Playlink Issues

This is the section where we keep a range of written materials which may be of interest including: published articles, papers and open letters.

• Green Places magazine article by Bernard Spiegal: Don’t panic! »

  Common sense can and must inform judgements about what constitutes acceptable risk levels in play.

  Posted on Thursday, May 7th, 2009 in Articles, Places for Play
• Risk It! - Changing public play spaces »

  A joint PLAYLINK, Stirling Council conference, 20th February 2009.
  Speakers

  Kathleen Marshall, Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People
  David Ball, Professor at Middlesex University’s Centre for Decision Analysis and Risk Management
  Harry Harbottle, co-author of the guide to the European standard for the safety of playground equipment.
  Sue Gutteridge, former manager of Stirling Council play areas and now [...]

  Posted on Tuesday, April 7th, 2009 in Places for Play
• A shoal of red herrings II: do not overfish »

  The second of two articles by PLAYLINK Associates Sue Gutteridge and Judi Legg.

  Posted on Friday, March 6th, 2009 in Articles, Places for Play
• A shoal of red herrings I: Sue Gutteridge and Judi Legg on consulting children »

  ‘This has contributed to ever more complicated and demanding processes of ‘consultation’, ‘involvement’, ‘engagement’, ‘empowerment’ etc generating their own armies of professional consulters, involvers , engagers and empowerers.’

  Posted on Thursday, March 5th, 2009 in Articles, Places for Play
• Key Terms for Play »

  ‘Risk-averse schools cannot meet their key objectives. Policy and practice need to be aligned to nurture risk-taking opportunities.’
  An article by Bernard Spiegal for Teaching Times.

  Posted on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 in Articles
• The Brentford Play Plan »

  A joint West Play Association and PLAYLINK examination of play opportunities in Brentford (Middlesex), and proposals of a non-traditional kind. Of potential interest to those labouring to assess current provision but also wanting to think anew.

  Posted on Wednesday, February 11th, 2009 in Articles, Places for Play
• PLAYLINK assessment of Forestry Commission’s play provision »

  Includes sections on consultation, teenagers, risk, standards, play offer, publicity and promotion. Of interest to those responsible for unsupervised play provision, shared public space, and destination venues.

  Posted on Monday, December 15th, 2008 in Articles, General, Places for Play, Sections
• Green Places magazine article by Bernard Spiegal: Trends and Initiatives »

  There needs to be a radical change in the nature and extent of the play opportunities we offer children and young people.

  Posted on Friday, November 28th, 2008 in Articles, Places for Play
• Green Places magazine article by Bernard Spiegal: Consultation: don’t ask? »

  I want in this article to criticise what is commonly termed ‘consultation’.
  I want in particular to criticise ‘consultation’ as it too often affects decisions about play provision…

  Posted on Friday, September 19th, 2008 in Articles, Places for Play, Policy and Strategy
• Play in School - Releasing the strangle-hold »

  Playwords article by Bernard Spiegal.
  The first article in this two-part series noted that ‘Health and Safety’ considerations appeared to exert a ‘strangle-hold’ on schools…

  Posted on Friday, September 19th, 2008 in Articles, Policy and Strategy, Risk and Play