PLAY is a four letter word

Parks4Play are planning a campaign breakfast screening at the mac cinema, Cannon Hill Park B12 9QH on Friday 13th March, between 8am and 9am.   Playwell - Unique Specialist Childcare In Birmingham there is a unique specialist childcare service, called Playwell, run by Parks for Play, a 10 year old charity set up by families with disabled children, Playwell  is the first  such provision to combine customised play and playcare on a daily basis afterschool for disabled children and runs from Uffculme ASC School in Moseley. Families are consequently able to train and work to avoid financial immobilisation, social isolation and child poverty.  Playwell provides priority playcare places to local working families with disabled children.    Disabled Children Play  Well Playwell generates significant progress for children through facilitated play opportunities. Play is a biological, psychological and social necessity. Indisputable research shows that ALL children and young people need to play. Play is a natural process that is freely chosen, spontaneous, joyous, instinctive and absolutely vital for the all-round development of resilient human beings.  The consequence of play deprivation on all children is demonstrated daily by rising concerns around safeguarding, mental health and obesity issues.  Disabled children  are most at risk of play deprivation.  At Playwell the  impact of children's play is evidenced by tangible outcomes in social, physical, intellectual, creative and emotional development. Local governments benefit from Playwell by  the preservation of family well being, the avoidance of crisis intervention, maintaining employment and the consequent cross department savings

Book your place Birmingham to lead the way Parks for Play  sets the lack of specialist childcare at the heart of the EU’s commitment to Equal Access to Employment. Throughout the UK the proliferation of childcare at mainstream schools has  NOT been  mirrored at special schools due to a lack of central support. Parks for Play is campaigning for earmarked European funding to support customised  playcare pilots throughout Europe, starting in Birmingham, to address the disparity in access to childcare and demonstrate best play.  Neena Gill, Labour MEP is highlighting the barrier to training and employment faced by parents of disabled children in the European Parliament’s Disabilities Intergroup, and is also gathering signatories for a declaration to the EU Council and Commission from MEPs of all 28 Member States.” ”Throughout the EU 15 million children have special educational needs.  The lack of adequate child care for these children is an issue that has wide-ranging consequences for the EU's social and economic fabric and needs to be addressed with urgency. We hope to see you at this event and if you are interested but unable to attend  please get in touch. We can bring presentations to your organisations. Laura Watts, Parks4Play Facebook Email

Our mailing address is: info@parks4play.org

The Big Lebowski and the Big Society

Sometimes everything you see seems connected.  Anyway, we watched the fantastic 'The Big Lebowski'  on LOVEfilm this weekend.

Jeff Lebowski, The Dude, the main man, is a 'bum', a slacker, living on Venice Beach, LA.  Vain, lazy and poor, yet somehow manages to be morally superior to the range of stinking rich characters who attempt to use him for their own ends.  Strangely enough, despite their less than wonderful character traits, the Dude and his bowling friends (the undeserving poor?) end up helping out all the others (the undeserving rich?), except the nihilists.  Film ends where it began, with friends still poor, still bowling.

Great film.