Ahead of the UK General Election on 4 July 2024, the UK Children’s Play Policy Forum has issued a pre-election statement highlighting the need for focused action by the UK government to address the severe decline in play over recent decades.
The statement focuses on the need for the incoming UK government to deliver focused action for play including:
- Targeted and sustained investment
- Support for national play organisations as key partners for change
- Development of play strategies in England and Northern Ireland, based on a play sufficiency duty, mirroring developments in Wales and Scotland
- Embedding of a play-based pedagogy within education
- Support for development of the playwork workforce
- A review of the planning system in England to prioritise the play needs of children and young people.