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The Association of Play Industries (API) is calling on the public to support its Pathway to Play campaign by writing to their local MPs, urging the government to invest in public playgrounds in their first Budget on 30 October. The campaign seeks to address the growing crisis of childhood obesity and mental health issues by ensuring that every child has access to safe, high-quality outdoor play spaces.

Pathway To Play Campaign Urges Next UK Government to Invest in Public Playgrounds

The Association of Play Industries (API) is launching a new campaign – Pathway To Play - urging the next UK government to invest significantly in public playgrounds. With an alarming rise in childhood obesity, poor mental health and sleep issues, the #PathwayToPlay manifesto stresses the crucial role of outdoor play in promoting the health and wellbeing of children across the nation.

Notes to Editors:

The Association of Play Industries (API) is delighted to announce that GroundsFest will be the primary sponsor of this year’s special Annual General Meeting to celebrate 40 years of the API.

The Association of Play Industries (API) is thrilled to mark its fortieth anniversary this year, a significant milestone in their commitment to promoting children's play across the UK. As the lead trade association for the play industry, the API has been dedicated to supporting its members since their establishment in 1984.

The first ever GroundsFest, held at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, on 20 and 21 September, proved to be a huge success for the play sector.

The Association of Play Industries is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Amanda Gummer as their new Independent Chair. A psychologist and CEO of research consultancy Fundamentally Children, Amanda brings over 20 years’ experience of working with children and families and is passionate about children’s play.

On Thursday 06 July 2023, the Association of Play Industries held a special Annual General Meeting (AGM) and dinner at Coombe Abbey, Warwickshire. During the event, they launched two new research projects focusing on enhancing children's play opportunities.

The government has the power to make a significant positive impact on children’s health and wellbeing in the budget this week, despite fears of another round of austerity.

The Association of Play Industries is supporting JU:MP (Join Us: Move. Play) who are launching a brand new initiative, Screen Off Life On, to support Bradford families to swap screen time for activities off screen this National Playday (3 August). Screen Off Life On is a public resource, co-created by Bradford families and tailored for children, young people and adults to help Bradford families get up, get out, and get happy!

The Association of Play Industries (API) recently launched its Equal Play campaign based on new research which showed that access to public play spaces in the UK is unfair and unequal. A Freedom of Information survey revealed that some UK regions have almost five times the free-to-access play provision of others.  Given the enormous variation in play provision across the UK, the API has been inundated with requests for local data. In response to these queries, we are sharing maps outlining the state of play in each of the UK nations.

Last month, the Association of Play Industries (API) launched its Equal Play campaign based on new research which showed that access to public play spaces in the UK is unfair and unequal. A Freedom of Information survey revealed that some UK regions have almost five times the free-to-access play provision of others.

Last month, the Association of Play Industries (API) launched its Equal Play campaign based on new research which showed that access to public play spaces in the UK is unfair and unequal. A Freedom of Information survey revealed that some UK regions have almost five times the free-to-access play provision of others.

The API’s Equal Play campaign is calling for:

Today is PlayDay, the national day for play and the API has released a short video to celebrate. Public playgrounds are the number one place that children play outdoors (away from the home) and they’re free to all!  At the centre of communities across the UK, playgrounds have a vital role in the lives of children and families and yet, due to under-funding, they are disappearing at an alarming rate.

The Association of Play Industries has signed a letter to the Telegraph with over 100 other children’s sector organisations, calling for children to be at the heart of recovery plans. You can read the letter on the Telegraph website here or on the NCB website here. The related news item on the Telegraph’s front page is here.

Boris Johnson’s Government faces renewed pressure today to pledge urgent and sustained funding for public play spaces to help children in England recover from lockdown.

Support the API’s social media campaign highlighting the importance of public play spaces by using the hashtags #SummerofPlay, #PlayMustStay and #FunFriendsFreedom

Free-to-access, public playgrounds are the most common places for children to play according to a new national survey from the University of Reading.  In the largest study of play in Britain, children on average spent more time playing in playgrounds than any other place.