by Professor Hugh MatthewsRespecting Play
Play matters, in all sorts of ways, to all sorts of people. In its broadest sense, play is fundamental to the needs of children and young people, and to the vibrancy of local communities. A recent article for Children Webmag explicitly articulated a number of reasons for why this is, and should be, the case . Since the publication of this article two developments have placed the issue of children and young people’s play in the United Kingdom even more firmly on the agenda.
First, in March 2005, the Big Lottery Fund announced a £155 million play programme for England:
“Based on the recommendations of the report Getting Serious about Play, the Fund will invest £155 million in England over three years in the establishment of a strategic fund to create and improve local children's play spaces in areas of greatest need. Grants will be awarded to projects to develop, create, improve and design innovative children's play facilities with the aim of providing free local play provision for youngsters” .
In addition play and leisure provision will benefit from: £354m for Environmental Programmes to fund "improved rural and urban environments, which communities are better able to access and enjoy”; £90 million of funding for parks and develops community spaces; £155m for Voluntary and Community Sector Infrastructure; and a £165 million Well-being Programmes to support "healthier and more active people and communities" .
Second, in the immediate aftermath of the General Election in May 2005, the Labour Government has stressed the importance of communities and respect, and continued the debate surrounding anti-social behaviour. In this light, the importance of rich opportunities for play and leisure, for both individuals and communities, now and in the future, warrant significant attention. In particular, the lack of access to even the most basic play opportunities is as a fundamentally troubling phenomenon.
In this context it is worth repeating and underlining that:
• play is a vital, valued and everyday part of all children and young people’s social, cultural, physical, developmental and intellectual lives. Play “benefits children, families and communities” ;
• play is a crucial component in “having communities where there is somewhere safe to go and something to do… (providing) recreational activity for children and young people,… building the fabric of communities and increasing young people’s skills, confidence and self-esteem” ;
• and, whilst play is so vital, nonetheless, “social changes have left many children and young people with poorer access to many kinds of play opportunities, especially those who need outdoor space” .
We must, therefore, not merely be contented by the assertion that “play matters”. The first step to addressing inadequate or inequitable access to play facilities must be the identification of both good and bad play provision, at both national and, particularly, local scales. In other words, in order to make concrete improvements to play provision, we should examine how play matters, in practice, to children and young people.
In terms of funding, some of the new monies (£600-£700 million per year) released by the Big Lottery Fund for community improvement, for instance, could be directed towards this purpose. However funded, research orientated to this goal should do two things.
• First, it should undertake detailed, multi-method audits of play facilities in local areas, to identify cases of good practice, and areas for improvement. This type of analysis, is best-suited to research at Borough Council or Local Authority scales.
• Second, it should recognise that “involvement and consultation with children should be at the heart of play… strategy” . A multi-method analysis of play facilities should not merely be designed to consult decision-makers, parents and other ‘responsible adults’. Children – the overwhelming majority of those who do play – should be the key informants, and not merely consulted as add-ons to an otherwise adult-focussed research project. The problems that young people identify, and the suggestions that they put forward, should be at the heart of research and policy-making with respect to play facilities.
Although not yet commonplace, some Local Authority play audits have been undertaken. For instance, The Centre for Children and Youth, based at University College Northampton is currently auditing outdoor play provision in the London Borough of Redbridge. Multi-method consultation with young people aged 5-13 is central to the project, which, upon its completion in July 2005, will provide a set of detailed, tangible indicators as to the quality of play provision in the Borough.
If governments at national and local scales are indeed serious about play, and its broader implications for community life, then play audits, which consult with young people, are an initial step towards improving local areas for young people. They also present opportunities to engage large numbers of young people in local decision-making processes, on issues which are of interest to them. With both respect and play now seemingly at the heart of the community agenda – at least rhetorically – the potential advantages of such engagement should be clear.
Dr. Peter Kraftl & Dr. John Horton, Centre for Children and Youth, University College Northampton. The Centre for Children and Youth is a fully-resourced research and consultancy centre, which specialises in quantitative and qualitative research with children and young people. The Centre can be contacted by E-Mail (ccy@northampton.ac.uk) or by telephone (01604 892514).
Horton, J. (2005) Play really matters (Children Webmag: http://www.childrenuk.co.uk/chmar2005/chmar2005/play%20really%20matters.htm)Big Lottery Fund (2005) Big Lottery Fund confirms new funding programmes for England, Press release 30/3/05
http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/newsroom/release.aspx?prId=1079Big Lottery Fund (2005) Big Lottery funding is child's play, Press release 30/3/05
http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/newsroom/release.aspx?prId=1078Children’s Play Council (2004) Planning for play: A briefing for local authorities (Children’s Play Council Briefings: London)
HMSO (2003) Every Child Matters Green Paper (HMSO: London), p.37
Department for Culture, Media and Sport (2004) Getting Serious About Play: a review of children’s play (Department for Culture, Media and Sport: London), p.14
Big Lottery Fund website: http://www.nof.org.uk/
John, A. and Wheway, A. (2004) Can Play, Will Play: disabled children and access to outdoor playgrounds (National Playing Fields Association: London), p.20
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