 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Children’s play review launched
back to the contents page
Make sure you receive your fair share of lottery cash - take out a no-obligation trial subscription
today.
A long-promised UK-wide government review of children’s play is finally under way, launched by the Culture Secretary last month and to be chaired by Frank Dobson, the former Health Secretary. The results will frame a new £200m lottery programme.
The review will cover play opportunities and facilities for the 0 to 16 age group, and will take in best practice as well as examining gaps in provision. Tim Gill, director of the Children’s Play Council, has been seconded to the DCMS to lead the review. He says: ‘Just to get all the existing children’s play equip up to standard would cost £500-£600m, so the challenge is how we can design the funding programme to have the biggest impact possible, given that it can’t do everything. So it will be about showing the worth of good play facilities, to get a rationale for mainstreaming.’ The genesis of the play review was a pre-election promise from the then culture secretary Chris Smith, to commit £200m of lottery funding to a play programme. Gill confirmed that the DCMS will honour the financial commitment in policy directions for a New Opportunities Fund programme, either as an addition to Round 3 or as part of its Round 4 spending. Whichever way, no programme announcement can be expected until after the lottery review is completed, and cash is unlikely to come on-stream until about three years’ time.
The review team will be cross-departmental, taking in interests in child’s play from DCMS, DfES, ODPM and the devolved governments. It will also examine how a NOF scheme can best operate alongside existing funds available for children’s play, including Neighbourhood Renewal, the Children’s Fund and Sure Start.
The review includes a consultation exercise, both written and incorporating a series of events. Details are not finalised but if you would like to be told about them, send your contact details to
wini.kirby@culture.gsi.gov.uk