Play England, which is based at the National Children's Bureau and funded by the Big Lottery Fund, has been contracted by the Government to manage the funding programme, which will run from April 2009 to March 2010. Eligible third sector-managed adventure playgrounds can apply for up to £19,000 each.
Mick Conway, national practice manger at Play England, said, 'Our community-run adventure playgrounds, supported by local families and communities, have been a national treasure for generations. This will help them make even more special places for children.'
The £1.5m funding is in addition to the £235m investment revealed in the Children's Plan, launched in December 2007, for 3,500 play areas and 30 new adventure playgrounds (Analysis, 19 December 2007). The initiative follows an announcement in December that every local authority is to receive at least £1m by April to develop new play areas (News, 18 December).
Play expert Tim Gill said, 'This is good news that goes some way to answering one of the criticisms of the Government money that is going into play, which is that they are creating new facilities but ignoring existing playgrounds that may be falling to pieces.
'At the moment I am working in Hackney where there are six adventure playgrounds, and the people who run them have not been able to access any funding because the playgrounds are not new. It won't answer long-term questions over the future of adventure playgrounds but it is a step in the right direction.'
Further information: Application packs for funding can be downloaded at www.playengland.org.uk. The deadline is 13 April.
