2010: Our place

The Playday 2010 Our Place campaign aimed to put children’s play back where it belongs and asked everyone – young and old – to help create better places for children to live and play.

Where have all the children gone?

Think about where you live. When was the last time you saw children chalking hopscotch on the street, playing kick-about on a nearby green space or balancing along a wall on their way to the local shop?

Sadly, such scenes are becoming memories of a bygone age. Today’s children don’t have the freedom and space to play enjoyed by their parents and grandparents before them.

The Our place campaign asked for children’s needs to be prioritised in all community spaces to support children to develop their own independence and freedom to play outdoors where they live. The campaign highlighted the benefits of being part of a community that embraces children’s play, and encouraged opportunities for communities to get to know each other, across the generations.

Over 850 locally organised events took place across the UK to celebrate Playday 2010, making it the biggest Playday on record!

 

Playday 2010 research

Figures released for Playday 2010 revealed that the loss of community spirit in Britain was leading to children not being allowed to play outside where they lived.

An ICM survey commissioned by Play England, found that 79% of adults believed community spirit had weakened since they were a child. This was compounded by the fact that nearly half of men (44%) and 28% of women would be wary to help a child in need of assistance in their neighbourhood, in case they were suspected of attempting to abduct the child.

The research also found that 47% of adults thought it unsafe for children to play out without supervision, and that 1 in 3 (37%) parents were concerned they would be judged by their neighbours if they let their children play out unsupervised.

71% of children worried about being followed or taken by strangers, but despite evident fears nearly three quarters of children (73%) said they would like to play out more where they lived.

The research was a resounding call for communities to pull together to create better places for children to grow up, with a belief that improving opportunities for children to play outside would improve neighbourhoods in general. 81% of adults believed children playing outside helped improve community spirit and 70% thought that it made an area more desirable to live in.

View Playday 2010 research reports here

Campaign supporters
Nationally, Playday receives a massive amount of support from national charities and professional bodies.

To find out who supported Playday 2010, visit our supporters page.