Summary
 The importance of children’s play has been recognised and acted upon by the National Assembly for Wales. The increased funding from the Assembly towards children’s play and the development of the national Play Policy signals its commitment to children’s play.
This strategy is a response to this recognition of play within the Assembly.It has been drawn up for and on behalf of the Wrexham Children and Youth Partnership and is indicative of Wrexham County Borough Council’s commitment to an integrated, strategic approach to providing for play. It is hoped the strategy will also provide a reference for allocating funds under other strategic plans such as those associated with the new Cymorth Unified fund.
The funding from the National Assembly for Wales for play is directed towards open access play opportunities for children. However, this strategy encompasses the range of play opportunities available to children, from open access outdoor play, to play more structured play provision.
The strategy is founded on the principle of children’s right to play as stated in article 31 of the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child:
- Every child has the right to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.
- Member governments shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity.
The strategy recognises the importance of play for all children and its fundamental role in children’s development. It also recognises the variety of play opportunities that should be available for children for their total development. This includes open access, free play opportunities to parent and toddler groups where children are accompanied by an adult. Access to play opportunities for all children irrespective of their cultural heritage and lifestyles and abilities is a central principle of the strategy.
The strategy was developed in consultation with service providers across Wrexham County Borough Council, the Voluntary Sector, parents and carers and children and young people. Approximately 140 individuals were consulted, and the results are a reflection of the views and opinions of all those consulted.
 Children’s play is affected by, and can affect a range of provision, such as transport, health, housing, parks, access to the countryside and childcare provision. The wide-ranging consultations reflected this and the strategy should be considered in the context of all these services. Working in partnership with other services and agencies will be key to the successful implementation of the strategy.
The strategy considered and reflects initatives of the National Assembly for Wales on children’s play. This was a challenging task as the Assembly developed several new guidelines within the two months of the strategy development and continues to issue further guidelines. However, Wrexham has a significant opportunity to position itself as a leading authority in the provision of good quality play opportunities for children. This strategy is a first step towards this.
 Wrexham Play Strategy
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Wrexham Play Strategy - PDF version 1.3Mb 
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