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Sunderland City Council

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Sunderland City Council
Civic Centre
Burdon Road
Sunderland
SR2 7DN

Tel. (0191) 520 5555
Calls may be recorded for quality and training purposes

Play and Urban Games 

Welcome to Sunderland City Council's Play and Urban Games, part of the Sport and Leisure Service.
Our vision: "Sunderland will work in partnership to provide, support and sustain a variety of high quality and accessible play environments and opportunities, for all children and young people up to 19 years. The city aspires to a core offer of free provisions citywide, which may be supported by affordable facilitated provision as appropriate". Young people hanging from net

PLAY IN SUNDERLAND

We are working hard to ensure Play in Sunderland provides all of our Children and Young People (71,534 resident children and young people aged 0-19 years (Census 2001) a full range of play spaces which are challenging and safe, providing access to green space and other opportunities, and which most importantly inspire creativity and improve health and well being.

We are passionate about Play in Sunderland and believe in its ability to:

  • Provide a window for community engagement, ownership and empowerment;
  • Promote access, inclusivity and community cohesion;
  • Promote physical and mental well-being;
  • Re-establish vibrant and welcoming ‘green lungs’ and play environments;
  • Inspire creativity in children, young people, their families and the wider community;
  • Address community safety issues;
  • Act as a gateway to wider support services.

Although we all recognise play when we see it, it is difficult to define.  From an early age play is important to a child’s development and learning; it is not just physical activity.  Play can involve cognitive, imaginative, creative, emotional and social aspects.  It is the main way children express their impulse to explore, experiment and understand. 

The simplest of definition is probably the following:

What children and young people do when they follow their own ideas and interests in their own way and for their own reasons (Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Getting Serious About Play, 2002).

MOVING FORWARD - SUNDERLAND'S UPDATED PLAY AND URBAN GAMES STRATEGY 2007 - 2012

Sunderland city Council has an existing Play & Urban games Strategy 2003 - 2013 which concentrated on fixed play & urban games provision.  Following detailed consultation, an analysis was undertaken of local plans, strategies and a SWOT analysis.  The strategy identified a strategic vision and six priority objectives were identified:

The strategy is clearly embedded within the city’s strategic planning process.

Priority Objectives are:

  • Ensure that play is strategically planned and resourced in partnership
  • Involve children and young people in the development of their play opportunities and services
  • Work in partnership to develop, support and promote high standards for play
  • Create, improve and develop free and inclusive play spaces
  • Seek greater innovation in the development of varied and sustainable play opportunities
  • Ensure that, in partnership, the city monitors and evaluates the impact of play developments citywide to deliver this strategy
Our Strategy embeds the definition of play from ‘Getting Serious about Play’ and focuses primarily:

‘Where play provision is Free of charge, where young people are Free to come and go and Free to choose what they do whilst there’ (Else, 2005).		 YP Drawing

Sunderland has recognised a responsibility to ensure that children and young people should enjoy their free time and have access to ‘high quality’ play opportunities.  Children and young people stated that they liked to play, relax with friends, have more adventurous and safe play opportunities near their homes. The children and young people expressed that they wanted to be involved in the decisions which affect them.

The strategy states what Sunderland City Council intends to do over the next 5 years. It provides a focus on the needs of children and young people and ensures they remain the focus.  Further information is available from the Sunderland City Council’s Updated Play and Urban Games Strategy 2007-2012 (pdf document pdf 1803.04kb).

The strategy has been influenced by a range of children and young people, the thoughts of which can be seen on a film that was produced to coincide with the strategy.  Sunderland City Council commissioned a seven-minute film titled "What is Play" highlighting the views of young people in Sunderland.  Young people give their opinions of what play is to them and what stops them from playing.  It then goes on to look into what children in the city would like from a play area.  For further information about the film please contact us on the number or e-mail below.

What are we involved with

We are currently involved with a number of exciting new play opportunities.  To view our services please click on the links below:


Useful Documents
Sunderland City Council’s Updated Play and Urban Games Strategy 2007-2012 (pdf document pdf 1803.04kb)
Active City (pdf document pdf 1950kb)
Sport and Physical Activity Strategy (pdf document pdf 3713kb)

Useful Websites
External Link BIG Lottery Fund
External Link Play England North East
 External Link Play Day

Please contact Sport & Leisure by telephone (0191) 5614590/4591 or  e-mail sports.leisure@sunderland.gov.uk
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last updated 01/07/08