Fuente: © UK Government
http://www.open.gov.uk/

UK: BIG LOTTERY FUNDING GOES OUT TO PLAY

/noticias.info/ Children and young people are being encouraged to turn off the TV and put the computer games down. The Big Lottery Fund has announced a new partnership to enable the development of a play programme, central to children's quality of life and a vital factor in their physical, emotional and social development.

The lottery fund's £155 million children's play programme will create and improve spaces in all areas of England where they can play freely and in safety.

The Children's Play Council (CPC) has been awarded a development grant of £156,020 to get the programme off the ground. They will help the Big Lottery Fund to set up regional support and development infrastructure to encourage play activities that are self-directed, creative and fun.

Local agencies will receive the necessary backing to help them to develop and deliver play strategies including the development of innovative play projects, to be supported through the programme.

The network will also help in the identification, development and dissemination of best practice and promote the long-term strategic and sustainable development of play provision as a free service to children.

Stephen Dunmore Big Lottery Fund Chief Executive said: "There was a time when children played from morning till night and it is clear that children who play every day are healthier and happier. If this funding is to make a real difference for them it needs both investment and planning, and this must be done at the local level according to local need involving local partnerships.

This stream of funding will cultivate innovative practice and encourage the development of cross-cutting play strategies to support the wider development of local play provision by ensuring local agencies are equipped to deliver the programme. "

Adrian Voce Director of the CPC said: "This grant from the Big Lottery Fund will enable us to develop robust plans for a major new resource for everyone working for children's play in England. Many local areas need strategic support to create more space and better opportunities for children and young people's play and leisure. This is an important step towards making that happen.

Grants under the children's play programme will be awarded to projects that are self-directed, creative and fun and will facilitate the promotion of a long-term positive change in attitude regarding the importance of children's play.

The Fund has already announced that local authority areas will be allocated indicative funding from the new programme early in 2006, with more detailed announcements about this expected in November.

Further information:
Big Lottery Fund
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030
Textphone: 0845 6021 659

Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on:http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk


Notes to Editors

* Big Lottery Fund is the joint operating name of the New Opportunities Fund and the National Lottery Charities Board (which made grants under the name of the Community Fund). The Big Lottery Fund, launched on 1 June 2004, is distributing half of all National Lottery good cause funding across the UK.
* The Big Lottery Fund is building on the experience and best practice of the merged bodies to simplify funding in those areas where they overlap and to ensure Lottery funding provides the best possible value for money. To date, the two merged Funds' have committed more than £5 billion to initiatives with national, regional and local partners from the public, voluntary, charity and private sectors, with a particular focus on disadvantage. notas_de_prensa_archivo