The Association of Play Industries has written to the Prime Minister and Ministers Matt Hancock and Robert Jenrick, urging the UK Government to match the commitment to children’s outdoor play recently pledged by Scotland’s First Minister, throughout the entire UK.
Nicola Sturgeon has promised a £60m fund to renew every play park in Scotland, so that all children have access to a place to play in their own community.
API Chair Mark Hardy, says: “All children throughout the UK need and deserve a similar promise on play. Away from the home, children spend more time playing in public playgrounds than any other place.
“And yet there has been an alarming and sustained decline in the number of playgrounds in recent years, leaving millions of children with nowhere to play. Children from the most disadvantaged areas, and those from the 1 in 8 UK households without gardens, are the most affected.
“The Government must now match the funding pledge of the SNP who have seized upon the groundswell of public appreciation for shared, public spaces such as parks and community playgrounds.”
The Government is now presented with a rare opportunity to mitigate the damage to children caused by lockdown and to support their health and wellbeing for generations to come, with one simple yet powerful public health measure: the UK urgently needs a national network of sustainable public play spaces to support children’s health.
“It is now essential that the Government sets out a clear plan for investment in outdoor play, so that all children from all backgrounds across the UK have access to community, doorstep playgrounds,” continues Mark. “There is a real danger that these spaces could disappear for good with catastrophic effects on children’s mental and physical health unless the Government acts now.”
The API has also written to the Scottish First Minister to thank her and to urge her to ensure that the funds reach those communities and children that need it the most.
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