action packintegrating playday, the national day for play on 3 august () into your strategy. holding...

Action pack

Supporting communities to stand up for play

www.playengland.org.uk/savechildrensplay

WelcomeWelcome to the Save Children’s Play action pack

In a climate of massive public spending cuts, the play sector faces its most difficult challenge since the 1980’s. Local authorities are facing tough decisions on spending, and children’s play is being hit hard. Sadly, once we start seeing the impact of cuts - play sites falling into disrepair, play schemes closing and play services making staff redundant, it will be too late. The millions of children who rely on public play facilities will lose out for a generation.

But it is not just the fundamental enjoyment of childhood that is being damaged by these cuts. Evidence shows that outdoor play is essential to children’s health, well-being and future life chances. Obesity, rickets and attention deficit disorder are just some of the growing problems in children that health experts have linked to a lack of good play space, and research also shows a clear link between play and learning. These consequences are not being fully considered as play is targeted for easy savings. Children on their own cannot speak up about which parts of the public realm are most important to them. It’s up to us to stand up for them; to stand up for play.

In response to demand, Play England has launched Save Children’s Play - a resource that communities can use to establish their own local campaigns for children’s play and be part of a national movement at the same time.

In this pack:Getting startedTaking action

For more information and further resources including the Save Children’s Play logo, visit: www.playengland.org.uk/savechildrensplay. ‘Like’ us at www.facebook.com/savechildrensplay.

••

Contact us:Visit: www.playengland.org.uk, email: [email protected], tel: 020 7843 6300.

Getting attentionMaking the case

••

Getting startedStarting a campaign can sometimes seem daunting, but with a little advice, and a lot of passion, you’ll be surprised how a small movement can make a big change. We’ve put together these simple steps to campaigning to help you Save Children’s Play where you live.

What are you campaigning for?To Save Children’s Play of course! This may seem an obvious question, but it’s the most crucial thing to determine, firstly to get you off the ground, but also to make sure you steer your campaign in the right direction.

So what exactly is it you want to change, improve or stop happening? Are local cuts about to close down a play service or setting? Are dedicated play worker posts at risk? Has your local authority decided to reallocate Playbuilder funding away from children’s play? Do you think that cuts to other services, like voluntary support or neighbourhood policing for example, will impact on children’s opportunities to play locally? Or is there simply a lack of suitable places for children to play where you live, and you want to change this?

Your campaign is most likely linked to specific local issues. For general policies that can enable children to be able to play outside more, download Play Engand’s Manifesto for Children’s Play.

Whatever your campaign focus, you’ve got the best chance of achieving your goals if you are campaigning for something that local children and their families want and need. It’s likely if you’re reading this, that you’re already well aware what this is. But if not, it’s crucial to consult with your local community before you get started.

Who are you targeting?Consider who holds the key to the change you’re trying to make. Identify who makes the decisions that will affect children’s play and also who might influence those making the decisions. It could include your Council Committee, your local councillor or MP, a particular organisation, or perhaps your local community as a whole.

Think about what motivates the people or organisations you are targeting, and what considerations they have to make. Appeal to people’s sense of reason – demonstrate why your cause should be important to them, not just its importance to you and local children. Most importantly make the best possible case for play – highlight the benefits to children and the wider community of having good play provision, and reveal the impact when this is taken away.

More information about making the case for play can be found later in this pack.

•••

•

•

Save Children’s Play Action Pack Section 1: Getting Started


1

Set up a campaign group Convening a group of committed, like-minded people affected by the issues, will give your campaign a stronger voice and will ensure it is representative.

There may already be groups set up to support play in your area, such as a local play association or partnership, so start with them. You can then think about other people/organisations you might want to invite to join, such as: play settings, relevant charities and voluntary groups, residents’ associations, local children’s services, of course parents and, if they would like to get involved, children and young people. Find local interest groups via your local authority website, your local Council for Voluntary Services (if there is one) or by doing a Google search.

Make sure your entire group understands what you are trying to achieve and how you are going to achieve it. Ensure they know what their individual roles are. This is important for creating a unified, motivated campaign group.

Plan your campaign When planning a campaign, start by considering all of the resources available to you; budget, people, time and support in kind. Research other campaigns, both locally and nationally, for inspiration and examples of how others have achieved their aims. For campaign techniques, see Taking Action later in this pack. We’ll be posting information about local Save Children’s Play campaigns on our dedicated Facebook page - www.facebook.com/savechildrensplay - so please use the page and also keep us informed about what you’re doing in your local area to inspire others.

Set objectives and goals Identifying exactly what you are setting out to achieve will keep your campaign focussed. As well as your ultimate campaign aim, set some specific goals to help keep momentum, these could include: Having your first campaign meeting, getting a certain number of campaign supporters by a set date, arranging a meeting with a local decision maker or getting your first story in the media. Ideas of things you can do as part of your campaign can be found in our guide to Taking action, later in this pack.

Identify the timescale Drawing a simple time line for the campaign’s development will help you to identify what can be done and when. Consider your key dates. Are funding decisions being made on a certain date? Are local consultations being held? Will there be elections in your local area? Consider integrating Playday, the national day for play on 3 August (www.playday.org.uk) into your strategy. Holding a Playday event in a high-profile community space will help you get publicity, and reach new supporters.



2

Identify the budget How will you fund your campaign? Remember that carefully planned campaigns on a small budget can be just as effective as ones organised on a big budget.

Consider fundraising activities such as collections, raffles, lotteries and sponsored events – these can bring publicity as well as much needed funds. Make sure you check the regulations first - your local authority will be able to advise you on this. Also, identify who might have an interest in making a one-off contribution to your campaign fund.

Volunteers and other ‘in kind’ support can be harnessed from campaign group members, wider supporters, friends, family and local businesses. If you need an eye-catching leaflet for your campaign, find out if there’s a budding designer in your midst. Local businesses or service providers might give or lend resources that will help your campaign, such as printing leaflets or donating a meeting space. Offer to give them publicity in return for getting involved.

Plan publicity There are lots of ways to spread the word about your campaign and galvanise others to get involved. For example you could: Hold a public meeting or demonstration; create an email, Facebook or advertising campaign seeking signatures or active supporters; or organise a publicity stunt to grab attention and capture people’s imagination. Involve your local media from the start and make use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter. More ideas for engaging people in your campaign and getting publicity can be found later in this pack.

Monitor and evaluate Throughout your campaign, consider your successes and things you would do differently next time to enable you to evaluate its effectiveness. Monitoring and evaluation does not have to be complex or time consuming but is important discover whether your campaign has met your original objectives. Involve the whole community in your evaluation, including children and young people, parents and local residents.



3

Useful resources

Play England Play England, part of the children’s charity NCB, is a national organisation which aims for all children in England to have the freedom and space to play throughout childhood. Save Children’s Play is a resource that communities can use to establish their own local campaigns for children’s play and be part of a national movement at the same time. For more information and further resources, visit www.playengland.org.uk/savechildrensplay.

PlaydayPlayday is the national day for play in the UK, traditionally celebrated on the first Wednesday in August. Playday is a grass roots campaign that began 24 years ago in response to cuts to play in London, and today has thousands of supporters and local groups across the UK. On Playday thousands of children and their families get out to play at hundreds of community events across the UK. Holding a Playday event as part of your campaign could be a great way of getting attention and highlighting the value of play for children. Playday 2011 is on Wednesday 3 August. To find out more and to get involved, visit: www.playday.org.uk.

Playful CommunitiesA Play England programme, the Playful Communities website provides information, advice and resources for individuals, local community groups, third sector organisations and others who are developing play provision in their local neighbourhood. The website has lots of useful resources, including information about working with local people and involving children and young people. For more information, visitwww.playfulcommunities.org.uk.

Children’s Play Information Service (CPIS) CPIS is a specialist information resource providing information on all aspects of children’s play. CPIS produces fact sheets on a variety of play topics, and can provide you with a list of your local play associations. Visit www.ncb.org.uk/cpis.

NCVO – Campaigning EffectivenessNCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations) is a support organisation for the voluntary sector. Campaigning Effectiveness helps people and organisations to change their world through campaigning and influencing policy. For resources on a wide range of campaigning issues, visit: www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/campaigningeffectiveness

VolResource VolResource provides advice for voluntary and community organisations, including information on campaigning and lobbying, and marketing and communications. Visit www.volresource.org.uk

Directgov For all kinds of government information and services including details of how to contact your local authority, visit: www.direct.gov.uk.

UpMyStreet To find wide-ranging information about an area by easy postcode search, including contact details for relevant local authority departments. Visit www.upmystreet.com.



4

Taking ActionOnce you’ve decided what you want to achieve with your campaign and who you need to target, it’s time to take action! What you decide to do will depend on your local situation and your resources, but here are a few ideas to get you started.

Involve the expertsInvolving children and young people in your campaign will increase the impact of your activities and add value to your campaign, but if you do, it must be child-led. Discuss their views on their opportunities to play locally, what’s great, what needs to be improved and what stops them playing. If a local play setting is at risk, or staff are to be made redundant, get children’s views on the impact it will have on them. These are your your most powerful arguments for your campaign.

Offer your young campaigners information on how they can get their voices heard so they can choose whether they want to get involved and what they want to do. Don’t enforce your views or enforce actions they might not want to take, and ensure you only involve children and young people with the permission of parents and carers.

PetitionsPetitions are a great way of showing those you are trying to influence how much backing you have for your campaign. The more people you can get to sign your petition, the better your case for change.

Petitions also provide an opportunity to collect contact details from your supporters to keep them informed about the progress of the campaign. Collecting email addresses and providing a box where signatories can opt in/out of receiving information is an effective way of doing this. When writing a petition, remember to include:

What your petition is aboutWhat you want to be doneWhat you will do with the petitionSpace for name, email, postal address and signature as a minimum, also an ‘opt in/out’ box to receive infoEach sheet of signatures should have the request written at the top. Consider starting with ‘We the undersigned…’Small print ‘By signing I agree that my details can be passed on to…’An address to return sign up sheets to

••••

•

••

Save Children’s Play Action Pack Section 2: Taking Action


5

Seek support for your petition at your local play setting, library, leisure centre, GP surgery or your workplace, or take it with you to your school, place of worship, groups and clubs. You could spend time setting up a stand somewhere publically in your community. Make sure you have permission from whoever owns the spot, make it clear who you are, using a banner, posters, t-shirts, badges or leaflets for example, and position yourself somewhere people have the time to stop and talk to you.

Visit your local authority’s website for advice and guidance on petitioning in your area - many now have an e-petition system, so you can set up and collect signatures online. Go to www.direct.gov.uk to find details of your local authority, and for information on petitioning the prime minister.

Protests, demonstrations and marchesOrganising a protest, demonstration or march can be a great way of getting attention for your campaign and getting support for the issues. The right to peaceful protest is a vital part of democracy, and is long-established in the UK. For further information on your right to protest and advice on planning a protest, visit www.direct.gov.uk.

When deciding on this course of action, consider it carefully. If you deliberately or inadvertently cause a public nuisance, you could actually damage support for your campaign rather than galvanise it. Also carefully consider the safety of those taking part. It’s crucial to ensure that children and young people are not at risk of any harm and that those in attendance are doing so by their own choice and accompanied by parents or carers.

When you’re organising your event, think about what will capture the imagination of people, and the media. Also, make it fun so that people want to join in. You could:

Hold a playful protest on space hoppers, roller-skates, with skipping ropes or hula hoopsDress up for the occasionLink up locally, or even nationally, by organising your protests on the same dayDemonstrate by having a play-in... as opposed to a sit-in!

••••



6

Hold a meetingHolding a public meeting can be a great way of getting your message out, galvanising support for your campaign and holding decision makers to account.

To start with you could organise a meeting with representatives from those directly affected by your issue, and relevant interest groups or organisations. At the same meeting, or separately, invite members of your community and listen to their issues and concerns. Also consider inviting local decision makers to your meetings.

Make sure you promote your meeting and invite speakers in advance to ensure a good turn out. It’s also a good idea to have someone take minutes of the meeting to record issues and circulate to those who couldn’t attend. If you’re organising a petition as part of your campaign activity, don’t forget to ask people to sign. You could also print extra blank copies of your petition for attendees to take away and gather signatures on your behalf – don’t forget to give them a contact name and address so they can send them back to you.

Engaging decision makersVisit www.direct.gov.uk or www.upmystreet.com for lists of local councillors, MPs and other elected representatives. Find out whether it’s your parish/town/county/district or borough council who is responsible for decisions that affect your cause – in some ways it might be all of them. Councils have different ways of making decisions; some decisions are made at full meetings, others by smaller groups of councillors or council officers. Some councils have elected mayors who take greater responsibility for decision making, others have a council executive and scrutiny panels, or a committee structure.

Public meetings are a useful way to reach your local councillors or MP, for example via their weekly advice surgeries. This link will help you find details of your local council meetings via the Direct Gov website. During election periods your MP will also hold local hustings. You can use such opportunities to publically highlight the issues and also press local decision makers on their views about children’s play and local services.

Frame your issue and identify what you want decision makers to do about it. It’s good to have one clear message and an action for them to follow up. Show elected representatives that you have the support of the local community. You could do this by writing to them, presenting them with a petition, or by creating a template letter or email for supporters to send individually to those you are trying to influence, or inviting them to an event you are holding.

To invite your local MP to an event or meeting, send a written invitation to: House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA, or their constituency office. Keep your letter brief and to the point, with clear instructions on how they should respond and to whom.

Whether you’re meeting local politicians and decision makers face-to-face or addressing them through a letter, make the most of your contact by making sure you:

Share your personal experiences. Real life examples of how local issues have affected you make the biggest impression and can really inspire change.Be clear about what you want them to do – and urge them to commit to it.Give children and young people a chance to share their views too. After all, they’re the experts in play.

•

••



7

http://local.direct.gov.uk/LDGRedirect/index.jsp?LGSL=719&LGIL=8&ServiceName=Find%20out%20about%20local%20council%20meetings

Seeing is believingA powerful yet simple tactic is to show the difference that local play provision is making to the lives of children and young people by inviting those you are trying to influence to play settings. If a place where children’s play is at risk of closure, there could be nothing more effective to change minds than actually visiting it and hearing the testimonies of those who work there and play there, local parents and wider residents.

You could target and invite individuals, or hold an open day to encourage a group of council members or journalists to come along. You could arrange a photoshoot and get publicity for the campaign, but don’t forget to let people know if you are intending to invite the media. For more information about working with the media, check out our guide to Getting attention in this action pack.

The importance of partnershipsDirect, and often public, actions like those outlined above are effective and can sometimes offer quick-wins. Creating partnerships to get the message out, through networks for example, can take a little longer but be very powerful in the long-run.

Working in partnership with other groups, organisations and individuals shows wide-ranging support for your campaign and increases its reach. It is also important in circumstances where an individual group member could be compromised by taking direct action or speaking out, such as when they are employed by the those you are trying to influence. Working in partnership can be a way of getting your voice heard.

Our Getting started guide sets out the basics to forming a campaign group and gives an idea of those you might want to partner with. Use your own and partners’ contacts to get the message out through channels such as: websites and e-newsletters, Facebook and Twitter, meetings and events.



8

Letter writingWriting to local decision-makers and politicians provides an opportunity to clearly set out the issues - tell them how they are affecting you and ask them for support. Writing to your local newspaper is also effective.

Like petitions, the more people that write with the same issue, the stronger the message, so encourage your campaign supporters to write too, alternatively get co-signatories to your letter. Consider if children and young people would like to write themselves, or if you are writing a collective letter, to deliver it in person.

Keep your letter digestible and concise, and make it clear how the issues are affecting you or those you are representing personally. Consider and appeal to the motivations of the person/ people who will read your letter. Be positive and constructive in your arguments whilst also making a sound case for the impact on children and your community if your arguments go unheard.

Contact details for your local elected representatives can be found at www.writetothem.com, where you can write to them via an electronic form. You can also access tips and advice such as when a specific representative can help you and when they can not.

PlaydayPlay England coordinates Playday, the national day for play. Playday is a grass roots campaign that began 24 years ago in response to cuts to play in London, and today is a national campaign with thousands of supporters and local groups across the UK. On Playday, thousands of children, young people and their families get out and play at local events – last year, over 850 events took place across the UK, making Playday 2010 the biggest on record. Playday 2011 will be on Wednesday 3 August.

Coordinating a Playday event is a great way of showing the importance of play in children’s lives and attracting local support. You could use Playday as the cornerstone of your campaign, and piggy-back off the high-profile of the national media campaign. For more information and to get involved, go to www.playday.org.uk.

Hold a benefit eventBenefit events are a way of raising money to support local play services and settings, whilst gaining attention that they are in need too. You might want to hold a music, comedy, talent show or food event, for example. Holding a benefit event is a positive way of getting people engaged in your cause who might not usually find the time. Do you know any local celebrities or can you invite one who would pull the crowds in? You can use celebrity support to attract media attention for your wider campaign too, even if it’s just a statement of support.

And finally , your right to a playful protest!

Campaigning on an issue such as play puts you in a unique situation where you are campaigning for something fun and engaging. Enjoying what you are doing and giving your campaign a playful edge will in itself demonstrate the benefits of play and galvanise people to get on board.



9

Getting AttentionPart of planning your campaign, is to think about publicity. There are lots of different ways to inform people about your issue and how they can get involved. Think about who you want to tell and the best method to reach that particular audience.

Promoting your campaign

Creating an identityWorking under the umbrella of the Save Children’s Play title and logo will help create a national identity for the movement and strengthen the cause. Creating a campaign title to give your campaign a local edge is also important. Think about using campaign titles like:

Save Children’s Play in [name of place][Name of place]’s Save Children’s Play campaignSave [name of play setting]

You could add this dscription, or something similar, to your promotional materials and communications: ‘The Save Children’s Play in [name of place] campaign is part of the national Save Children’s Play movement, led by Play England.’ Also use the Save Children’s Play logo, available to download and use from www.playengland.org.uk/savechildrensplay.

Save Children’s Play promotional materialsFliers that you can use to promote the campaign, or adapt to include local details, will be available to download at www.playengland.org.uk/savechildrensplay. Create a list of everyone you want to know about your campaign, and make sure they receive a flier with further information about how they can show their support.

More promotional materials to support your campaign will be available soon.

Producing your own promotional materialsThe Save Children’s Play campaign logo is available for everyone to use, so you can produce locally relevant campaign resources. Don’t forget to ask printers and other businesses if they would give you a reduced rate or in-kind resources if you include their logo/company details in your campaign materials. If you have managed to secure a local sponsor or significant donor for your campaign, they may fund promotional materials on your behalf.

Fliers, postcards and posters are straightforward to design and relatively cheap to produce. They add a huge amount of value in terms of advertising and also for getting your message across. T-shirts are effective if you’re organising a demonstration, march or photo shoot. Shops and companies can produce them for you, in both small and large quantities. Other popular promotional materials include banners, stickers, badges and placards.

•••

Save Children’s Play Action Pack Section 3: Getting Publicity


10

Invite children and young people to help you create arresting campaign materials. This will ensure their voices are heard, and can often make a more imaginative, engaging and personal case for play.

Working with the media If you’ve not worked with the media before, or have tried but not had a story covered, it can feel daunting. The good news is, local media are normally receptive to issues affecting children and the local community. The more you work with the media, the easier it becomes. You will get to know which journalists to approach, when and how to contact them, and who is most likely to support your aims.

Find the names of your local newspapers, magazines, television and radio stations in your phone directories or within their publications or websites. Also identify journalists who have covered similar stories or might have a particular interest in your cause.

There are various ways to approach the media for example; traditional media releases, a simple email or phone call to test the water, letters to the editor, participating in a phone-in, becoming an audience member, inviting a journalist or production team to a location or event, or undertaking a ‘newsworthy’ activity.

Don’t be afraid to suggest how the media might cover your story. In fact giving it some thought before you contact them is a good idea. Think of an angle that makes your story ‘attention grabbing’ - mention something unique and be upfront. Also be ready to supply names and contact details of people they can interview.



11

Writing a media release Remember to include the five ‘Ws’ in the opening of your press release:

1. Who is involved? 2. What is your message? 3. Where is the impact? 4. When are things happening? 5. Why is it important?

Also make it clear: Why it’s important that children have the freedom and space to play – refer to Making the case, later in this pack.The impact the cuts will have on your community – it might be play sites falling into disrepair or closing, play schemes reducing services and losing staff, an increase in anti-social behaviour, or a general neglect of children’s needs in new developments.Who needs to act and what needs to be done – you can find details of your local elected representatives at www.writetothem.com.

Keep it punchy. Use short paragraphs, short sentences and short words. Your media release should only be one or two pages long. Explain everything clearly, avoiding abbreviations and jargon. Use a headline that states what the story is about and grabs the reader’s attention. Ensure the open paragraph is engaging and makes you want to read more. Include a quotation from someone involved in the campaign, or a supporter, which could be a VIP or your local politician. Remember to always include a contact name and phone number, ensuring there is someone available to answer this phone at any time – a mobile number is ideal.

When you read it back to yourself consider, would the story be one you retold to others after reading it, or delay what you were doing if you heard it on the radio - if so you’ve written a good media release.

Social mediaSocial media is increasingly being used to strengthen campaigns. Platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are a great way of engaging supporters, arranging activity, and getting information out quickly and cheaply.

Play England has created a Facebook page for Save Children’s Play nationally. Make sure you’re a fan by ‘Liking’ the page, also use it to post your opinions,photos and local activity, seek advice, and gain inspiration from other local play campaigns. Consider setting up your own Facebook page for your campaign or creating a new Save Children’s Play tab if you have an existing one. You can import the Save Children’s Play logo to your page, which you can download from www.playengland.org.uk/savechildrensplay.

Follow Play England on Twitter ‘@playengland’ for up to the minute campaign updates. If you’re tweeting about your campaign activity, use the hashtag ‘#saveplay’ so others can easily pick up what you’re saying.

If you’re creating campaign videos, post them on YouTube. Sending your targets a YouTube link is a lot easier than emailing big files or embedding them onto your website (if you have one). Great videos have the power to ‘go global’, and YouTube is currently the best way to reach a wide audience with them. Don’t forget to post a link to your videos on Play England’s Facebook page, or to send a link via email.

•

•

•



12

Publicity stuntsPublicity stunts are one-off acts aimed at grabbing the attention of the media, supporters and decision makers. Consider this approach carefully. If you deliberately or inadvertently cause a public nuisance, you could actually damage support for your campaign rather than galvanise it. If you are staging a publicity stunt in a public place, check you have permission to be on that property. Let the media know in advance what you are planning, asking them to send a reporter and a photographer.

The best publicity stunts are unique and creatively promote the messages of the campaign. You could:

Stage a play-in (as opposed to a sit-in)Hold a Playday event (see below)Attract a celebrity to join in your activityAttempt a play-related world record

PlaydayPlay England coordinates Playday, the national day for play. Playday is a grass roots campaign that began 24 years ago in response to cuts to play in London, and today is a national campaign with thousands of supporters and local groups across the UK. On Playday, thousands of children, young people and their families get out and play at local events – last year, over 850 events took place across the UK. Playday 2011 will be on Wednesday 3 August. Coordinating a Playday event is a great way of raising the profile of your issues and attracting supporters, you can also piggy-back off the high-profile media coverage of the national campaign. For more information and to get involved, go to www.playday.org.uk.

A picture, or a film, is worth a thousand wordsThroughout your campaign, identify opportunities where you can take pictures or make films that will help you get your messages across. Testimonials from the children, young people and communities that are affected by your campaign issue are powerful, as are images of children and young people at play. You’ll need to get parental consent to use pictures and films of children, advice on this and a template consent form is available on the Playday website at: www.playday.org.uk/resources.

••••



13

Making the caseMaking a compelling case for why children’s play needs support is crucial to your campaign success. Although most people would agree that play is good for children, framing the argument for different audiences will help show why it is also crucial to their future health, development and happiness, and vital to your community. Highlight the benefits of good play provision to children and the wider community, and reveal the impact of when this is taken away.

It’s important to construct arguments that are locally relevant, using real life examples or case studies. Ask for children and young people’s views on their opportunities to play locally - what’s great, what needs to be improved and what stops them playing. If a local play setting is at risk, or staff are to be made redundant, get children’s views as well as parents, workers and other community members, on the impact it will have on them.

Why is play important?Play is a fundamental part of childhood. It is how children most enjoy and express themselves, and make and develop friendships. Through play, children learn about themselves and the world around them. Play helps children develop self-confidence, self-esteem and creativity. Play also has benefits for children’s health, fitness, and mental and emotional well-being.

Children’s right to play is enshrined in the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) under Article 31.

Save Children’s Play Action Pack Section 4: Making the Case


14

Rhetoric or reality

Each of the main political parties has recognised the importance of play and the barriers facing children in the modern world. Part of your campaign might be to demand that politicians need to back up their rhetoric with policy and action on play. This is a demand that politicians both nationally and locally would be wise to take heed of; a 2010 pre-election poll conducted by ICM for Play England, found that 83% of British adults thought the next government should have policies that ensure children can play outside more.

The following quotes demonstrate what key figures in the three main parties have said about children’s play in recent years. What have local councillors and MPs said about play and services for children where you live? If they haven’t said anything, ask them where they stand.

‘Today just one in five children regularly play outside in their neighbourhood. The rest are denied the chance to get out of the house and have the everyday adventures that – to people of my generation – are what childhood is all about.’

David Cameron, 2009

‘[In Britain] there isn’t enough good space for children to play and to discover the world, we can’t do everything ourselves to bring up our children, there’s a lot that actually they need to experience in the world in life in parks and public spaces.’

David Cameron, 2009

‘All adults have an awesome responsibility for children in our society – whether we have them or not; whether we like it or not. We’re the ones they look up to, the ones they hope to turn to for guidance, the ones they believe can offer them the safety and security they need to learn, play and grow.’

David Cameron, 2009

‘Every parent understands the importance of a secure environment for their children. Spaces where they can play, where they can feel completely free, where they can safely push at the boundaries, learning and experimenting. Places where different generations can meet, binding the community together. If you ask adults if they used to play near their homes as children, 71% will tell you they did. Every single day. That compares to just 21% of children now.It’s not right, and it has to change.’

Nick Clegg, 2010

‘For too many British children, childhood has become a time of stress, anxiety and insecurity... When it should be a time of discovery, learning and adventure.’

Nick Clegg, 2010

‘The Government believes that play is an important part of childhood and child development, and also think play is good for families and communities more broadly. Government is committed to supporting local people to have an active role in shaping the play opportunities that they care so much about.’

Michael Gove, 2010

‘[Staffed play provision has a] huge potential to be at the heart of rehabilitating much of the breakdown in our society.’

Tim Loughton, 2010

‘Fun and exciting opportunities to play are at the heart of a happy, healthy and enjoyable childhood. Better outdoor play opportunities are good for children, good for families and good for communities.’

Ed Balls, 2009

‘GNP does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play….it measures everything in life…except that which makes life worthwhile.’

Ed Miliband, 2009

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•



15

Play – making the linksThink about what motivates the people or organisations you are targeting, and what considerations they will be taking when it comes to decision making. Demonstrate why play is crucial for local children and also how not supporting play can have an impact on wider community issues that might be a priority to local decision makers.

The key facts in this section are useful ammunition to make the case for play in the wider context. Communities that are child-friendly are crucial for creating local environments in which children can thrive, and can also help address key social priorities such as anti-social behaviour, the obesity epidemic, and educational standards.

Here are some key facts to help you make the case for play:

Community90% of adults played out regularly in their street as children. 1 in 3 of today’s children say they don’t play out in their street at all. Source: Play England: ICM UK-wide poll for Playday 2010

81% of adults believe that children playing outside helps to improve community spirit.Source: Play England: ICM UK-wide poll for Playday 2010

88% of parents say that children playing outside helps families to get to know each other in a community. Source: Play England: ICM UK-wide poll for Playday 2010

Over half (54%) of parents only feel confident letting their children play outside if other children are playing out too. Source: Play England: ICM UK-wide poll for Playday 2010

Half of parents (50%) say there aren’t enough places where they live, for their children to play safely without an adult. Source: Play England: ICM UK-wide poll for Playday 2009

42% of children aged 7-12 are not allowed to play in their local park without an adult present. Source: Play England: ICM UK-wide poll for Playday 2008

Education and learning88% of parents and 80% of children think that children are better behaved in lessons if they are allowed to play at break time. This rises to 99% for parents of 5-6 year olds.

Source: Play England: ICM UK-wide poll for Playday 2009

90% of parents (87% of adults) recognise that having time to play at school helps children to concentrate in lessons. 79% of children report that having time to play at school helps them to concentrate in lessons. Source: Play England: ICM UK-wide poll for Playday 2009

Traffic63% of parents think that the biggest threat to children playing out is road accidents.


Nearly 1 in 4 children and young people say that traffic stops them from playing close to home. Source: Play England: ICM UK-wide poll for Playday 2007

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•



16

HealthThe increasingly limited amount of time children have to play outside, or to attend supervised play projects is a causative factor in the rise of mental ill health in young people. Source: Brighter Futures Promoting Children and Young People’s Mental Health Mental Health Foundation, 1999

Letting children go out to play is one of the best things that parents can do for their children’s health: outdoor play uses more calories than clubs and tuition.

Source: Making children’s lives more active, University College London, 2004

Opportunities for spontaneous play may be the only requirement that young childrenneed to increase their physical activity. Source: The obesity epidemic in young children, British Medical Journal, Vol. 322 pp 313-314

Planning70% of adults believe that children playing outside makes an area more desirable to live in. This breaks down to 75% of parents and 68% of non-parents.


Economic developmentInitial findings of an economic analysis of the benefits of adventure playgrounds show a positive net benefit valued at least 30% higher than the initial investment.

Source: Matrix Evidence, Play England 2010

Crime reduction/anti-social behaviourDr. Stuart Brown, a psychiatrist and clinical researcher studied the play histories of 6000 people from all lifestyles, including serial murderers. He found that “normal play behaviour was virtually absent throughout the lives of [these] highly violent, anti-social men.” Source: Dr S Brown, Play: how it shapes the brain, opens the imagination and invigorates the soul, 2009

An evaluation of the Venture Park Adventure Play Scheme demonstrated that over the first five years of operation, juvenile crime dropped by 54 per cent.

Source: Hill-Trout, J Lindsell, S and Pithouse, A. Evaluation of the Venture Caia Park, Wrexham.

Executive Summary. Cardiff: University of Wales, 1995

•

•

•

•

•

•

•



17

Produced by Play England: www.playengland.org.ukPlay England is part of the national children’s charity NCB, registered charity no. 258825.

action packintegrating playday, the national day for play on 3 august () into your strategy. holding...

Documents