Fields In Trust

“Let us let our young people play again.”

We’re hugely grateful to Ian Byrne MP for highlighting the importance of protecting children’s outdoor play in Tuesday's Parliamentary debate on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s "Game On" report.

Ian made the case for the removal of “no ball games” signs to allow children to get away from screens and play freely, no matter where they live.

“Between 2012 and 2022 more than 400 playgrounds in England closed, according to the Raising the Nation Play Commission," Ian said. "It also found that outdoor play had fallen by almost 50% in a generation, because families have lost safe public spaces on their doorstep.

“We cannot accept a postcode lottery, where a child in Aberdeen can walk outside and play freely while a child in Liverpool stays indoors because they have nowhere left to go.”

As the Government looks to ban social media for under-16s, it must ensure children have alternative, healthier ways to spend their time, such as playing outdoors or partaking in sport. Public-access parks, playgrounds, playing fields and green spaces must legally be protected before it is too late.

Playing Out