Play is at the heart of our ambition to become a Child Friendly City.
It is crucial to children’s happiness and well-being and is the main way in which young people socialise and explore and understand the world around them. We are committed to supporting opportunities for play across the city, particularly in areas of most need. We know that play is a way of bringing communities together, creating opportunities, overcoming barriers and most importantly enabling children to have fun growing up: a fundamental outcome outlined in the Children and Young People’s Plan 2018-23. The Play Enabling Grant is also key to supporting the progress of Wish Number 2.
The Play Enabling Grant (PEG) is a Leeds City Council (LCC) funded programme made available to the voluntary and community sector. The fund supports play for children and young people (aged 5-13 years) giving them access to quality play experiences and opportunities that aim to meet the needs of local communities and families. The maximum grant award is £5000 per organisation.
We are really excited to share a snapshot of some of the fun opportunities for play that were created with support from the Play Enabling Grant 2022-23.
Activities took place in a variety of locations across the city, ranging from schools to community centres to parks.
Third sector partners included:
Chapeltown C CMC Playscheme
Prince Philip Centre Playscheme
Meanwood Junior Playscheme
Guiseley Community Foundation
Tribe Youth Group
Friends of Middleton Park
Morley Community Church
There was a huge range of activities and types of play across provision, including lots of opportunities for children to access nature play.
Most sessions could be grouped as follows:
- Playschemes (focusing on nature/the environment, craft and games, outdoor play, sensory based play etc)
- Youth group summer camps
- Play sessions and small events for families.
- Sport and play based activities
What is the current criteria for awarding grants?
The highest priority for awarding the grants was identified as the following:
Grants will be prioritised where applicants have evidenced a local need for the play provision and/or where play provision may be limited for the local community.
Another main priority identified for the grant was how organisations can show they prioritise inclusion of children and young people who may have additional needs/SEND and may not easily access play provision. The criteria therefore encouraged applicants to demonstrate how they will be support and include all children and young people to access their provision, and how activities and the environment could be adapted. This also relates to children and young people who present with certain behaviours and may need additional support to access the provision.
Scope are commissioned by Leeds City Council to develop and promote inclusion of children and young people with disabilities in mainstream activities. As part of the grant process we prioritised applications from providers who were able to demonstrate their inclusivity, have worked with Scope and gained their ‘Inclusive Activity Award’ or are working towards this. This reflects our continued a commitment to inclusion for all children and you can find more information here.
Other important considerations for the panel were to explore whether organisations could show effectiveness and sustainability of their provision and demonstrate positive engagement within the local community their project intended to serve.
Children have a right to play- Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) creates a specific right for all children to have rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to their age and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.
Leeds City Council takes this right seriously. Play is fundamental to the healthy development of a child. It is the framework through which they learn. Through play, they become able to: build and sustain relationships; challenge the limits of their physical selves and environments; problem solve effectively. Most importantly, having sufficient opportunities for play is a key indicator of a happy child: play is pleasure – it contributes to quality of life and sense of well-being.
These quotes and photographs give a taste of the fantastic play opportunities provided by PEG play partners in the city:
How wonderful in this day and age of greed, grab what you can, line your pockets, I’m alright jack…There are some people out there giving back…free activities – Wow. Free… not something you hear and believe these days. I hope the Middleton residents take advantage of this and appreciate the people running it…and appreciate the beautiful park they have.
I love Middleton Park, I take a walk around it as often as possible….most days in fact! Well done for making it such a great place to be for EVERYONE in the area!
A friend’s grandchildren attended some of the other sessions and said the children (primary age) had a lot of fun and learnt new things about the natural world and crafts.
