Parks for Play is a unique charity that was created by families with disabled children, play and youth experts. It has seventeen years’ experience running small, customised, services that are responsive to its users. It offers consistent local service delivery where children and young people at risk of isolation are the key beneficiaries. The charity recently moved to its new home at Coronation Road Playcentre in Selly Oak.
This summer, 65 children and young people will enjoy regular access to inclusive play during four weeks of summer. The charity will provide 12 sessions for the children and young people who attend each of the five clubs that are based at the Playcentre; and run trips off-site with families and practitioners for each. The five clubs that Parks for Play runs cover age groups stretching from 6-18 years. Parks for Play also supports three days of offsite sessions with the WE: ARE Women’s Empowerment and Recovery Educators, group of children and families who have experienced domestic violence and many of whom also have SEND.
Activities
An adherence to play principles runs throughout Parks for Play services so there is always a range of opportunities that can be freely chosen by the children or young people. In all sessions there are loose parts and props enabling children and young people to be inventive and rearrange their environment and construct new habitats. This can involve:
- junk modelling,
- soft play assault courses,
- swings and tyre rolling,
- sensory areas with digital lights and luminous materials,
- giant sheet painting,
- windsail decorations,
- large scale collaborative mosaics
- making and flying kites and mobiles
- water play and waterways
- parachute games
- chase climbing and balancing challenges.
Trips out include adventure play, farms, swimming, bowling and soft play arenas.
Staffing ratios are 1:2 or 1:3 on site to ensure adequate facilitation and risk management. Parks for Play incudes many complex children that other specialist charities and agencies will not accommodate. Many of the attendees are non verbal and some children and young people have complex disabilities and require facilitation with eating movement personal care and responsive observation to ensure they have what they want and need .
Food
Lunch is provided on site by Fit for All partners, Change Kitchen. Nutritional education is incorporated though food play and with older children facilitating cooking sessions so that children and young people try new items which may be introduced off the plate and table.
Summer activities run by Parks for Play and by them with WE:ARE are very limited and most places are taken by children that are already using the services of these groups. You can use the Fit For All Booking Enquiry Form to get in touch with Parks for Play and to enquire about their services.