Agenda item

London Play

Fiona Sutherland from London Play will attend to provide evidence for the Play-spaces review. A presentation is enclosed.

 

More information on their work can be found here: https://londonplay.org.uk/

 

Minutes:

The chair welcomed Fiona Sutherland from London Play and invited her to present.

 

 London Play

  • Established in 1998; charity advocating for children’s right to play.
  • Vision: Every child in London should have space, time, and freedom to play outside daily near home.
  • Work includes:
    • Adventure Play: Supporting staffed adventure playgrounds.
    • Doorstep Play: Helping communities reclaim streets and estates for play.
    • Campaigning & Advocacy: Influencing policy and building public support.

 

Why Play Matters

  • Fundamental for healthy childhoods:
    • Mental & physical health, emotional development, creativity, social skills.
  • Benefits communities:
    • Safer streets, active travel, social cohesion.
  • UNCRC Article 31: Right to play.

 

Current Challenges

  • 1 in 4 children obese; mental health issues rising.
  • Overcrowding: 90,000 children in temporary accommodation.
  • Limited provision: 1 playground per 866 children; car-dominated streets.
  • Only 27% play outside regularly; inequalities for poorer areas, Black/Brown families, SEND children.
  • Barriers: No legal duty for play, financial constraints, perception of play as non-essential.

 

Southwark Play Audit: a strong start

  • 260+ play areas (60 parks, 204 estates).
  • 70% no major investment in 12+ years.
  • 53% not accessible; most in deprived areas.
  • £3m capital programme and Play Working Group established.

 

Policy Context: a policy moment

  • Play Commission report and proposed Play Sufficiency Duty.
  • All Party Parliamentary Group on Play formed.
  • Calls for National Play Strategy and funding.

 

Recommended next Steps for Southwark: move from audit to action:

 

·  Develop borough-wide Play Strategy.

·  Move from audit to action:

·  Address gaps and quality issues.

·  Ensure inclusivity (girls, teens, SEND, temporary housing).

·  Link play to council priorities: health, housing, safety, environment, culture.

·  Focus on quality, not just quantity.

 

Engagement & Co-production

  • Involve children, families, and residents.
  • Prioritise excluded voices.
  • Combine audit data with lived experience.
  • Test ideas via pop-ups and pilots.

 

A playful borough

  • Recognise play beyond playgrounds (streets, estates, parks).
  • Address barriers: safety, traffic, perception.
  • Embed engagement and co-production.
  • Sustain coordination through Play Working Group.

 

 

Question and answer session

 

The chair invited the commission to ask questions of London Play and on the earlier presentation by Make Space for Girls:

 

Question 1: What should be the top priority for a Play Strategy?

  • Make Space for Girls: Emphasised the need for inclusion of girls and young women, with consideration of intersectionality. Recommended co-design and active engagement with diverse groups to ensure equitable provision.
  • London Play: Stressed that the strategy must address play needs beyond traditional playgrounds, incorporating streets and estates. Highlighted the importance of revenue funding for ongoing maintenance to prevent spaces becoming neglected, noting that complaints often relate to issues such as litter and dog fouling.

 

Question 2: Which places have demonstrated best practice?

  • Make Space for Girls:
    • Sweden: Commended for its strong commitment to gender equality at a national level, resulting in more inclusive public spaces.
    • Canada – Gaukel Street Parkette: Highlighted the “Deconstructed Heart” design, a heart-shaped structure co-designed with young women. This space provides semi-private curved seating areas with good sightlines, ergonomic design, and a welcoming aesthetic, enabling small groups to gather safely.

 

Question 3: What are the biggest barriers or challenges, aside from financial constraints?

  • London Play: Observed that play provision often falls between service areas, creating gaps in accountability. Recommended clear governance and cross-departmental involvement, including leisure, housing, public health, culture, education, and transport initiatives such as Southwark’s “Streets for People.”
  • Make Space for Girls: Noted a lack of awareness within councils regarding how design can unintentionally exclude girls. Advocated for post-occupancy evaluations and dedicated funding to assess impact and inform future improvements.

 

Question 4: How does this work connect with the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy?

  • Make Space for Girls: Explained that engagement originated through community safety teams, leading to research that captured girls’ perspectives on public space. Identified a negative cycle whereby girls’ absence from parks reinforces feelings of insecurity, perpetuating exclusion. The aim is to reverse this into a positive cycle of visibility and safety through inclusive design and engagement.

 

Supporting documents: