The relevance of good play
and recreational facilities can
be emphasised to professionals
ranging from police officers to
housing managers, transport
planners and community
health managers
Communities, who has made signifi- also linked the places where children array of actions to take forward. These
cant progress in making streets more live to their schools and play spaces with could include writing playable space
child-friendly in parts of the London safer routes, which encourage them to into masterplanning exercises, develop-
Borough of Islington. “Research shows move about under their own steam and ing more free play in schools’ extended
that only 12 per cent of the time children are really play spaces in their own right.” services, building play opportunities into
spend playing outside actually takes Greater collaboration in providing local obesity strategies, building closer
place in designated play areas,” Kes- play provision is a statutory requirement links between open space strategies and
sler says. “Once you realise that children set out in the Department for Chil- their Children and Young People’s Plans,
play wherever they are, the challenge dren, Schools and Families guidance to or redrafting health and safety guidance.
becomes to create a vision for an area Children’s Trusts. But making it happen After the initial Play Shaper event, lo-
that is more playable across the board. among professional people who may not cal authorities are encouraged to embed
Then you have to get everyone involved associate their role with children’s play, the Play Shaper programme into their
to buy in to this vision: planners, builders, sometimes requires a helping hand and own training and development schemes,
housing managers, transport planners, that’s where Play Shaper comes in. so that the relevance of play can con-
highways engineers and local residents. tinue to be emphasised to professionals
“The results can be impressive; for Play Shaper Seminars ranging from police officers to housing
example, four estates in Islington have During the series of country-wide, one- managers, transport planners to commu-
effectively become home zones where day Play Shaper cross-professional events, nity health managers.
the street layout has been modified most participants embrace the new Let’s hope that this vision will result
so motorists have to drive more care- thinking around play and the design of in England being the best place in the
fully. The aim is to get a better balance playable communities. By the close of world in which to grow up. ●
between vehicular traffic and the other the day, participants – attending togeth- For more information on Play Shaper
people using the roads, such as pedestri- er with partners from various services visit
www.playshaper.org.uk or email
ans, cyclists and children playing. We’ve in the same local authority – suggest an
playshaper@ncb.org.uk
Issue 4 2009 © cybertrek 2009 Read Sports Management online
sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital 67
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