Welcome ...

... to Somerset Play.

This website is managed by Somerset Play Forum.

Here you can find information on all aspects of play work and play provision in Somerset. Please use the menu to the left to navigate through the site and scroll down for some of our latest news and work.

New this month:

HEALTHY SCHOOLS - Barnardo's Play and Participation are pleased to be involved with the Healthy Schools Plus programme - 

If you chose the play option you get support and help in making your school a playful one.  There's an information session on 18th June click here for more info .

PLAY DAY 2009 - Wednesday August 5th.  Celebrating Children and Young People's Right to Play.

There are loads of Play Days planned all around Somerset this year.  A full list is on the events and activities page.  The theme this year is: MAKE TIME.  So please do MAKE TIME to come and join in.  Most, if not all, Play Days in Somerset are free events and include activities for children and young people aged 0 to 100.  More information on the natioanl Play Day campaign and events is on www.playday.org

AGM - papers - 

Please follow this link for all the papers from our AGM last April.

Our next meeting is on 21st July at 11:15am at Tangier Scout and Guide HQ Taunton.  More details soon.

PLAY BUILDER PROGRAMME -

This is a national programme, funded by DCSF to improve play spaces.  Somerset has £1.1M to spend between 2008 ad 2011.  We are now in year 2 of the programme.  Evaluations, pictures and more for the year one sites will be available soon.  A list of year 2 sites is avail able on the Play Builder page. 

NEW MANAGING RISK GUIDANCE - 

This is a guide to implementing the Managing Risk in Play Provision statement from the Play Safety Forum.  Report from Play England. Hard copies available free from DCSF orderline 0845 6022260 (option 1) - or download from: http://www.playengland.org.uk/resources/managing-risk-play-provision-guide.pdf

SMALL GRANT SCHEME -a summary of the grants we awarded (totalling ove £9,000) is available on the grants page.

OUTDOOR PLAY GUIDE - collecting the 100 best free places to play in Somerset - click here for more information.

 SOMERSET PLAY CONFERENCE - "PLAYING SPACES - Making space for children and young people to grow" - 11th February 2009 at Apex Park, Burnham on Sea - a report from the conference will be on the site as soon as I can get the power point presentations small enough to upload them!

School Play Days - a brilliant way to improve behaviour, social skills, staff and pupil relationships, self esteem and much more. lots of extremely successful school playdays have now been organised in Somerset. All the schools that have organised a play day want to find a way to replicate the experience and use free play activities more often.

Want to find out more about school playdays? Visit the reports and papers page to find out about Priorswood, Parcroft and West Coker playdays. Visit www.schoolsoutforplay.org.uk for more information. Contact us if you'd like to plan one and we'll do what we can to help.