Local children have their say on play provision

A one-of-a-kind tour is to start next week to find out exactly what children want when they go out to play.

South Somerset District Council's Lottery Funded Community Play Officer will embark on a three-month tour on the district council's community activity bus starting in Barwick on dates throughout January, February and March.

His mission is to find out what kinds of play local children enjoy, where and when they like to play and whether anything gets in the way of them having fun - gathering information through a series of interactive techniques, including a Big Brother-style 'diary room', laptop questionnaires and interactive games.

Thought to be a first in the country, the tour will debut at Barwick Recreation Ground from 5pm to 7pm on Monday 19 January and at Barwick Primary School on Wednesday 21 January from 9.30am.

The tour has been made possible through Big Lottery funding after South Somerset District Council put in a successful bid last year.

Mr Divall Community Play Officer at South Somerset District Council explains, "What we are starting is a Parish Play Plan. We know other areas have looked at district-wide play plans and town plans but never anything so specific as each small area within a district, so this may well be the beginning of the country's first such consultation. We'll be touring four parishes each year.

"We'll have fun and games on board the bus, starting with Street Play on Monday, and I will be finding out about everything from e-play and gaming, play safety, parks and green spaces, home and garden play and anything else play-related."

Information gathered on the tour will help form a specific play plan for each parish, looking at what play there already is and highlighting gaps in play that need to be developed.

Cllr Sylvia Seal, South Somerset's Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Well Being added, "We live in a rural, dispersed area so it's important that we provide a variety of play activities for local youngsters. What's really pleasing is that we are able to support this work without cost to the taxpayer as it is fully funded through the Big Lottery Fund. Through our bid to the Big Lottery we have also been able to deliver Play Rangers in the summer holidays."

This year the tour will visit Barwick, Combe St Nicholas, Tintinhull and Hardington Mandeville.