Town and Parish Councils

Most of our Community Play is funded by Town and Parish Councils and it ranges from all year round provision, to single Play Days in school holidays. While parks are available to everyone and open most of the time, they can be underused and need a focus to bring more children and families to them. Going to the park may no longer compete with screen games and YouTube. In isolated or deprived areas, children may not have access to paid for activities and may have little to do during the school holidays.

June 2024: We are currently fully booked for both after school and holiday play sessions until January 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

A team of three Rangers arrive in our branded vans full of active and creative play kit and set up in the park agreed with the Funder for the day, usually 10am to 4pm. Play is child-led, inspired by whatever the children want to do, and provides a focus for a community day out, with parents, carers and grandparents often joining in! The day is free to users of the park, so they can come and go as they please. Numbers vary depending on location and the weather but we have had more than 100 on many occasions.

  • More children playing outdoors more often
  • Whole families are taking part in activities supporting wellbeing
  • Improved resilience through outdoor play
  • Positive social behaviour with families feeling safer in public spaces
  • Improved social connections through friendships and volunteering
  • Free, accessible play supporting low-income families helping to mitigate the effects of poverty
  • Better connection to the natural environment by playing outdoors year round

A PlayDay at 2024 prices is around £590, depending upon travel times. This includes all planning, site visits for risk assessments, online publicity and a report on the event afterwards. Full year provision is based upon costs of around £590 per holiday PlayDay and £250 per after-school session but costs are different for each location and may vary according to different requirements.

Open access means that the children who attend are free to come and go as they please, we do not take a register and will not stop a child from leaving. This puts the decision to join or leave with the child and their parents/ carers, in keeping with our belief in child-led play. There is no fee for the child to join in the activities.

No, we will be there in rain, snow or hail. We do have a safety protocol regarding electrical storms, when we may send children home until it passes. We did once have to cancel a session when the park was under six inches of water! We believe sensory play in all weathers is good for children but we do ask them to wear suitable clothing. We do have windbreaks, tarpaulins for building awnings and large dens and we also have our firepits for the coldest weather.

If you have a question that hasn’t been answered in the FAQs, please use the button below to get in touch.