30 March 2007
Update
on the closure of devonplay
In February the trustees of devonplay announced
that the organisation was winding down its operations at the end of March
2007.
The Children’s Trust is currently considering a proposal
for funding for devonplay’s strategic/infrastructure work, but
no final decision has been made. The trustees are committed to this constructive
dialogue with the Children’s Trust, which holds out the best prospect
of sustainable funding, and will continue to engage in this on-going process.
For now however, with effect from 1 April 2007, much of devonplay’s
activities have been suspended.
The exceptions are:
1. The trustees are delighted to confirm that the fifth and
final year of Children’s Fund participation work will
be delivered under their guidance, with the support of the Community Council
of Devon.
2. During 2008 devonplay will continue to develop
and promote Playing
for Real™ and to undertake consultation activities. If you would
like to run a Playing for Real event please contact devonplay for
details of the services we can provide or information about other (licensed)
organisations who can help.
The trustees remain committed to improving play for all children in Devon, and re-affirm their belief that the role of devonplay – as an independent countywide network and voice for play – is vital to achieving this.
For further information about the closure of devonplay please see the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ below. All other enquiries should be addressed to Carole Williams, Chair of Trustees.
Who should be funding devonplay?
What about funding from the government?
What about funding from the Early Years and Childcare Service?
What about funding from the Children's Trust?
Is this the end for devonplay?
What about devonplay's work for the Children's Fund?
What about other support - for local authorities and play networks?
Will anybody else be able to provide support?
What about the Devon Play Policy?
To proceed to the devonplay website please click here.
devonplay evolved from a pilot project – Children's
Play in Devon – which was set up in 1994 to respond to the rural isolation,
lack of amenities and lack of access to open space experienced by children
in Devon. This need was identified by research from the National Children's
Play and Recreation Unit.
devonplay’s mission is the
fulfilment of Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child,
which promotes the rights of children to engage in play and recreation.
devonplay's strategic role as an infrastructure
body – as “a countywide network and voice for play” – is fundamental
to this mission.
devonplay provides strategic
support for play on a countywide and district-by-district level (working with
county/district councils and local play networks).
As well as this role devonplay has a long track record of successfully developing and delivering consultancy,
publications and training, and of managing consultation/participation and
outdoor/environmental play projects.
Funding for devonplay’s services
and projects has come from a wide range of sources. There has always been
an extent to which activities that are hard to fund have been indirectly supported
through cost recovery (from funded projects) and income generation (from consultation
and training provision).
The original need identified, in devonplay’s foundation, for “a countywide network and voice for
play” – infrastructure – has been one of the hardest to fund.
Historically any shortfall in direct funding for this work has been recouped
through cost recovery and income generation.
In essence this is a financial decision. This approach to
funding is not sustainable. Anticipated levels of project funding are not
sufficient for devonplay to operate solely
as a project delivery agency. For two years devonplay’s strategic/infrastructure work has been almost entirely
un-funded. The level of potential income arising from cost recovery and income
generation is insufficient to meet the costs of this work and, as devonplay’s reserves are all but expended, the work must stop.
Who should be funding devonplay?
The trustees believe that money for devonplay’s strategic/infrastructure work should come from statutory
sources, as this is the only way in which a long-term sustainable programme
can be assured.
Over the last two years devonplay has sought funding from the county and district councils.
This direct approach has not proved successful.
What about funding from the government?
Apart from the funding available through the Big Lottery
Fund’s (BIG) Children’s Play Programme the government does not offer any funding
specifically for play. The Children’s Play Programme does not allow for funding
of strategic/ infrastructure work through allocations to local authorities.
Funding for regional infrastructure has been awarded to the CPC to run the
Play England project, but they have confirmed that there is no prospect of
this funding being devolved to local infrastructure organisations.
What about funding from the Early
Years and Childcare Service?
Historically Devon’s Early Years and Childcare Service (previously
zero14plus) has been a funder and strong supporter of devonplay. However this funding has generally been for discrete
projects and services.
In late 2005 devonplay approached
zero14plus about funding for strategic/ infrastructure work. zero14plus took
the view that, as play has an impact and relevance beyond early years and
childcare, any funding for devonplay should come from (wider) county sources. It was suggested
that the Children’s Trust would be an appropriate mechanism for this.
What about funding from the Children’s
Trust?
In early 2006 devonplay approached the Children’s
Trust about funding for strategic/infrastructure work. It was not however
until January that a response was forthcoming: The Children’s Trust commissioning
team invited devonplay to work with them on a business case for investment,
to be put to the relevant ‘duty to cooperate’ partners.
Is this the end for devonplay?
Not entirely. The trustees believe that devonplay should continue to exist, as a distinct legal entity
with its own governance arrangements, as an independent voice for play in
Devon. To this end any final decision about the formal dissolution of the
charity has been deferred to March 2008.
What about devonplay’s work for
the Children’s Fund?
We are at the end of the fourth year of this work; much of
the strategic impact and legacy of this work will be realised in 2007/08 and
the trustees have made it a priority to ensure that this is delivered.
We have approached the Children’s Fund to reassure them
about this work, and made arrangements for the work to be hosted by one of
our partner agencies, under the continued guidance of devonplay trustees.
What about other support –
for local authorities and play networks?
All this work has now ceased. We have contacted all of our partners to signpost them to other support if it is available.
Will anybody else be able to provide
support?
Colleagues from Devon’s Early Years and Childcare Service
are engaged in local play partnerships in some districts. We anticipate that
they will continue to provide support but their capacity and expertise is
focussed on early years and childcare (rather than on the wider play agenda).
Ironically, because of the
quantity and quality of work undertaken by devonplay, Play England has not
found it necessary to provide much support to local authorities in Devon.
We have contacted Play England and asked them to reassess their allocation
of resources and increase the support that they are able to make available
in Devon. This is however unlikely to come close to the level of support that
devonplay has been providing.
What about the Devon Play Policy?
At the end
of 2005/06, devonplay were asked by zero14plus to finalise and publish the policy on behalf of
partners involved to that point. As part of that process we undertook to seek
endorsement of the policy by the Children’s Trust (alongside our negotiations
for funding). It become clear in January that the policy will now need substantial
revision and updating if it is to be endorsed by Devon County Council or the
Children’s Trust.
Devon’s Early Years and Childcare Service have indicated
that some project funding might be available to complete this particular piece
of work, but they are unable to fund the entire package of strategic/infrastructure
work and the funding available is not sufficient for the trustees to set a
sustainable budget for the financial year ahead. We will be seeking clarification about
how and where the policy will be taken forward.