The Right Year for Children (RY4C) is a year of action to strengthen children's rights in England. It started on 16 December 2011, the 20th anniversary of the UK ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
From Adam Steiner, API – Federation of Sports and Play Associations
At this year’s Playfair the API (Association of Play Industries) will commemorate five years of the UK’s only play-dedicated annual trade show highlighting the latest and greatest innovations in play space construction and design.
The very first Playfair, held in 2008, was notable for being both the first event of its kind and for introducing the government-funded Playbuilder programme that saw API members supply playgrounds to communities throughout the UK. Adrian Voce (now Adrian Voce OBE), the then Chair of Play England, now an active play campaigner, took to the seminar stage to outline the Labour government’s play. The event also featured a sizeable playground exhibiting the benefits of holistic play alongside API members, providing a platform for the UK play industry.
Playfair 2009 was a notable year with a massive 35% increase in visitors compared to 2008. The show was heaped with praise and once again a feature playscape, worth £150k, and representing 19 suppliers was constructed by four API member companies working together in only 6 days.
Playfair 2010 received almost 1,000 visitors and a stronger showing of API members exhibiting. Once again, busloads of schoolchildren visited the site and were free to try out all the play equipment, many of them becoming so engrossed that they appeared to forget all about the World Cup and the imminent England match. Many of the play spaces at the event reflected the increasing natural play influence that had already become so popular through the Playbuilder scheme.
Ray Baxter, Events Manager for API partners, Brintex, said: “Sunny Stoneleigh Park was transformed into a true showcase for manufacturers and suppliers of play equipment and safety surfaces. Visitors came from all over the country with excellent representation from both the public and private sectors.”
Playfair 2011 was also a remarkable year for several reasons. Following the general election in the previous year and the appointment of thye coalition government, play suddenly faced severe cuts after the Playbuilder funding was cut. However after several months of hard campaigning, Emma Kane a mother from Oxford, a reduced final wave of Playbuilder funding was saved and Emma’s seminar talk earned concerted applause from an audience grateful for her efforts. Another inspiring talk came from Olympic gold medallist, Sally Gunnell, who spoke of the need for the government and communities to embrace active play as a pathway to sport.
Playfair 2012 is on-track to be the best show yet with a quick sign-up for stand space from API members in spite of the difficult economic times for the play sector and communities at large. This year API will also help to promote the child’s right to play through the Right Year for Children campaign which aims to strengthen children’s rights in England.
The Playfair 2012 seminar program will also feature talks on new funding schemes for play, information on the government’s latest Change4Life initiatives and physical activity information from the British Heart Foundation. Held on the 19-20 June at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire, Playfair 2012 is free to attend for all landscape and play and leisure industry professionals.
Looking forward, Playfair 2013 will be held on 18-19 June – we hope to see you then!
For further information contact Ray Baxter at Brintex on 020 7973 4695, or email: r.baxter@hgluk.com
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