Pictured L-R: Angela Stallard, Director of Service Delivery and Development; Jacqueline O’Loughlin, Chair of the International Play Association – Northern Ireland; and Alan Herron, Chief Executive.

This week, Team PlayBoard joined delegates from across the globe at the 2026 International Play Association (IPA) Conference in Ōtautahi (Christchurch), Aotearoa New Zealand.

Held every three years, the conference brings together practitioners, educators, researchers, policy-makers and businesses from around the world to connect, collaborate and help shape the future of play.

PlayBoard is represented at the conference by Chief Executive Alan Herron and Angela Stallard, Director of Service Delivery and Development.

Alan delivered a presentation entitled ADAPTing Play: Inclusion and Belonging through Play, sharing the journey behind ADAPT My Play, developed in partnership with the Mae Murray Foundation, with lived experience and young people’s voices central to the work.

ADAPT gives councils and play providers a practical framework to consider the play park experience through Access, Dignity, All-Ability, Participation and Transformation.

A highlight of the conference was the international recognition of PlayBoard’s Spaces to Be programme which received the Right to Play Award with Special Commendation.

Delivered as part of the OUR Generation project, Spaces to Be works with children aged 9 to 11 across Northern Ireland and the border counties to build emotional well-being and resilience through the power of play.

Alan Herron, Chief Executive, said:

“This award recognises the commitment, creativity and care of the PlayBoard team. Every day, they work alongside children, schools, communities and partners to make the right to play a reality – creating opportunities for play and ensuring children’s voices help to shape them.

As Chief Executive, seeing that contribution to children’s lives recognised internationally is a particularly proud moment. Thank you to every member of the team for everything you bring to this work.”

The conference also saw Alan join the IPA World Board. Alan commented:

“I’m absolutely delighted and honoured to have been nominated to the IPA World Board. It is a significant opportunity to help shape the direction of an international organisation dedicated to defending and advancing children’s right to play.

Being able to bring experience from Northern Ireland to that global conversation, and contribute alongside play advocates from around the world, is both a privilege and a responsibility I take seriously.

Together, these moments show that Northern Ireland has valuable experience to share and an important role to play in shaping the international agenda for children’s right to play.

For me, that’s the real significance of this recognition: celebrating what our team delivers, taking that experience onto a world stage, and using that platform to help secure every child’s time, space and freedom to play.”

OUR Generation is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).