Nottingham City Council has published a play strategy aimed at providing the best play and leisure opportunities to children and young people in the city.

The plan, which will be implemented through five-year action plans, was developed in consultation with young people across the city, including the Nottingham Youth Council, as well as with parents, carers, schools, and city staff who work with children and teenagers through Children’s Centres, nurseries and voluntary organisations.

Nottingham plans to promote the strategy regionally, nationally and internationally by running campaigns and annual conferences on play, developing a regional play network, and contributing to national policy-making on play.

The strategy will see the city improve training and voluntary opportunities in play, by developing a play training strategy, a volunteer support network and play training for parents and foster carers.

A skilled play workforce will also be developed through play work placements and apprenticeships, employment opportunities for young people leaving care, and the creation of a skilled play area and parks maintenance and management work force and a team of well-trained playground fitters.

Parks will see physical improvements and an increased staff presence to minimize bullying, and park watch schemes will be developed and enhanced to improve safety. Rangers skilled in play will patrol parks, playgrounds and the streets.

Children and young people will have access to school grounds outside school hours, and local “Playmaker” networks to support grass roots play will be developed.

Play opportunities for vulnerable groups will be increased, with a programme to work towards achieving Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliance at unsupervised sites, improved play opportunities for children of domestic violence survivors, disabled play nights at destination centres and free leisure opportunities for children in foster care.

A child-led Play Awards scheme will be launched and a Youth Bank established to provide funds for young people to set up and pay for their own activities.

The city also plans to increase the number of parents involved in local play initiatives, improve leisure and recreation for those aged 14 and over, develop a provision to contribute to the reduction of childhood obesity, and develop an environmental education programme linked to play that will be delivered in parks and other open spaces.

It is hoped that the strategy will help Nottingham children and teenagers build social skills and creativity to help them learn and reduce difficult behaviour, ‘hang out’ in a way that doesn’t appear threatening to others, enjoy the city’s green spaces and increase their cross-cultural understanding.

Councillor David Mellen, who holds the portfolio for children’s services, said: “Nottingham has always offered accessible, innovative and creative experiences for children and young people because we recognise that they want to roam, to explore and to be free to create their own opportunities within their local neighbourhoods. We want all Nottingham’s children and young people to know about and then choose to make use of excellent and appropriate leisure and play opportunities available for them in the city.”