re:play partnership bags £200,000 in funding

Thousands of children in Welwyn Hatfield are set to benefit from a major lottery windfall of £200,000 that was announced today.

The £200,000 award will fund five schemes for three years and in this time it is hoped that over 3,000 children will be involved.

Recent research has shown a decline in the number of children playing outside, due to a combination of factors such as increased traffic, fear of crime and bullying and a lack of suitable areas. In response to this, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council submitted a bid to the Big Lottery Fund to launch new play initiatives in the borough.

While the application was submitted by the borough council, the work in putting all the bids together was down to Welwyn Hatfield’s re:play partnership, which is part of the Alliance (the borough’s Local Strategic Partnership). The re:play partnership includes representatives from Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, Finesse Leisure Partnership, Hatfield Town Council, YMCA Central Hertfordshire, Groundwork, Welwyn Hatfield Extended Schools and members of different faith groups.

The five play initiatives are:

Hatfield Swim Centre – Free swimming
Finesse Leisure will be providing free swimming and water play to all children and young people aged five to16 years of age (Finesse Leisure already provides free swimming for under-fives) who are residents in Welwyn Hatfield borough. This free provision will be available for all 11 weeks of the school holidays. The programme will be subsidised by Finesse Leisure.

Groundwork Hertfordshire – Outdoor play at nature sites
Four Natural Play Activity Weeks will provide play activities at outdoor sites (woods, nature reserves and open green spaces). The programme encourages children and young people to use natural sites which are near them and provide them with the skills to do so in an enjoyable, safe way. The sessions will be free and will have a variety of activities such as bug hunts, den building, orienteering and pond dipping and art/sculptures using natural materials.

Hatfield Town Council – Enhancing play areas
Hatfield Town Council is undertaking a three year improvement programme for six of its play areas that have been identified as needing upgrades. The programme will see the replacement of bark safety surfacing with wet pour recycled rubber and the provision of a wider range of equipment that is suitable for both disabled and non-disabled children to encourage inclusive play.

Lakeside School, Extended Schools, Herts Youth Service and Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council – Play provision for young people with disabilities at Meeting Point
The Lakeside Youth Project (young people with disabilities) will use the Meeting Point premises in Welwyn Garden City as a venue for young people with supported additional needs to get together with friends outside an education environment. The grant will enable the Youth Project to employ staff for the once weekly sessions that will run for 42+ weeks of the year and some additional project costs for a small amount of equipment.

YMCA Central Herts – School Holiday Play Scheme
The YMCA has a good record of providing play schemes during holiday periods. This scheme will provide an environment for children and young people that is well designed and provide a wide range of activities. This free scheme is designed to engage children and young people in play that is fun, safe and informative. The project will identify those whose need is greater through deprivation and disability and will run during holiday periods, focusing on the age range of eight to14 years of age. The project aims to employ young people under 25 alongside an experienced play worker, as well as involve young volunteers from the borough.

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Councillor Irene Dean, Youth Champion and spokesperson for the re:play partnership, said: “This award is fantastic news and we’re very grateful to the Big Lottery Fund for approving our projects. We’re now able to introduce some great initiatives that all young people in the borough can benefit from, as well as make a tangible difference in some of the areas that need it most and extend provision for young people with disabilities. In addition to thanking the Big Lottery Fund, I must also thank all the partners from the borough’s re:play partnership who worked so hard to put these bids together. We believe every child has the right to play and this funding will go a long way to improve facilities for young people in Welwyn Hatfield.”