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CYP & Built Environment Inquiry

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Who we are

Playing Out CIC is a small, not for profit, national social change organisation founded by parents.

We started – and now support and grow – the UK-wide resident led street play movement, where thousands of people are working in their own communities and time to bring about positive change for children. Alongside this, we campaign and lobby for longer-term changes to support children’s right to play out. We have a small staff and associate team based in Bristol and are steered by a board of voluntary directors, with help from a wider group of ‘expert friends‘.

Alice Ferguson, Associate and Board Director

Alice and her neighbour Amy Rose developed the temporary play street model on their own street in 2009. Playing Out grew out of that idea and action, responding to interest from other parents, residents, experts and organisations and growing a movement for children’s right to play out. As Associates, Alice and Ingrid focus on projects, development, strategy, advocacy, campaigning, public speaking and writing work towards the long-term vision and aims of Playing Out. Alice has a particular interest in the relationship between the built environment, community activism and children’s freedom and has published several research papers including this overview of the Playing Out movement in Cities and Health. Alice is also a Board Director.
Twitter: @aliceplayingout

Ingrid Skeels
Ingrid Skeels, Associate and Board Director

Ingrid is passionate about the importance of freedom, play and community for children and our power to change things and build a better, more just world. Ingrid is one of the original parents who founded Playing Out in 2011 when the play streets idea began to spread. Her work within Playing Out supports the growth of a national and international movement of community led change reclaiming space for children, and speaks out for local and national policy change. As Associates, Ingrid and Alice focus on projects, development, strategy, advocacy, campaigning, public speaking and writing work towards the long-term vision and aims of Playing Out. Ingrid is also writer and author; part of the acclaimed child-led Room 13 Hareclive collective; and Playing Out Board Director.

Lucy Colbeck, Play Streets Programme Manager

Lucy is our play streets community programme manager, overseeing all our play streets work nationally to grow the movement. She’s a facilitator of conversations who loves linking people up and developing peer to peer learning opportunities. Lucy’s been at Playing Out since 2019, and before that spent 6 years at Sustrans on community street design and school active travel projects. She has a post-grad in anthropology and community development, and lives in a co-housing community where her small son plays out every day.

Holly Perreau, Play Streets Info & Support Officer

Holly is the Play Streets Support Officer and works closely with Lucy, supporting residents, local authorities and community groups to make more play streets happen effectively and safely. Holly is community driven; she has run her own community business and is a play streets organiser on her own street. A keen cook, Holly’s previous role was leading the food programme on a busy community garden, of which her favourite part was teaching food education to low income families. When not working Holly might be found on her paddleboard or exploring with her two kids.

Rachel Mansi, Communications & Operations Officer

Rachel is our Communications & Operations Officer, managing office systems, keeping our website up to date, posting on our social media accounts and being the first contact with the organisation for people enquiring about play streets by phone, email or popping into the office. She is passionate about contributing to efforts to tackle inequality and make the world a kinder, fairer place.

Rachel is interested in the role of creativity in improving mental and emotional wellbeing, and when not at work she can be found playing with fabric and thread.

Amy Rose, Co-founder and Associate Artist

Amy is an interdisciplinary artist with a background in physical and visual theatre.  Much of her early experience was as a street performer in international festivals. She now primarily works as a director of visual and site responsive theatre as well as making cross-form, participatory art works in response to social issues or public space. Amy’s involvement with developing Playing Out grew out of a creative project she did whilst at home with her two young daughters, and included writing, photography, drawing, dreaming and playing on her own street over several years, and then working with Alice to make it happen.  Amy has inputted to the website design and guidance materials as well as created new projects and events.

area activators
Activators across the UK

In many parts of the UK, committed residents are working to get their local councils on board, spread the ‘playing out’ idea beyond their own streets and give peer-support to others locally. Some do this in their own time and some go on to win a small amount of seed funding to cover time and expenses. Please contact us to find out more – or if you think you are one!

Along with guest writers from various backgrounds, we all write for the Playing Out blog, drawing on our different work, interests and experience.  Explore some of the articles, ideas, opinions and stories and see what you think. You can receive our blog straight to your email in-box.

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