Realising the many benefits play can bring

Childhood obesity is rising, physical activity levels are falling and young people’s relationship with nature and the world outdoors is dwindling. There has never been a greater need for high-quality spaces for play. But Government funding and priorities don’t reflect the vital role of play in children’s education, health and well-being and its impact on wider society, the NHS and the economy.
    
Founded in 1984, the Association of Play Industries (API) represents manufacturers, installers, designers and distributors of outdoor and indoor play equipment and safety surfacing. Around 70 per cent of its members specialise in supplying the education market, designing, creating and installing learning and play spaces, multi-use games areas, play equipment and resources to schools and early years settings across the UK.  

The API badge is a quality mark and association members abide by a strict Professional Code of Conduct, operate to the highest standards and are rigorously monitored for financial stability. As a result, there are clear advantages to choosing a member when specifying a play project.

Committed to campaigning for play
2013 has been a significant year for the API with the appointment of a new Chair and a strong and enthusiastic commitment by the association’s Executive to campaign hard for play.
    
Commenting on his appointment in May this year, new chair Michael Hoenigmann said: “Funding cuts have resulted in a 28 per cent decrease in the value of the play industries market over the last two years. But as child obesity rates and sedentary leisure habits increase, the role of active play has never been so vitally important.
    
API members are leading that fight by creating innovative play spaces and equipment which encourage physical activity, movement and development. Also, they operate to the highest standards. My primary aim, as API Chair, will be to bang the drum for play at the highest levels and to call for the investment and recognition it rightfully deserves.”
    
Since then, Hoenigmann and the other members of the API Executive have taken a bold approach to campaigning for better recognition for the value of play and the need for investment by government and local authorities. This year, the association has taken a strong stance on the poor value it feels is offered by local authority play procurement, highlighting the prevalence of poor practice and making recommendations for improvements.

The API is committed to enhancing its policies and procedures with the support of its members and is currently reviewing its financial criteria for both entry and retention in order to ensure that every member company is financially stable and complies with the association’s high standards.
    
The API has recently been invited to attend a number of influential meetings with like-minded stakeholder organisations with mutual interests in promoting the value of play and the need for investment in high-quality play spaces. It is also being asked to submit play industry viewpoints to consultations such as that on physical activity and Olympic legacy for children and young people.

Accessibility of play spaces
The API eagerly awaits the long-awaited evaluation of the £235m Play Pathfinders and Play Builders Programmes expected before the end of the year and plans to undertake its own research-based campaigning on the accessibility of play spaces. It is currently developing a meaningful way to collate evidence of the positive impact of play spaces installed by API members and will be submitting evidence to the new All-Party Commission on Physical Activity to highlight the role for play in tackling the physical inactivity epidemic and improving child health outcomes.
    
In yet another indication of the growing recognition of the value of play, the organisers of SALTEX, the UK’s biggest event for those who manage and maintain outdoor facilities, invited the API to bring PlayFair to its event for the first time as a standalone destination show.

Over a quarter (28 per cent) of the 8,500 visitors to SALTEX identified play equipment as being of interest and nearly a fifth (16 per cent) had a primary interest in play products and equipment – an almost 50 per cent increase on 2010 figures. Over 350 visitors came along to the event solely to visit PlayFair.
    
So as the year draws to a close, Michael Hoenigmann reflects on his first six months as API Chair and says: “I’m confident that as we move into 2014, the association’s renewed energy will see its campaigning work gather further momentum as we work actively and collaboratively with committed, like-minded organisations to ensure that play takes its rightful place at the table.”      
    
For those association members working in the education market, the year ahead will be focused on providing the best possible advice to schools and settings keen to combine improving their playgrounds, outdoor classrooms and outside spaces with delivering positive learning and physical activity outcomes for children. Even though education and local authority budgets are being squeezed, API members pride themselves on creating stimulating, challenging, engaging and fun places that children enjoy playing and learning in and that teachers and nursery managers see immediate benefits from. For them, play is a serious business.

About the API
For further information about the API, its members and how it can help support play projects or tenders, contact: Deborah Holt, tel: 024 7641 4999 ext. 208, 
email api@api-play.org

Download the 2013 Directory of API Members at 
tinyurl.com/7768pzf and follow the API on
Twitter: @apiplay and @API_Chair