Our News Category: London Play Press Releases

Thousands of families visiting adventure playground foodbanks across the capital this week will be picking up parcels of joy along with their food staples thanks to the capital’s leading play charity.

LONDON PLAY PRESS RELEASE

London Play has devised the emergency Play Parcels to alleviate the suffering of children who have been denied the simple opportunity of playing with their friends for three long months. On Sunday the team dragged in family members to help with a day of furious packing ahead of deliveries to the four corners of the city.

Although the explosion in food poverty is a widely-recognised consequence of the coronavirus pandemic; play deprivation is the less visible tragedy for the capital’s 1.8m children. It is a mental health crisis in the making, says London Play director Paul Hocker:

“Play is not frivolous. It is how children understand the world and it is essential for their health and wellbeing. At times like this, they need to play more than ever.”

Many children are not yet back in school; playgrounds have been closed for over three months and social distancing is still in place. For the 37 per cent of London’s children already living in poverty prior to the lockdown, or the 22 per cent living in overcrowded homes, the deprivation is even more acute.

The parcels include a unique deck of 52 playing cards produced by the team at London Play, each describing a game or activity to be played at home or even over the phone with relatives or friends. Small and simple props to support the games they describe, such as chalk, balloons, drawing materials and minifigures, are included in the box.

The 2,000 parcels will be distributed this week to families most in need via adventure playgrounds and food banks. Most of the capital’s 80 unique adventure playgrounds are located in lower income neighbourhoods where children are most likely to be suffering the worst impacts of the pandemic. These safe, staffed community hubs have been forced to close their gates for play, but many have risen to the challenge presented by the pandemic and are distributing food and more for people in need.

Kate Ferguson from Hayward Adventure Playground in Islington said that the play parcels will be delivered with weekly food deliveries to families who had been unable to attend the playground during lockdown. She said:

“Thank you so much to London Play for these incredible play parcels for families that usually attend KIDS Hayward Adventure Playground!

I know many of the children are excited to receive them already. As an adventure playground for children with special educational needs and disabilities, we have been working with much smaller groups of vulnerable children than usual throughout lockdown due to government restrictions. Therefore there are so many children who would have regularly attended the playground, who have been at home throughout lockdown, without play resources and their usual regular opportunity to play freely outdoors.”

In Lambeth, Candice James at Max Roach Adventure Playground said:

“We are pleased to be partnering with London Play this summer. The partnership will extend the Summer of Play project at Max Roach to enable play parcels to reach 100 vulnerable children unable to access our reduced play service due to Covid-19 group restrictions.”

Kelvin Ha at Redbridge’s ELHAP, the award-winning special needs playground said:

“Lockdown for all children and young people has been incredibly challenging in terms of being able to access free and adventurous play.  The effect of lockdown for children and young people with disabilities, who already experienced restricted access to play is even greater. The Play Parcels generously provided by London Play will mean that many of the families that ELHAP supports with children and young people with complex needs will still be able to play adventurously despite our playground being shut.”

The harm caused to children by keeping adventure playgrounds closed is now beginning to outweigh the risks of opening them, says a leading expert in health and safety.

London Play press release

British Safety Council chairman Lawrence Waterman OBE has added his voice to those of paediatricians, mental health professionals, educators and parents who are calling for the government to prioritise children’s needs and announce a plan to open playgrounds.

“For most children, the harm done by delaying the experience of adventurous play is beginning to outweigh the risks that arise when they share a playground.”

In an expansive statement, Mr Waterman says that: “It is wholly appropriate to prepare now to reopen those playgrounds closed as part of the general lockdown nearly three months ago.  There are risks from the virus that need to be discussed, understood and mitigated – just as there are with the physical play itself – but we know that young children are much less likely to be made seriously ill, and much less likely to infect others.  Now that the peak of the infection is behind us, it is time to explore how we can reopen facilities that are important in our children’s development.”

He acknowledges that some children who are themselves very vulnerable because of their health status, or who live in households with family members who are vulnerable, may be the exception. But, he says, “for most other children, the harm done by delaying the educational experience of adventurous play is beginning to outweigh the risks that arise when they share a playground.”

The summer holidays are coming. The government must prioritise children’s needs and issue guidance for summer play providers now.

LONDON PLAY OPEN LETTER

Dear Rt Hon Gavin Williamson CBE, MP

This is an open letter from trustees of the charity London Play, asking that you issue guidance urgently to enable summer playscheme providers to plan to offer a modified play service during the summer school holidays.

The government’s announcement today on schools makes it clear that most children are unlikely to return to school before September. Clarifying arrangements and support for summer play providers must now be the immediate priority for the government, to ensure that children do not suffer further still. London Play has already called on the government to make children’s wellbeing a priority as it announces the next steps out of lockdown (as per the attached statement). We are now urging you to act quickly and decisively on the issue of summer provision.

There are now less than six weeks until the summer holidays begin. At this time of year adventure playgrounds and summer playscheme providers should be gearing up to provide children with a summer to remember. They should be recruiting and training staff; ordering supplies; timetabling activities; maintaining buildings and play structures; and drawing up rotas. They should be, but they are not. And they are not, because they are in the dark.

Golf clubs are open. Horse racing is back. People can have a barbecue in their garden with others from outside their household. There are suggestions that the government is ready to let pub beer gardens in England reopen from 22nd June. A few children are now permitted to share a classroom with up to 14 others; but what of their mental and physical wellbeing?

Childhood summers are few and precious. It is critical that the summer of 2020 offers our children some escape and relief from the traumatic events of recent months.

Children have been the forgotten victims of this pandemic. They have been locked up for months on end, deprived of school and any semblance of normal life with their friends. Too many are in households experiencing additional hardships as a result of the measures taken to contain the virus’ spread. They have suffered isolation, estrangement from loved grandparents and other family members, and also potentially bereavement. The impacts on their mental, social and physical wellbeing continue to be significant.

To mitigate against this, they need to play and socialise with their friends: as normally as possible, as soon as possible. Play is how children make sense of the world and their relationships with others. There is ample evidence that children who have regular opportunities to play freely outdoors benefit from improved mental health and psychological and emotional wellbeing. Through play children learn to be resilient; how to deal with change and develop a state of mind which can cope with the unexpected. They need all these qualities now, more than ever, as they emerge from isolation into a radically altered, post lockdown world.

Meanwhile, parents and carers are also wondering what sort of summer they and their children will have. By July, many will have been struggling to provide wrap-around home education and childcare for four months, often while continuing to work themselves. They are at breaking point and need to see a light at the end of the tunnel – or at least to be able to plan ahead with some confidence. Clarity over summer holiday provision is for them, also crucial.

We also know that play providers are ready and willing to adapt their practice to meet the challenges demanded by the response to this pandemic. Scores of skilled, creative and committed play workers are eager to return to work and open their doors to children on Monday 20th July, but they need a government directive now.

Childhood summers are few and precious. It is critical that the summer of 2020 offers our children some escape and relief from the traumatic events of recent months and leaves them better prepared to restart school in September.  Children, parents and play workers cannot wait any longer for the government to act. Please, prioritise children’s needs and issue guidance for summer play providers now.

Yours sincerely,

Melian Mansfield MBE
Chair of London Play

For and on behalf of London Play trustees:
Barry Walden (vice chair)
Caroline Needham
Colin Simmons
Hal Davidson
Keith Cranwell
Nicholas Hall

School grounds should be ‘as safe as necessary’, not ‘as safe as possible’ asserts a new declaration from the international School Grounds Alliance.

While promoting risk-taking on school grounds may raise questions of liability for schools and concerns for parents it is essential for the development of healthy young people, according to a declaration released in September by the International School Grounds Alliance (ISGA). This declaration is endorsed by all 54 of ISGA’s Leadership Council members, representing 38 organisations from 16 countries and six continents.

“Since the world is full of risks, children need to learn to recognize and respond to them in order to protect themselves and to develop their own risk-assessment capabilities.” the Risk in Play and Learning Declaration states.

The Declaration cites research from around the globe demonstrating the benefits of risk-taking and showing that indiscriminate risk-minimization policy can be a source of harm. The Declaration calls on those who plan and manage school environments to take benefits of risk into account. It further encourages parents, school officials, legislators and insurers to devise policies and processes that permit schools to provide activities with beneficial levels of risk.

LAMBETH: BIG KID Foundation is poised to sign a 10-year lease on Dexter Adventure Playground in Brixton.

Some 19 community groups submitted tenders for the site in Railton Road. BIGKID has been operating in Lambeth for ten years and has a strong track record of delivering youth-led community projects.

Cllr Jane Pickard, Deputy Cabinet Member, said: “This is great news as I know how important it is for people in Brixton to have this site meeting their needs. BIGKID presented an exciting and sustainable business plan which will bring fresh life to this site and ensure that it becomes a place the local children, young people and families can be proud of. I’m really looking forward to it fully re-opening.”

The council is currently in the process completing its handover to BIGKID, before services can swiftly get up and running.

Shaninga Marasha, BIGKID founder and CEO, said: “BIGKID is really delighted to be taking over Dexter Adventure Playground. It’s a great site which is well loved by the community and it has so much to offer. It’s a huge honour to have been chosen to take it on and we are grateful to everyone who supported our bid.

“We are really looking forward to working with local young people and their families to deliver some excellent needs-led activities including sports, youth club and adventure play sessions. Make sure you come and visit us.”

Guardian, 03 July 2019

ENGLAND: Families on universal credit are being plunged into debt because of increased childcare and food costs during school holidays.

Parents told a parliamentary hearing on holiday hunger about struggling families where parents have to stop working during the school holidays or pay crippling additional childcare costs up front.

Under universal credit, families need to pay the cost of childcare in advance, then claim the cost back via the benefit system, meaning delays of several weeks until they receive a refund.

Nicola Salvato, a single parent in receipt of universal credit, told the MPs: “I’m working, so my child is being looked after during the summer holidays. I’ve had to reduce my working hours to manage the upfront costs for childcare. But I’ve still got to come up with, for August, about £750 on top of my rent, food, travel costs and all of that.”

More on this story on the Guardian website.

£13m in funding for parks is welcome but does not go far enough to offset years of decline.

The Association of Play Industries (API), who uncovered the alarming decline in playgrounds in their Nowhere to Play report, has welcomed the £13m government pledge to help improve Britain’s parks.

Mark Hardy, Chair of the Association of Play Industries, comments: “We are delighted to see a commitment being made to support outdoor activity and specifically play. It is an important step in the right direction and recognition of the positive impact playgrounds have on millions of children’s lives, particularly those in deprived areas.

“However, whilst it is a welcome boost, the sheer extent of the decline in parks highlighted in the Mail on Sunday’s Save Our Parks campaign and in our Nowhere to Play research, means that a sustained commitment from government is needed to offset the impact of years of closures and neglect.”

More on this story here