Lichfield Road Play Street

If you were close to Lichfield Road on a sunny-ish Sunday in mid July, you would have heard the happy chatter of children playing, as well as the happy chatter of adults catching up and making new friends themselves. 

Lichfield Road hosted the first play street in the area, much to the delight of all who attended. With games and activities donated by London Play and the children having the freedom to reclaim space to play freely, it was a positive and uplifting event. Parents and non-parents also got the chance to meet in an informal setting which was much appreciated. As were the huge number of ice lollies given for the cause. 🍦

Playing in the street isn’t just a nostalgic throw back to the “good old days”. Research shows that play street sessions lead to increased community connection, belonging, trust and friendship between neighbours of all ages and backgrounds. Friendlier communities in turn enable children to play out more, so play streets can be part of a ‘virtuous circle’ for children and communities. Sadly research also shows that barriers to playing out like unsafe streets and neighbour complaints have increased significantly over the last 10 years, leading to less children feeling welcome in the spaces and places where they live, and less parents feeling confident that they can allow their children to play out safely. Playing out (www.playingout.net) is a fantastic resource to read more.

A big thanks to everyone who attended and all of those who gave feedback in the consultation ahead of time. Plans are afoot for the next play date and we’ll look forward to seeing you there.