The Playwork Foundation

There are still places available for this year’s National Playwork Conference in England. This will be the 20th National Playwork Conference organised by Meynell Games and will be in Eastbourne from March 7th to 8th 2023.

There are a very wide range of workshops on offer – nearly all with some level of participation. The workshops are slotted into the main conference tracks which are:

Legacy of Bob Hughes
Playwork Theory
Playwork in schools
Risk through the ages
Policy and strategy work
Diversity and inclusion
Play
Practical

The Playwork Foundation Trustees are supporting the conference with
A Question of Quality – Ali Wood
Parental Guidance – Penny Wilson
Time and Time Again – Simon Rix
Including the excluded: playworking in PRUs – Simon Bazley
A solution focussed workshop looking at Playwork issues – Anne-Marie Mackin

Booking details are on the website: www.playworkconferences.org.uk/ with updates on the latest workshops on Facebook: National Playwork Conference https://www.facebook.com/playworkconference/
Hope to see you there!

I have been reading through Bob’s website and the work of Play Education. Bob made an impressive unparalleled contribution to playwork theory, training and to our literature base.
You can find details on:
http://rphughes44.blogspot.co.uk

Below is an extract from the About page:

“The scientific evidence shows that opportunities to play must be viewed as more than just a right for our children, and rather a life essential. For it shows that children who do not play cannot enjoy the scientifically proven benefits of playing eg a bigger more highly organised and flexible brain refined to the adaptive needs of the present, heightened resilience and optimism, muscular growth, flexible problem solving capacity, mental mapping and memory, the ability to adapt to todays challenges and improved physical and mental health, and none players having a much greater chance than playing children of suffering the effects of a condition known as play deprivation which in mild doses makes children irritable and unhappy but which in more concentrated forms may turn some children into killers and mass murderers.”

Bobs very impressive CV is on the page titled “Bob Hughes” – his voluntary contribution to so many committees and working parties through our chequered Playwork history from the National Playing Fields Association to Play Board, the Sports Council and the rise of NVQs Playwork degrees and qualications has had enormous and far reaching impact.

There is also a history of all the Play Education conferences from 1982 with key debates and presenters – a rich ecclectic mix.
Bob will leave a gaping hole in our small but very important Play and Playwork sector. Sending love to Bobs family and wider network of music friends and other scientific and none scientific friends.

Play England AGM, Monday 21st November 2022 at 2pm
All Play England members are cordially invited to the Play England Annual General Meeting via teams.
 
Register for the event here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/play-england-agm-2022-tickets-425597963967
 
This is an opportunity for members to gather and to reflect on our work towards England being a country where everybody can fully enjoy their right to play throughout their childhood and teenage years. We are excited to be joined by Helen Dodd is a Professor of Child Psychology at the University of Exeter. She is an expert in child mental health with a particular interest in the development of childhood anxiety disorders. Helen currently holds a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship, which funds a program of work examining the relationship between children’s adventurous play and mental health. Helen regularly writes about children’s play and contributes to public discussions about the role of play in supporting children’s mental health.
 
The AGM will take the form of a webinar and there will be some brief presentations followed by the opportunity for questions. We expect to record the webinar for those who cannot be present on the day. If you would like a proxy vote, please email info@playengland.org.uk
 
Agenda for the AGM: Welcome from Chair of Trustees, Anita Grant Apologies for absence Notification of proxy votes Approval of Minutes of 2021 AGM Matters arising from the Minutes Adoption of Annual Report Adoption of Accounts Appointment of Independent Financial Examiner Election of Trustees Any Other AGM Business Presentation from Helen Dodd Minutes from the 2021 AGM can be downloaded here

If you are not already a member of Play England you can join via our website.
 

Play England is expanding its Board of Trustees!
We’re seeking people from a broad range of backgrounds with skills in fundraising and marketing in particular, as well as people from related sectors such as child psychology, social work, healthcare, teaching or youth work.
 
Play England is committed to strengthening diversity and inclusion, to better understand and reflect the needs of the communities that we work with.  The recruitment process is open to all, but we are particularly keen to hear from groups are currently underrepresented.
 
Trustees meet every two months either online or in London, and can have reasonable travel expenses reimbursed, if necessary, to enable attendance. Outside of meetings, trustees are expected to engage in other tasks to support the charity, depending on their expertise. This is not likely to take more than an additional two or three days a month.
 
If you have the skills we are seeking, have an interest in children’s play and would like to contribute to our work, please do apply!
 
If you would like to register your interest please email us @ info@playengland.org.uk by 7th October 2022.