Outdoor Play

This article on outdoor play (www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/mar/30/children.health) left me wondering, what exactly inner-city children can to gain from new funding for play spaces? One-off funding for playgrounds can have little to no effect, without plans and policies for their regular use. To really increase outdoor play, the dangers of the playspaces need to be addressed, with continuing investment in upkeep and local use. As part of this, we need Councils to work with communities through existing voluntary sector organisations, building strong links and providing long-term funding.

A growing project in our co-operative youth movement is proving to be very popular with children and families. For five years our playbus teams of young, trained play leaders that reflect their communities, have been storming into parks and council estates in the school holidays and half-terms. We knock on doors, call up to balconies and get large groups of children to come and “playout”, with group co-operative games, sports and outdoor crafts. Thousands of Lambeth and Birkenhead children benefit from these free activities, particularly the active presence of play leaders, but other authorities have been slow to see the benefits of this type of outreach for developing the potential of their shiny new playgrounds.

Karl Rosen Darrell
PlayOut,