Words by Amy Heyes
(Ed’s note… this column was written the June/July Erdington Local newspaper and first published, in print, on Thursday 12 June.)
One of the lasting impacts of the Covid pandemic was a nationwide Play Deficit, as lockdowns limited opportunities for children and young people to play.
Play is vital for healthy development with wide-reaching benefits including emotional regulation, cognitive development, social skills and resilience.
To help address this locally, we partnered with Compass Support to launch Play Lists, a three-year project funded by The National Lottery which comes to an end next month. Designed to help young people in Erdington recover from the effects of the Play Deficit, it’s been a huge success.
Over the past three years we have registered young people engaging with play over 1,500 times, 250 new hobbies have been introduced and 60 young volunteers have been recruited and trained.
Play has enriched all that we do at Urban Devotion Birmingham, and that legacy will continue long after the grant ends.
Here’s what some of the young people involved have said:
“It’s one of the highlights of my week and has really boosted my mental health.”
“I feel like I’m becoming more creative.”
“[It] has made me realise how creative children can be and the part I get to play in helping that.”
“I like that I can learn something new here then go home and try it out myself.”
It’s clear; play helps young people thrive. We’re committed to continuing to make space for children and young people to play, explore, and grow in the years to come.
For more on Urban Devotion Birmingham visit www.urbandevotion.org
Urban Devotion Birmingham is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.
