Great partnership working through GOGA
Play England is the national charity for children’s play. Their role in GOGA looks to build on experience and knowledge of the play sector and develop projects through the Free Time Consortium. This consortium involves over 30 play organisations working with more than 20,000 parents and volunteers to create over 500,000 play opportunities, as well as empowering volunteers to run their own play sessions.
Sophie Bolt, GOGA lead from Play England connected Bradford Disability Sport And Leisure (BDSL), the GOGA lead organisation in Bradford with Janet Jewitt who has a part time role with Play England and is the manager of ‘The Big Swing’ project based in Eccleshill a registered charity in the Ravenscliffe area of Bradford.
The Eccleshill Adventure Playground caters for 5 to 16 year olds, is open 5 days a week and free to use. The playground work closely with disadvantaged children including children from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, disabled children and children from low income and single parent families.
‘The Big Swing’ playground provides a place where children and young people can play together in a supervised environment where they are free to express themselves and feel a real sense of ownership. The area has a trampoline, exciting climbing structures, slides, and swings as well as offering children the chance to use tools to construct dens, go karts and other structures and learn how to make camp fires in the outdoor kitchen.
Activities are carried out under the direction of the children’s needs and wishes. Staff continually work hard to provide exciting and engaging activities which benefit children’s health, wellbeing, physical capabilities and literacy. All activities are fully inclusive and adapted to any skill level and ability. Eccleshill have developed strong working relationships with a number of local schools, helping children develop analytical, team-working, language and mathematical skills as well as helping those children who may require help with behaviour in class- Further information on 'The Big Swing' project can be accessed here.
The partnership between ‘The Big Swing’ playground and BDSL was initiated by Sophie Bolt, Play England GOGA Lead. Sophie introduced Karla Burton (Bradford GOGA lead) and Janet to each other when the adventure playground was looking at recruiting new inclusion staff. Karla was asked to support the interview process which resulted in an interesting conversation about the expansion of play opportunities in areas of Bradford.
BDSL is a local charity in Bradford and lead on the GOGA project, their aim is to support, encourage and provide those who are least active with an opportunity to make friends, improve health and have fun through sport and active recreation. GOGA also supports organisations and the communities of Holmewood, Manningham and Keighley, however all activities are open to the whole Bradford District.
GOGA activities offer an ‘active together’ approach where both disabled and non-disabled people take part in activity together. It doesn’t matter about age, ability, height, size or colour of trainers – everyone enjoys and takes part in the same way. Through the initial connection and joint objectives of both organisations the community of Holmewood was soon identified as a key area of focus.
Conversations highlighted the under developed and unused facilities accessed by residents of the Holmewood community and attention was particularly focused towards a small adventure park located on the estate. Discussions developed which resulted in a collective forum for partners in Bradford who deliver or play an active role in the community. Janet initiated an email about the opportunity to develop ‘play’ in the area in partnership with other organisations and circulated the email to numerous contacts who then extended the invitation to wider partners who would also benefit and engage.
A few weeks later the group met at the community library with representation from over 10 community partners- a fantastic start to this partnership! As a result of this partnership a joint event has been scheduled next month based at the local TFD youth centre to engage with the community introducing physical activity and related opportunities.
This partnership has enabled GOGA to connect with new stakeholders within the Bradford area and secure representation at the community council and advisory group meetings. This has enabled BDSL and GOGA to support and influence further projects in the community.
The programme has now progressed further and flourished across the Holmewood community with the development of a magazine advertising all opportunities available to children young people and their families. Furthermore, Play England now use this forum to develop play in Holmewood and GOGA will continue to be an influential partner within this development- a great and successful partnership!
For more information on ‘The Big Swing’ please contact Janet Jewitt on