Lottery brings better play to East Cambs

Area:

East of England

Programme:

Childrens Play

Release date:

19 2 2007

The Big Lottery Fund award, for the East Cambridgeshire District Council is part of a £12million play cash pot being shared among 32 local authorities across England that will use the money to deliver portfolios of projects that develop, create, improve and design innovative children’s play facilities. The scheme is part of the Big Lottery Fund’s £155million commitment to support children’s play.

The East Cambridgeshire Better PLAY Project will transform play facilities at twelve sites across the district over three years. In the first year of this project the villages of Isleham and Stetchworth will receive funding for creative improvements to their play spaces to engage young people.

Also as part of the project, a Play and Physical Activity Co-ordinator will be employed to develop play activities across East Cambridgeshire, particularly in communities that lack suitable facilities or opportunities.

Finally, funding will also provide investment into play spaces for teenagers; an area that is often overlooked when designing play opportunities.  

Cecilia Tredget, Deputy Chief Executive, said: “This lottery award is excellent news for children and young people in East Cambridgeshire.  The funding will be a catalyst, not only for increasing play activities and opportunities but for the growth in local partnership working to create a long-term legacy for play in the district’’.

“It is important we provide positive activities that engage young people of all ages particularly the hard to reach. The Better Play Project will target rural areas where young people are disadvantaged due to limited access to play facilities.  We have established a Play Partnership that includes various partners across the district to ensure our play services meet the needs of local young people.”

Sara Betsworth, Head of Region for the East of England, said: “This investment of lottery money will go a long way in bringing stimulating and challenging play to children and young people across East Cambridgeshire. In isolated or disadvantaged areas it’s often difficult to access play facilities and equipment; this funding will ensure more families can enjoy better play for their children.”

Further information

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours contact:  078 6750 0572
Public Enquiries Line:  08454 102030
Textphone:  0845 6021 659
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Notes to Editors

• For more information about the East Cambridgeshire Better PLAY Project contact Phillip Turner, Senior Sports & Leisure Officer, East Cambridgeshire District Council on 01353 616382 or email phillip.turner@eastcambs.gov.uk.
• The Big Lottery Fund will support children’s play with £155 million through:

1. the £124 million Children’s Play programme, with funds available to every local authority area in England;
2. a separate £16 million Playful Ideas programme focussing on innovation; and
3. a £15 million grant to the Children’s Play Council, part of the National Children’s Bureau, to fund England-wide development and support.

• Under the Children’s Play programme, in deciding how best to allocate the available funds to each authority the Big Lottery Fund have allocated: 50 per cent of the funding on the basis of child population, and 50 per cent of the regional population living in the most deprived 20% of Super Output Areas included in the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004. The minimum amount allocated to any local authority is £200,000.
• Under Playful Ideas registered charities; voluntary or community groups; charitable or not-for-profit companies; social enterprises; and town and parish councils can apply. However, other organisations, such as schools, can work in partnership on Playful Ideas projects.
• The Big Lottery Fund awarded a grant to the Children’s Play Council a strategic alliance of organisations working to promote the importance of play and to stimulate better play opportunities. Play England - a project of the Children’s Play Council - lead on this work by helping agencies to develop play strategies and apply for Children's Play funding. For further information please visit www.ncb.org.uk
• The Big Lottery Fund rolls out close to £2 million in lottery good cause money every 24 hours, which together with other Lottery distributors means that across the UK most people are within a few miles of a Lottery-funded project.

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