works to promote the importance of play for all children and young people, andcampaigns to create increased play opportunities in the community.www.playscotland.org

Play WalesPlay Wales works to raise awareness of children and young people's need and right to playand to promote good practice at every level of decision making and in every place wherechildren might play.www.playwales.org.uk

SkillsActiveSkillsActive is the Sector Skills Council for Active Leisure, Learning and Well-being, whichincludes playwork.www.skillsactive.com

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This report was produced as part of Play England'sEngaging Communities in Play programme fundedby the Department for Education.

For further information about theEngaging Communities in Play programme visit:www.playengland.org.uk/communityplay

Play England promotes excellent free play opportunitiesfor all children.

We believe that all children should have the freedom andspace to play enjoyed by previous generations.

This involves more than just providing well-designed playareas; it requires the commitment of local and nationaldecision makers to create more child-friendly communities.

By making play a priority we can create healthier andhappier communities for all.

Play England is part of NCB and is supported by the Big Lottery Fund.Published by NCB, for Play England, May 2011

ISBN 978-1-907969-22-5

Play England 8 Wakley Street, London EC1V 7QETelephone: 0207 843 6300Email: playengland@ncb.org.ukWeb: www.playengland.org.ukTwitter: @playenglandFacebook: www.facebook.com/playengland