This week I am re-blogging this potentially important post from Tim Gill’s Re-Thinking Childhood blog, about a research project to inform the play policy case to the current government.
Before becoming an independent writer and researcher, Tim was my predecessor as director of the Children’s Play Council (CPC) and a close associate of Play England through the key years that followed. He was one of the researchers who helped us to marshal the evidence in 2005-7, as we put the case for a national Play Strategy to the Government of the time.
Earlier, as director of CPC, he was a co-author of Making the Case for Play, which first set out the vision for a cohesive national play policy in 2001; and then, seconded to Whitehall, he also researched and drafted the Play Review under Frank Dobson MP. This formed the basis for the lottery Play Programme that followed and paved the way for the subsequent government investment.
Tim therefore has considerable form in this area. Let’s take this as a good omen that, although we are now in a very different economic and political climate, perhaps this government too is finally getting serious about play.
Adrian Voce
This post asks for your help in building the case for play. I am writing a report – aimed at Government – that gathers together evidence for the difference that play facilities and initiatives can make to children, families and communities. And I need your help in pulling together this evidence. I hope you agree this is an important and urgent task, given the scale of recent cuts to play facilities.
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Thanks for this reblog Adrian, and for the positive take on my historic contributions. Different times now of course, but still some campaigns to be waged. I’ve already had some helpful new material, but the better the evidence base the greater our chance of success.
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You’re welcome Tim. I don’t think I personally have any new evidence to suggest that you wouldn’t already be aware of but, in due course, I’ll no doubt have something to say about how we might frame it, and perhaps the process too. Good luck!
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Thanks – I’ll take this as your reply to the email request I was going to send you! But feel free to tell me of anything you think I really should be aware of, eg any compelling material from the evidence used by/presented to the last government to support the play strategy.
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In times of hardship like this, children need good play services and facilities more than ever. Adventure Playgrounds grew out of the postwar shortages and poverty in areas where there were only bombed sites, not development projects. Closing them and projects like them only prolongs the agony and ensures that another generation will repeat the errors of today. The case for providing good quality play has never been stronger than now. Let’s do it!
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