Play Rangers
Play Rangers projects were the most common provision proposed in London with the Big Lottery Funding allocated to each London borough.
Typically Play Rangers work in small teams, visiting a different place, a park, estate play area or other public space, once or twice a week for a couple of hours. They are equipped with sports, games, ideas and equipment, and will work to help the children find fun things to do in their local area, and to reassure parents that it is safe for children to play out.
The fundamental of such play provision must be to work with the local people on a community development plan to ensure that the work that happens when they visit will be continued after they leave, with parents and children working together to ensure children can play out, so that it is not just fun when the rangers come. Some play theorists think Rangers is the wrong description, as it may influence people to think of staff as generic Park Rangers, and make non-play-related demands or complaints, Play Association Tower Hamlets (see below) call their staff Playworkers in Parks, for that reason.
A number of Play Associations in London ran Play Ranger projects with Children's Fund money. For example, Play Association Tower Hamlets (PATH) ran two outreach play projects, Out to Play on the Ocean and Playworkers in Parks. The evaluation is available on request - contact Eleanor Image. It also ran an outdoor play project called Playable Spaces in Local Area Partnerships.
Play ranger e-group
The e-group enables you to discuss issues online or via email. You can post online messages and reply to those left by others. The e-support group has a wide range of information including:
- training opportunities
- FAQ section
- job descriptions
Join the group: link
Telephone support service
The play ranger telephone advice service offers an opportunity to talk to Dan Rees-Jones, outdoor play development officer at Playwork Partnerships. Dan is a practising play ranger, project editor of the Play Ranger Guide and author of the Playing on the Range course. Tel. 01242 714 601 or email
