Following the ‘Getting Serious About Play’ report, the Big Lottery developed the Children’s Play Initiative and pledged £155 million to support play provision and play opportunity across the country.
Each local authority was allocated an amount of funding and were required to develop a Play Strategy and portfolio of play projects in order to draw down the funding. The funding available to Wakefield, for our play portfolio, was £772,573.
We asked for expressions of interest to submit a project proposal for the Play Portfolio. An independent selection panel then met to decide which projects would be put forward for the Play Portfolio.
Each project was scored against criteria and the 5 that were selected for the portfolio were:
- Gawthorpe Primary
- Old Quarry Adventure Playground
- Play Rangers in Pontefract
- Next Generation (Free Fun Fusion)
- YMCA ‘Go Play’
The projects between them cover ten wards within the Wakefield District that have been highlighted as lacking in play provision in the Play Strategy.
Each project contributes to the overall vision of the Play Strategy and the Big Lottery programme outcomes which are to:
- Improve access to outdoor play spaces
- Raise the profile of inclusive free play across the district
- Develop free play opportunities for older children and young people
- Extend opportunities for free play in schools
- Expand free play opportunities in staffed/supervised settings
Playing Out in Wakefield Portfolio
The portfolio was named POW - Playing Out in Wakefield and was submitted to the Big Lottery along with the Play Strategy. In December 2007, the Portfolio along with the Wakefield Play Strategy were approved by the Big Lottery. We were then awarded the Big Lottery funding of £772,573 to deliver these 5 projects in the portfolio over 3 years.
The Big Lottery assessment team stated that our submission was the best that they had assessed in the Yorkshire & Humber region!
POW! Portfolio officially commenced on 21st May 2008 and will run for three years ending on 20th May 2011.
POW! Update
POW! has proved hugely successful within the different wards which it operates in the Wakefield District with well over 2,050 beneficiaries accessing the projects within the first year – well above the expected target.
The projects are well recognised and have established good links within their areas by encouraging local residents to be actively involved, the children and young people in the district have benefited a great deal as the access to the projects is FREE of charge and FREE for children to come and go as they please to the sessions being held.
Since the launch of the POW! the projects within the portfolio have been successfully established and are expanding the number of children and young people accessing the facilities.
It has been a beneficial improvement by bringing inclusive free play opportunities for children and young people aged 5 – 18 years old.
Go! Play - is a mobile play provision which transports a variety of equipment including a mobile skate rink and an extensive range of sports equipment, giant snakes and ladder, twister and much more fun! The project is delivered in South Elmsall, South Kirby/South Elmsall, Normanton, Airedale and Ferry Fryston. The project operates on a weekly basis, visiting these areas mainly after school and in the school holidays.
- Gawthorpe School - The school has converted part of its playing fields into an environmental play area. Providing free play equipment to create opportunities for physical and creative play to which has proved very beneficial in meeting the needs of the children and the wider community of Gawthorpe. There is an area for organised games and there is proposed construction of a cycle track in 2010. The project is an open play area and the local community can access the play facilities 24 hours, 7 days a week.
- Next Generation – is an outdoors adventurous environmental playscheme. It provides an excellent free play facility for the densely populated at the Stanley Royds Park near the Light waves Leisure Centre. The project is extremely popular with older children and young people providing outdoor play sessions in the park, with activities like arts and crafts with natural materials, fire making, play on a rope and tyre swings, cricket and football games. Sessions change throughout the seasons.
- Old Quarry Adventure Playground – delivered by the committee of the Old Quarry a free open access Adventure Playground set in Knottingley, Pontefract for children aged 5 – 16. The playground is open 5 days a week and on a Saturday mornings. It is set in natural grounds which allow children to play freely and express themselves in a large open space. The aim of the project is to create an environment where children feel safe and secure with their surroundings. Several structures such as swings, climbing apparatus, a giant sand pit and trampoline are provided as part of the outdoor equipment, the indoor activities involve things from Arts and crafts to dance and drama.
- Play Rangers – delivered by the Wakefield Play Forum, provide a mobile play service in parks and green spaces around the Pontefract area. The project is aimed at children and young people aged 5 – 16. Under 5’s are also welcome but they must be accompanied by an adult. The project provides free open access play with a variety of equipment and resources which encourage children to play delivered in Pontefract North and Pont
efract South.
Positive relations with children and young people have been developed within the first year of POW! which has resulted in their feedback being incorporated into the design and delivery of the projects and has been a proven boost of morale within the local communities.
The five projects have a Portfolio Management Co-ordinator situated within WMDC who co-ordinates the monitoring to the Big Lottery and supports the projects on the day to day running of the Play Portfolio.
For further information, contact 01924 305506.
