BIG Lottery Children's Play Programme

What is the Children’s Play Programme?

In 2004 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) published the report of a review of children’s play in England. The report “Getting Serious about Play” made recommendations on the use of National Lottery funding for “improving children’s play opportunities” and that local authorities needed to take the lead in planning for play in their areas.

The BIG Lottery's £155 million Children’s Play initiative is based on the recommendations of the 2004 play review Getting Serious About Play, which defines children’s play as “what children and young people do when they follow their own ideas, in their own way and for their own reasons.”

The Children’s Play initiative aims to:

• Create, improve and develop children and young people’s free local play spaces and opportunities throughout England, according to need;
• Support innovation and new ways of providing for children’s play;
• Create a support and development infrastructure to ensure local agencies have the resources and skills to achieve the first two aims;
• Promote the long-term strategic and sustainable provision for play as a free public service to children ;
• Ensure that local authorities work with other local stakeholders to develop children’s play strategies and plans;
• Ensure that good, inclusive and accessible children’s play services and facilities are provided locally.

Play England Project

Children’s happiness and healthy development is at the centre of a £15 million partnership between the Big Lottery Fund and the Children’s Play Council.  In February 2006 BIG awarded their first grant under the Children’s Play initiative to the Children's Play Council (part of the National Children's Bureau) for the Play England Project.  This will be a major five-year development to help local agencies in planning for play across their area through the setting up of a national support and development infrastructure across the regions.  The Play England Project is available to provide advice and support to both local authorities and the voluntary and community sector call the advice line on 020 7843 6300.

What does this mean for Sunderland?

Each local authority area was allocated an amount of money based on the child population of the area and weighted by the level of deprivation.

In Sunderland an allocation of £759,000 was made to the City from BIG.  To secure this funding the City Council had to apply to the BIG Lottery Fund firstly by submitting an expression of interest showing that the projects can satisfy the 3-Frees test for play and the BIG Children's Play Programme outcomes.  A full application was submitted in August 2007 and the funding was secured in January 2008.

Further information on Sunderland's involvement and to see designs of our portfolio projects please follow this link Sunderland City Council Children's Play Programme and Portfolio Projects.

Useful Websites
BIG Lottery Fund
Play England North East

Please contact Sport & Leisure by telephone (0191) 5614590/4591 or  e-mail sports.leisure@sunderland.gov.uk

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