PLAYDAY 2010: Our place CAMPAIGN
Playday is an important occasion to highlight the
importance of play in children’s lives and campaign on issues
affecting children’s play. The Playday 2010 campaign is Our
place.
Our place
The Playday 2010 Our Place campaign is seeking
to put children’s play back where it belongs and is asking everyone
- young and old - to help create better places for children to live
and play.
Where have all the children gone?
Think about where you live. When was the last
time you saw children chalking hopscotch on the street, playing
kick-about on a nearby green space or balancing along a wall on
their way to the local shop?
Sadly, such scenes are becoming memories of a
bygone age. Today’s children don’t have the freedom and space to
play enjoyed by their parents and grandparents before them.
The Our place campaign is asking for
children’s needs to be prioritised in all community spaces to
support children to develop their own independence and freedom to
play outdoors where they live. The campaign recognises the benefits
of being part of a community that embraces children’s play, and is
encouraging opportunities for communities to get to know each
other, across the generations.
Playday 2010 research
New figures released for Playday 2010 reveal that the
loss of community spirit in Britain is leading to children not
being allowed to play outside where they live.
An ICM survey commissioned by Play England, found that 79%
of adults believe community spirit has weakened since they were a
child. This is compounded by the fact that nearly half of men (44%)
and 28% of women would be wary to help a child in need of
assistance in their neighbourhood, in case they were suspected of
attempting to abduct the child.
The research also found that 47% of adults think it is unsafe
for children to play out without supervision, and that 1 in 3 (37%)
parents are concerned they will be judged by their neighbours if
they let their children play out unsupervised.
71% of children worry about being followed or taken by
strangers, but despite evident fears nearly three quarters of
children (73%) say they would like to play out more where they
live.
The research demonstrates a resounding call for
communities to pull together to create better places for
children to grow up, with a belief that improving
opportunities for children to play outside would improve
neighbourhoods in general. 81% of adults believe children playing
outside helps to improve community spirit and 70% think that
it makes an area more desirable to live in.
View Playday 2010 research reports here
Campaign
supporters
Nationally, Playday receives a massive amount of support
from national charities and professional bodies.
To find out who is supporting Playday 2010, and to lend your
support to campaign, visit our supporters
page.
Playday 2010
events
Each year, people from across the UK celebrate Playday
by organising events to get local children, families and
communities out to play.
Over 850 locally organised events are taking place
across the UK to celebrate Playday 2010, making it the biggest
Playday on record!
Find a Playday event near you
Campaigning locally
The Playday Our Place
campaign is all about local communities. You could develop the
Our place campaign to address a local issue in your
community, such as the need to make a public space more
child-friendly or for a local play area to be
refurbished.
If you’re running a Playday event, make the
most of the interest generated by your event, highlighting the
importance and benefits of play for children, young people and the
wider community.
More information on running a Playday event,
developing a local campaign and working in partnership with your
community can be found in the Get organised!
guide.
Don't forget to tell
us about your local campaign.
Playday 2011 theme
We're already thinking about the
Playday 2011 campaign. Download the template below and
ask children and young people, adults, playworkers, everyone
at your event, for suggestions for the 2011 Playday
theme.
2011 theme suggestion
template