Play sector welcomes 155m for facilities
Nicole Curnow
Wednesday, April 6, 2005
Playworkers have greeted with a sigh of relief the announcement of a 155m programme for children's play in England, paid for by the Big Lottery Fund. Only two months ago they feared a drain on funds when the Government decided not to ring- fence the 200m of lottery money earmarked for play in the 2001 Labour Party manifesto.
Only two months ago they feared a drain on funds when the Government decided not to ring- fence the 200m of lottery money earmarked for play in the 2001 Labour Party manifesto.
Play campaigners who lobbied the Government to honour the pledge said they were delighted.
Paul Bonel, director of the Playwork Unit in SkillsActive, said, 'This is great news. I thought at one time that we had lost this battle.'
The new programme will invest 155m over three years to create and improve children's play spaces in areas of greatest need. Grants will be awarded to projects to develop, create, improve and design innovative play facilities for free local play provision.
The programme will take its lead from Frank Dobson's review of children's play, published in January 2004, which recommended that funding focused on areas with the poorest access to quality play provision.
No decisions have yet been announced on how the money will be distributed.
A Big Lottery Fund spokesperson said that it would work with local education authorities, but the money would 'not necessarily be allocated directly to them'.
Tim Gill, lead reviewer on the original play review, said the announcement was 'a recognition that play has arrived'.
He said, 'It is no longer seen as something that children do with no thought. It's now recognised by politicians as a crucial part of children's learning and development.'
Paul Ennals, chief executive of the National Children's Bureau, said the money would make a 'real difference' to children and young people and bring 'many additional benefits to their families and local communities'.
Adrian Voce, director of the Children's Play Council, said that if children are to see real long-term benefits from play provision, both investment and planning are required, and this 'must be done at the local level according to local need'.
Individual grant programmes will be launched in autumn 2005. Programmes for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are to be decided at a later date.
