play – The Playwork Foundation

Playwork NOS Consultation Now Open

The UK Playwork National Occupational Standards (NOS) Consortium has opened the sector‑wide consultation on the draft Playwork NOS. This consultation marks a major milestone in the long‑term effort to strengthen and modernise the standards that underpin playwork qualifications, training and professional expectations across Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

As a member of the Consortium, The Playwork Foundation strongly encourages practitioners, managers, trainers, organisations and partners to take part. See the latest information sheet below:

NOS Information Sheet March 2026 Download

The review is being carried out by the UK Playwork NOS Consortium – consisting of Play Wales, Play Scotland, PlayBoard Northern Ireland, Play England and The Playwork Foundation – working closely with the four Playwork Education and Training Councils (PETCs). The Consortium has been meeting since 2021 to plan strategically for the future of workforce development and sector skills.

The formal review process began in early 2025. Since then, the Consortium has:

RAG‑rated all existing NOS
Identified standards requiring revision or replacement
Drafted new standards across three job roles
Developed a new Functional Map
Produced a comprehensive Glossary to support clarity and consistency

This work has been shaped by research, scoping exercises and conversations with playworkers and playwork organisations. Key themes emerging from this engagement include:

a focus on playwork as an approach – playworking
recognition that playwork happens in many places and spaces
the need for streamlined, clearer standards
reaffirmation that the Playwork Principles remain intrinsic to all NOS

The draft suite includes standards for:

Support Playworker
Playworker
Playwork Manager

Additional optional units include:

food and drink provision
travel outside the setting
playwork constructions
additional support needs
leadership preparation
community development
quality assurance
financial management
recruitment

Playwork NOS GLOSSARY 2026 Download

Alongside the draft NOS, the Consortium has produced a glossary to support shared understanding across Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It includes definitions for key concepts like:

Accessible play spaces – “barrier‑free… offering participation opportunities for a range of differing abilities”
Additional support needs – recognising that needs may be short-term, long-term or intermittent, and do not require a diagnosis.
Inclusive playwork practice – removing physical, social, cultural and organisational barriers so all children can shape their own play.
Playwork approach – “supporting and facilitating play as described by the Playwork Principles”
Observation, reflection and reflective practice – central processes for understanding and supporting children’s play.

The Glossary also acknowledges variations in terminology across Great Britain and Northern Ireland and provides clarity where multiple terms are in use.

How to Take Part

Complete the consultation response form.

Open from 9 March to 1 May 2026.

You can access the draft NOS, Functional Map and Glossary via:

Consultation Webinars

The Consortium is hosting webinars across the four nations to:

explain the review process
explore the Functional Map
discuss the draft standards
gather early feedback

If you cannot attend your respecgtive session, you are welcome to join any of the others.

Webinar dates:

Nation	Date	Time
Scotland	18/03/26	10:00–12:00
Wales	18/02/26	13:00–15:00
England	24/03/26	18:30–20:30
Northern Ireland	27/03/26	10:00–12:00

The Playwork Foundation will host a catch-all session in April based on the feedback and participation at each of the national play organisations’ events, and to take a multi-national perspective.

Then what?

After the consultation closes, the Consortium and Writing Group will:

review all feedback
refine and finalise the NOS
publish a consultation report
release the final NOS in June 2026, in Welsh and English

Awarding Bodies and Awarding Organisations will then begin re‑mapping or redeveloping playwork qualifications.

Why Your Voice Matters

National Occupational Standards shape:

qualification frameworks
training and CPD
job descriptions
organisational policies
workforce development strategies

This review is a rare opportunity for the sector to shape the standards that will define playwork practice across Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Playwork Foundation encourages all practitioners, organisations and partners to take part.

Your insight, experience and expertise are essential.

For questions about the consultation or webinars, contact: nosreview@play.wales

New £500,000 Adventure Playground Fund Announced

A new £500,000 fund has been established to support staffed adventure playgrounds in England, offering grants of £20,000 – £50,000 to enhance child-led play in low-income communities. Applications close 20/03/26.

A new £500,000 philanthropic fund has been announced to support staffed adventure playgrounds in England. The fund is made possible through a personal donation from philanthropist Alex Gerko, founder of XTX Markets, whose charitable work spans education, science, and community initiatives.

The focus on staffed adventure playgrounds reflects a growing recognition of the unique role these spaces play in children’s lives.

What the fund offers

The fund provides unrestricted grants of £20,000–£50,000, alongside sustainability support for successful applicants. To be eligible, playgrounds must be:

staffed by skilled playworkers
free‑of‑charge
places where children can come and go as they wish
committed to child‑led play

Successful applicants will also take part in four one‑hour sessions designed to strengthen long‑term resilience.

The application asks for information about opening hours, attendance, land or site arrangements, reserves, and the main challenges they face.

Applications close at 12 noon on Friday 20/03/26 – full details on the Adventure Playground Fund website.

Play England announced the fund as a national programme aimed at protecting, restoring and growing staffed adventure playgrounds – highlighting that the fund will prioritise playgrounds in low-income communities and those experiencing financial pressure.

They emphasised that staffed adventure playgrounds are not discretionary amenities but distinct, staffed spaces where children shape their own play with the support of skilled playworkers. They highlighted the contribution these spaces make to independence, inclusion and year-round community connection.

At the same time, Play England noted that many adventure playgrounds have faced sustained financial pressure as local authority budgets have tightened. Provision has reduced in some areas, and several sites remain at risk.

Play England framed the fund as a welcome step within a broader picture: a contribution toward restoring and protecting staffed adventure playgrounds, and a sign that national recognition and investment may be beginning to align with long-standing sector advocacy.

“A Pivotal Week for Adventure Play…”

London Play also welcomed the national attention and investment while similarly highlighting the fragility of local provision in the English capital – in particular the recent proposals to close or downgrade several staffed playgrounds in Greenwich.

This cautious optimism is echoed in the comments sections, with some expressing appreciation for the fund whilst also stating that £500,000 wouldn’t solve the long‑term structural pressures facing the sector.

Nevertheless, the hope is that this donation – in tandem with the parliamentary attention at this week’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Play meeting on adventure playgrounds and playwork – will help build a broader recognition and attract future investment.

Any funding directed specifically toward staffed provision is a positive development, particularly at a time when many adventure playgrounds and other community-based playwork providers face uncertainty.

As ever, we will continue to support where we can by sharing information and evidence, and helping ensure that the value of staffed playwork provision – guided by the Playwork Principles – remains visible in national, inter-national and local decision-making.

This post was written by Siôn Edwards – current Chair of The Playwork Foundation – and represents his personal views and not necessarily those of The Playwork Foundation itself, or its Board of Trustees.

Cool Enough to Care – A Playworker’s Guide to Extreme Heat & Hot Weather

Playworkers across these islands are in the thrust of arguably the busiest times of the year, and usually the warmest.

Whether you chalk it up to global warming or chalkier theories, hotter summers are no longer anomalies – they’re becoming part of the seasonal rhythm. As heat becomes less exceptional and more expected, the clickbait tips will fade – but the need for thoughtful, place-based guidance will only grow.

So, with the help of Stockholm-based playworker Suzanne Axelsson, we’ve compiled some facts, figures, and field-tested strategies to help you not only respond to high temperatures, but anticipate them – in your budgets, your resources, and your site design.

Too Hot to Play – The facts at a glance

Children are at risk of burns when surface temperatures exceed 50℃, or when skin is exposed to 45℃ for long periods. Surface temperatures above 50℃ can cause severe burns in seconds – especially on young skin.

Playground surfaces and equipment (particularly plastic) can reach these high temperatures on bright, dry days in the high twenties. Slides, poles, guardrails, swing seats, barriers, tabletops, decking and slabs are just some examples of the surfaces that can pose a burn risk when exposed to direct sunlight in these temperatures.

Top tips:

Test surface temperatures before each play session, including flooring.
If you don’t have a thermometer, use a hand test: if you can’t keep your hand comfortably on the surface for 5 seconds, it’s too hot for play!
Recheck temperatures throughout the day. Using a timed checklist can help monitoring during hot spells.

Prevention

Avoid south-facing equipment (especially slides) to limit sun exposure during peak heat.
Offer natural shade – trees can cool surrounding areas by up to 8℃ – and consider cooling surfaces down with water.
Use natural materials. Synthetic grass and rubber surfacing can burn children’s feet, especially darker colours.
On hot days, encourage children to keep shoes on and avoid prolonged contact with hot surfaces, including when kneeling or sitting.

Heat hacks

Keep hydrated:

Make sure there is access to drinking water.
Sweating is the body’s way of keeping cool (and it’s pretty effective), but water lost through sweating needs to be replaced, which is why keeping hydrated is so important.
Some children won’t realise they’re dehydrated, so reminders will help.
Add a little fruit juice or cordial to encourage those who “don’t like” water to stay hydrated.
Cucumbers, tomatoes, oranges and watermelon are all good ways to keep hydrated.
Electrolytes help to stay hydrated – these are found naturally in coconut water, milk, fruit juices, and smoothies.
Ice-lollies are better than ice-cream for cooling off – the milk and creamy fats of the ice cream use energy to digest, increasing your body temperature.

Keep cool:

If you have a choice, play outside early in the day and late in the afternoon to avoid the worst UV radiation at midday.
Lots of locomotor play going on? It’s not the playworker way, but try encouraging breaks in the shade to bring down core temperature and rehydrate.
Fans can bring immediate relief to sweaty faces, but they also speed-up dehydration(!), so make sure there’s plenty of drinking water. Misting sprays are a good choice.
Water fight! Nothing cools better than water, but do consider the environmental impact of excessive water use (and your water bill!).
Cool-rags (wet cloth), wet towels and bandannas help cool hot bodies down.
Create foot baths to cool warm feet. Do check if you need to consider extra infection-control measures based on where you are: UKHSA (England); Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland); Public Health Scotland; Public Health Wales).
Encourage children to wear loose, light-weight, light-coloured clothes. Caps and hats can protect from harmful UV rays, but they can also increase body temperature, so encourage time in the shade to take them off.
Encourage everyone to sun cream for UV protection.

Heat, humidity & health

Humidity is how much water vapour in the air.

Low humidity means surfaces will feel hotter. But high humidity makes it harder to regulate body heat increasing the risk of heat-related illnesses, like heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

These heat-related illnesses can be serious and potentially life-threatening. They can also be brought on or intensified by physical activity.

Hydration and cooling down the body are the key to treatment and recovery from such illnesses. Recognising the signs and symptoms early will help avoid serious illness.

Below is a unified checklist drawing on NHS (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), NHS Inform (Scotland) and Public Health Wales guidance:

Heat Exhaustion (early stage)

Excessive sweating
Pale, clammy skin or development of heat rash
Muscle cramps in arms, legs or abdomen
Intense thirst and dry mouth
Weakness or fatigue
Headache or throbbing headache
Nausea, vomiting or feeling sick
Dizziness or light-headedness
Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia) and fast breathing (tachypnea)
Dark or reduced urine output (sign of dehydration)

Heatstroke (advanced stage; medical emergency)

Core body temperature above 40 ℃ (104 ℉)
Skin that may feel hot and dry—or paradoxically cold/clammy—despite high temperature
Altered mental state: confusion, irritability, aggressive behaviour, hallucinations
Slurred speech or gross lack of coordination
Seizures or convulsions
Fainting, loss of consciousness or collapse
Extreme lethargy or sudden sleepiness
Loss of balance or falling down
Feeling chills or rigors
Absence of sweating despite feeling overheated

Children will react to heat in different ways. Some are more susceptible to heat than others.

Children with excess body weight, who have congenital conditions, or who are taking medication could be at increased risk of negative effects.

Even age can have an impact. For example, children under four years of age are at an increased risk because younger children produce more metabolic heat, are less able to sweat, and have core temperatures that rise faster during dehydration.

Disabilities and health needs may also play a role in the impact of heat extremes.

Having Fun in the Heat

Instead of gathering around the campfire, congregate around the camp-pool – find some shade and have a shared pamper-sesh with you feet in soothing, cooling waters. Maybe offer some slower activities to encourage rest (e.g., art & craft, finger string games or board games) or set-up some hammocks.
Murder She Soaked – swap chalk and crime scene tape for the cooling spray of a hose-pipe. Lie on the floor or sit against a wall, and use your body create a dry silhouette. Wet clothes will help cool off.
Jur-ICE-ic Park – submerge dinosaurs or other “artifacts” in water and place in the freezer overnight. Once frozen, give your budding paleontologists toffee hammers or other suitable utensils to slowly chip away at these cold (and cooling) time capsules – watch out for ice burn by holding for too long.
Curate a cool art exhibit – add non-toxic paint to water and freeze overnight Now you’ve got a frozen paintbrush! Again, watch out for ice burns.
Put your cooking on ice, and make home-made ice-lollies with fresh fruit and juices.
Don’t wait for Halloween – cool down by bobbing for apples!
Run a car wash! Or bike wash, minibus wash…

Thinking About the Future

To create cooler outdoor spaces for play during hot days, prioritise shade, utilise water features, and select appropriate materials.

Shade

Natural Shade: Plant shade trees to strategically to block direct sunlight and create cool microclimates. Deciduous trees allow sunlight to filter through during winter when it is needed.
Shade Structures: Install pergolas, gazebos, or shade sails to offer focused areas of shade over seating or play areas.
Adjustable Shade: Consider using umbrellas or retractable canopies on pergolas for flexibility in adjusting to the sun’s position.

Water Features

Misting Systems: Misting systems can create a refreshing cool mist, especially effective in warmer climates.
Water Play: Incorporate features like water tables, sprinklers, or even a small splash pad/paddling pool to offer cooling and fun.

Materials

Light-Coloured Surfaces: Use lighter-coloured surfacing materials (e.g., light-coloured concrete, pavers, or mulch) as they reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat than dark surfaces.
Reflective Materials: Consider using materials with solar reflective properties for roofs to deflect solar radiation.
Natural Materials: Choose materials like wood or bamboo, which tend to absorb less heat than synthetic materials.
Ground Cover: Use materials like sand or bark for soft fall areas, which can reduce surface temperatures.

Other Considerations

Ventilation: Ensure good airflow through the space by incorporating design elements that allow for natural ventilation.
Hydration: Provide access to cool drinking water and encourage frequent hydration, as sweating is the body’s natural cooling mechanism.
Time of Day: Schedule outdoor activities during cooler parts of the day, like early mornings or evenings when possible.
Strategy: Create an extreme heat and hot weather strategy, so that everyone is aware of measuring temperature routines, when to limit high intensity play and games, when and where to create cool-down and hydration areas, what symptoms to keep an eye out for etc.

Sources and Resources

Checklist

Check air and WBGT temperatures. If too hot consider play limits or cancelling/postponing.
Check surface temperatures of ground and equipment (regularly throughout the day). If too hot cordon off the area/equipment that is too hot to be safe. If the entire area is too hot for play – cancel/postpone or offer a small area with calm activities where children can hang out and keep cool.
Check accessibility to shade and the ability to cool down. If there is nowhere to cool down then play sessions in weather of 26℃ and over should be evaluated from a safety aspect. Invest in flexible shade if you can, so that it makes it possible for children to hang out together.
Create a cool down area.
Encourage children engaging in high intensity physical play to take breaks and cool down regularly.
Ensure there is easy access to drinking water or other sources of rehydration.
Stock your first aid kit with electrolytes suitable for children, as well as burns treatment. Medicinal manuka honey is an excellent way to naturally treat minor burns.
Ensure you have a plan to support staff, children and parents in case of a medical emergency concerning heat stroke and serious burns.

Scotland’s Play Park Survey

As part of Scotland’s Play Park Renewal Programme, the Scottish Government and Play Scotland have launched the first nationwide consultation on local play parks.

The survey asks families and carers across Scotland to share their experiences of local play parks by considering questions like:

How often do you visit?
How long do you stay?
What works well in your local park?
And, what improvements and new features would you like to see?

The survey aims to evaluate current play park facilities to inform future Scottish Government policy and ensure funding to renew play parks reflects the needs of local families and their communities.

Though only open to people accessing play parks in Scotland, if you’re south of the border, you can help reach colleagues, family and friends in the Land of the Brave by sharing the survey.

A ready-made comms pack is also available that includes posters and template newsletter pieces and social media posts to help spread the word.

Call for play in classrooms to KS1

A petition launched by play-based learning consultant Ruth Lue-Quee is urging the Westminster Government to make play and enabling environments statutory for children aged 5 to 7 in England’s Key Stage 1. With over 31,000 signatures already secured – triggering an official government response – it now aims for 100,000 signatures to force a parliamentary debate.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), for children aged 0 to 5, ensures providers deliver learning and development requirements that embed play and have regard to “enabling environments”, where resources support child-initiated and adult-supported activities.

“Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, relate to others, set their own goals, and solve problems. Children learn by leading their own play, and by taking part in play and learning that is guided by adults”

Department for Education

However, at Key Stage 1 (KS1), Years 1 and 2 (ages 5 to 7), there is no statutory requirement to maintain these play-orientated, child-led approaches. This petition seeks to bridge that gap by embedding EYFS principles into the statutory KS1 curriculum.

By extending the EYFS entitlement into Key Stage 1, schools in England would have to ensure areas for play-based learning and open-ended resources are always available to children aged 5 to 7 in school. It would also bring alignment with Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, where play and enabling environments remain central to primary curricula:

🟨 Northern Ireland

Learning Through Play at Key Stage 1 from the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) outlines how play supports all areas of learning in Years 1 and 2.
Curricular Guidance for Pre-School Education from the Department of Education NI) emphasises play as central to early development and learning through six key areas.

🟦 Scotland

Realising the Ambition: Being Me from Education Scotland builds on earlier frameworks and sets out play pedagogy from birth through early primary.
An Early Level Play Pedagogy Toolkit has been designed by Education Scotland to support play-based learning in Primary 1.
Statutory guidance Building the Ambition from the Scottish Government provides a national definition for “play and learning” as referred to in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.

🟥 Wales

The Curriculum for Wales, introduced in 2022, embeds play across its 3 to 16-years-of-age framework. Developmental pathways such as exploration, communication and well-being provide a child-led foundation that continues throughout early education.
The Early Childhood Play, Learning and Care (ECPLC) Plan from the Welsh Government sets out principles, workforce standards and quality indicators to support play-rich environments across early childhood settings.
A Quality Framework for Early Childhood Play, Learning and Care was published in 2025 to guide consistent, high-quality practice and support implementation of the ECPLC plan in early years provision.

What you can do:

Sign the petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/729440
Share it with your networks and social channels
Encourage colleagues and parents and carers to add their voices
Contact local schools, nurseries and other childcare providers

You can also contact your local parliamentarians and politicians:

Contact your Member of Westminster Parliament (MP), and Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) or Member of the Senedd (MS) as applicable
Contact your local Principal Council Councillors
Contact your local Town and Parish Councils (England) or Community Councils (Wales) and their Councillors

Enter your postcode below:

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Contact Your Politician

writetothem.com

Adventure Playground Network announcement

After an (unintentionally) extended period of quiet, the Adventure Playground Network is pleased to announce Friday 8th November, 11am – 1pm, as the next meeting date. To ensure you receive the most up-to-date information, including the link to the meeting, please ensure you sign up.

The Network has also been liaising with the Raising The Nation Play Commission to ensure that adventure playgrounds have an opportunity to contribute to the call for evidence. Please see the open letter to Adventure Playgrounds below:

Dear Playworkers,

Last week, Sereena, from Haringey Play Association and Mike from Play Bradford met with Policy Researchers from the Centre for Young Lives / Raising The Nation Play Commission.

Read our article on the commission here.

The aim of the meeting was to amplify the voice of England’s adventure playgrounds in the Centre for Young Lives’ and Raising the Nation Play Commission’s ‘ENQUIRY INTO WHY PLAY IS SO CRITICAL TO CHILDREN’S WELLBEING AND HOW A NATIONAL PLAY STRATEGY CAN BE ESTABLISHED.’

The aim of the meeting was threefold:

Ensure that the crucial role of adventure playgrounds is not overlooked in the course of the Enquiry
Maximise the time available for contributions from adventure playgrounds to be made to the Enquiry
Offer the assistance of the adventure playground sector’s collective wealth of knowledge and experience to the development of a national play strategy for England.

The Centre for Young Lives has received evidence from all sectors including Health, Sport, Education, Early Years etc. Some adventure playgrounds have already submitted evidence, but the closing date is October 31st.

HOWEVER, the Adventure Playground Network has negotiated a rolling deadline, which means that the Centre will continue to welcome contributions from adventure playgrounds – via the Network – on an ongoing basis.

If you have any evidence of the wonderful work that you do, which you’d like to inform the enquiry, please consider sending it to Mike at m.wragg@leedsbeckett.ac.uk and we will ensure that your adventure playground is represented in this national enquiry into why play is so critical to children’s wellbeing and how a national play strategy can be established.

Evidence may consist of anything at all from data concerning numbers and backgrounds of beneficiaries, through to case-studies, presentations, testimonies, reflective diaries and films or video.

The Centre for Young Lives is also keen to visit adventure playgrounds across the country, so if you would be willing to show someone round your site, please let us know and we’ll pass on your details.

And if you have any questions, please let us know at m.wragg@leedsbeckett.ac.uk

Dr Mike Wragg

Senior Lecturer, Childhood Development & Playwork

The School of Health, Leeds Beckett University.

Play England AGM 2023

Following on from our earlier post, interested parties can now register to attend the 2023 Play England AGM which will be taking place Monday 6th November at 3pm.

Full details of the event can be found here, including an agenda and a Trustees’ End of Year Report.

We look forward to seeing some of you there!

DON’T FORGET: The following day, Tuesday 7th November, will be the inaugural meeting of the Network of Adventure Playgrounds. A busy week for playworkers!

This is why play is so important

This is why play is so important – a new film from Play Wales feat. Michael Sheen

“All work and no play makes you… what, exactly?” booms the voice of Welsh actor Matthew Rhys Evans across the Conference Hall of Glasgow Caledonian University. It’s Wednesday 7th June 2023, and I’m attending the International Play Association’s (IPA) triennial world conference in Glasgow thanks to a bursary from IPA Cymru. And despite the kilt-clad piper playing outside the Annie Lennox Building just the morning before, here I am, transported back to the land of my fathers as Play Wales premieres its new film ‘This is why play is so important’.

The film, commissioned by Play Wales, aims to communicate to adults working with children (and parents and carers) the importance of play. As I’m sure anyone in the playwork sector will attest, that’s easier said than done! It’s the thing that makes play and playwork so difficult for the wider world to quickly grasp – it is both simple and complex. Our impact, as adults, upon play is too readily underestimated. And the consequences of children and young people being deprived opportunities to play, freely overlooked yet so immeasurably detrimental to the health of both the child and the community in which they live.

That being said, if there’s a film to try and win hearts and minds of the masses in just a quarter of an hour, this is it. I should admit my bias and the reason the film resonated so deeply for me, at this point. The Venture, and all the wonderful children and young people who bring it to life, are prominent characters in the film. The Venture is also the place where I started out as a playworker and where I currently work as Communications Manager and Inclusion Project Manager.

A view of the sandpit and tower structures of The Venture’s adventure playground, in Wrecsam, Wales.

The film uses the voices of children and young people from across Wales and mixes them with adult memories and testimonies of play and its importance. It also provides a visual tour of the myriad of landscapes and playscapes in Wales: adventure playgrounds, streets, sea shores, gardens, skate parks, schoolyards, and verdant valleys shaded by woodland.

SPOILER ALERT: Just over halfway through the film, we get a couple of mentionable cameos. Around the 8-minute mark, complete with blond hair that might be from filming season 2 of Good Omens, we get the unmistakable Michael Sheen projecting out of the screen as he describes the joy of riding a tricycle repeatedly around a track. This is followed, not long after, by former Children’s Commissioner for Wales (and patron of The Venture) Keith Towler who tells the tale of a leap too far – an account of what Bob Hughes might have called “Deep Play” – and a plummet to hard ground below. Under normal circumstances, such stories might evoke a squeamish reaction and the conclusion that such experiences have no value and should be prevented. Yet here, in the safe confines of this well paced and gently-toned film, the moment fills the room around me with a ripple of laughter indicative of both amusement and affinity.

I’ve since watched the film several times. Once again in Scotland, at the closing of the IPA conference, at the Welsh premiere in a dusty barn in Llanwrthwl as part of Playworkers’ Forum, and during the northern premiere at Tŷ Pawb, Wrecsam, with some of the stars of the show. Each time, despite the assumption that I would not be brought to tears again, I find myself sniffling and smiling through the joy and adulation of this new piece of playwork culture.

What struck me in that conference hall in Glasgow, was a moment of clarity. A reminder of why we do what we do, as playworkers, and the journey we have travelled over the last few years.

In March 2020, COVID detained our ability to playwork overnight. But we eventually found a way. We ploughed through the guidance and the science; we jumped through the bubbles and the track and trace. And eventually, quietly and unceremoniously, we returned to the playwork we once knew. But it’s not the same. Funding is far more competitive; playworkers are now teaching assistants or scooped up by Aldi and Lidl; children and young people are forced onto the “catch up” conveyor belt; and that’s without even beginning to examine the impacts of lockdowns and what happened during them.

The Venture’s gates closed at the brink of the first UK-wide lockdown

But some good came out of COVID. At the beginning of 2021, we tentatively established The Venture Play Inclusion Project (PIP) – closed playwork provision for children and young people with neurodevelopmental conditions. This was because we were increasingly hearing accounts of autistic children and young people being excluded from playing in public parks and green spaces due to the volume of people and the negative/stigmatic responses of the general public. Our adventure playground at The Venture, mostly vacant during the day at that time, was offered as a sanctuary for these children and young people, and their families (and support bubble), to come and play unabated. A time and space where they could be their authentic selves in a playful environment, with adults who honoured their play: playworkers. Since then, PIP has become a group session popular with children and young people of all ages. We even attracted the attention of the Prime Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, who visited in May 2022 and experienced his first s’more!

Prif Weinidog, Mark Drakeford, making his first ever s’more at The Venture’s Play Inclusion Project

Dexter, one of the “OG’s” of the Play Inclusion Project, with Prif Weinidog, Mark Drakeford, and Chief Officer of The Venture, Malcolm King OBE.

There, on the big screen in Glasgow, were these children – a testament of our project. It seemed unfathomable that we hadn’t known them until COVID. Yet here, in 2023, my heart leapt at the sight of their younger selves. My mind hurtled backwards to those hand-sanitising times, where we pushed forward a front against the virus to enable these children to play in their own way. Those memories meeting and mixing with the present. Only days before, at our now-regular Saturday PIP session, these same amazing children were sharing their creativity, their aspirations, their worries, their battles. I suddenly realised how much they’d grown! Physically, their faces and features gave testimony to the passage of time and, in some cases, the ravages of puberty. They’ve also grown as people – and so have we!

Playwork Nic stands in front of two wooden towers on The Venture's adventure playground. A red spinning Gonge, black rubber tyre, and multicoloured parachute, crawling tunnel, and windmill are on the sand around him. — Playworker Nic on the sandpit of The Venture’s adventure playground

My partner, Nic, who is autistic and volunteered on those initial PIP sessions, is now a fully-fledged playworker on the inclusion project and the open-access playwork provision at The Venture. I, as a result of many conversations with parents/carers, also completed my own journey of diagnosis and can now embrace my neurodiversity.

Jackie Boldon, Dr Wendy Russell, Penny Wilson, Angharad Wyn Jones, Siôn Edwards in the Conference Hall of Glasgow Caledonian University

It was there, amongst playworkers and play advocates from around the globe, that I suddenly saw the bigger picture. It shouldn’t have taken a global pandemic, but through COVID we realised just how inclusive and universal playwork practice can be to enable children and young people to play. Those 15 minutes were cathartic.

For me this film is more than just an advocacy tool. It’s a touchstone to the past – a reminder of the route we took; an affirmation for the present for when times (and budgets) get tough; and, a torch for the future, when light is needed to help guide the way.

Diolch o galon / Thank you to Play Wales, Welsh Government, and all the contributors (especially the children and young people) from the bottom of my heart for creating such a beautiful piece.

I can’t guarantee that you will experience the film in the same way I do, but I will promise that it’s 15 minutes of your day well-spent.

Mwynha / Enjoy!

This is why play is so important

This article was written by Siôn Edwards and represents his personal opinions, rather than those of The Playwork Foundation.

Annual Open Meeting – July 2023

Photo by saeed karimi on Unsplash

Playworkers!

You are invited to attend the Annual Open Meeting of The Playwork Foundation:

Wednesday 19th July

11am – 1pm, via Zoom

Our Open Meeting will be an opportunity for members and non-members alike to find out what The Playwork Foundation has been working on over the last year and also to hear from each of the national playboards of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on the latest insights and progress from all corners of the UK.

To receive the link, please sign up to The Playwork Foundation mailing list.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

It’s an exciting time for both the playwork sector in the UK and The Playwork Foundation, and we want you to be part of the conversation and the journey.

Before July 19th, you can read our annual report:

The Playwork Foundation Annual Report 2022/23 Download

You can also read our Glasgow Gazette which was shared at the Glasgow IPA Conference earlier this month in Scotland:

The Playwork Foundation: Glasgow Gazette 2023 Download

If you’re not a member yet, now is the perfect time to join as membership is FREE!

You can also complete our “Playworking in the UK” survey – the findings to date will be shared at our Open Meeting.

Please pass this on to playwork colleagues and friends you think may be interested and we look forward to seeing you on the 19th July!

Cofion cynnes / Kind regards,

Siôn Edwards

Cadeirydd | Chair

Play England – CEO wanted

We hope you have had a playful summer,

Opportunity for a Chief Executive: It’s all about a child’s right to play Play England’s vision is to for England to be a country where everybody can fully enjoy their right to play throughout their childhood and teenage years as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 31 and our Charter for Children’s Play.

We have a unique opportunity for someone to be front and centre of Play England in achieving that vision. It will be the first time we have been structured in this way with a CEO as the only paid position working alongside a group of enthusiastic voluntary Trustees. The expected time commitment will equate to 1 day per week and will attract remuneration of £10,400 pa.
Accountable to the Chair and Trustees, most of the CEO’s time will be managing fundraising and acting as an external figurehead and spokesperson for Play England as well as making sure all our operations are running successfully.

The right candidate will be experienced as a CEO or Chair of a national organisation with a good understanding of the play sector in the UK and will likely hold a play qualification. They will have proven experience of fundraising for a national or large charity. Comfortable acting as an external spokesperson, including with national media they will feel right at home influencing large organisations including government.

As you would expect they will demonstrate flawless tact and diplomacy as well as superb communication skills.

For a detailed job description see here. Applications should be made by sending a cv and covering letter to info@playengland.org.uk by 17.00 on 7 October 2022. Interviews will be held remotely on 18/19 October 2022.

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.

Kind regards

Play England team

How to Take Part

Consultation Webinars

Then what?

Why Your Voice Matters

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What the fund offers

“A Pivotal Week for Adventure Play…”

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Too Hot to Play – The facts at a glance

Prevention

Heat hacks

Keep hydrated:

Keep cool:

Heat, humidity & health

Heat Exhaustion (early stage)

Heatstroke (advanced stage; medical emergency)

Having Fun in the Heat

Thinking About the Future

Shade

Water Features

Materials

Other Considerations

Sources and Resources

Checklist

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🟨 Northern Ireland

🟦 Scotland

🟥 Wales

What you can do:

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