City Council shows support for initiative to get children active
Winchester City Council is extending its support for a successful scheme that encourages children to get outside and play.
The Playing Out Scheme is a parent and resident-led movement that restores children’s freedom to play in the street and spaces they live for the benefit of their health and happiness.
Winchester was the first place in Hampshire to have a street closed for Playing Out, in 2016 St Catherine’s Road in Highcliffe closed to allow children to have fun in the street.
Now the council will cover the cost of a starter pack from the Playing Out organisation and will also provide a free Rounders and Frisbee pack on receipt of a copy of a road closure notice.
Cabinet Member for Built Environment and Wellbeing, Cllr Jackie Porter, said:
“It will be so good to see and hear children playing out safely in the streets near home. Especially after the last few months, the children in our district need to play outside together again and enjoy each other’s company.
“As soon as the COVID-19 restrictions allow, children of all ages will be able to play together close to home, supervised by parents and carers. The ‘Playing out’ scheme provides reassurance that the road is being closed to traffic for a few hours making it much safer for our children.
“I am pleased that Winchester is the first city in Hampshire to take part in this brilliant initiative . I’d like even more street communities to take part, so we are doing all we can to provide starter packs to parents who want to set up this scheme for their neighbourhood.”
Starter packs include
- Playing Out organiser pack (with manual)
- Large wheelie-bin stickers x 4
- Lanyards with whistles and laminated steward briefings x 2
- ‘Playing Out’ logo hi-vis vests x 4
- Posters x 10
- Leaflets x 100
- Long skipping rope x 1
- Elastic for French skipping
- Street chalk
To find out more about how to take part visit https://www.winchester.gov.uk/community-recreation/find-a-play-area/playing-out To find more about the Playing Out Scheme visit https://playingout.net/ and if you are thinking of starting your own ‘Playing Out’ sessions in your street, please contact Communities@winchester.gov.uk or call Mark on 01962 848518