Woodgate Adventure Playground

It All Starts with Play! The Assignment Ends. The Mission Continues. linkedin.com/pulse/all-start… After three-and-half years, my time as Executive Director of @PlayEngland has come to an end. When I took on the role in 2023, the challenge was to rebuild, reinvigorate and reposition an organisation with a proud history and an important purpose. Together, we have achieved a great deal. We have restored @PlayEngland's national voice, developed a bold ten-year strategy, strengthened political and policy influence, built new partnerships and created stronger foundations for the future. But the work is far from finished. I've always believed that leadership is an act of stewardship, not ownership. Its true measure is not what you achieve while you're there, but what remains, what continues and what others can build upon when you leave. My sincere thanks to @PlayEngland's Board, past and present, for their trust and support; to @TomHayesBmouth for his leadership and unwavering advocacy through the @APPGonPlay; and to the many colleagues, partners and supporters across the sector who have helped make this progress possible. None of this was achieved alone, and I am genuinely grateful to everyone who has contributed. I leave with immense pride, sincere gratitude and confidence in what comes next. The assignment ends. The mission continues. Keep up the good fight ✊🏼 #ItAllStartsWithPlay

‘Play campaigners urge Prime Minister to revive national strategy’ - @CYPNow cypnow.co.uk/content/news/pl… Nearly half of children want to spend more of their free time playing active games, research has found, leading campaigners to call for a revived national play strategy. The call from @PlayEngland and the @PlayTheirWay movement comes on @NationalPlayday, the annual national celebration of children’s right to play, backed by research finding that screens and a lack of safe outdoor spaces are limiting many children's opportunities to play as they wish. They urge Prime Minister @AndyBurnham to respond by reviving England’s play strategy, which he originally launched in 2008. playengland.org.uk/newsblog/… Research carried out by @IpsosUK found 49% of children aged eight to 16 would like to spend more time playing active games for fun. Some 40% of parents polled said their children had stopped taking part in a sport because it was “not fun enough”. playengland.org.uk/newsblog/… #ItAllStartsWithPlay! #NationalPlayStrategy #PlaySufficiency