Play Rangers
What are Play Rangers and what do they do?
Play Rangers are qualified playworkers who work in parks and public open spaces to ensure that children of all abilities have access to safe and challenging play opportunities.
Play Rangers work with the local community and other agencies to provide for children's play needs. The sessions are child led and the rangers help to facilitate the childrens playful ideas.
They help to raise the awareness of the importance of play for children and the right of children to use public spaces to play in.
They offer children more choices by showing them games and activities and acting as positive role models. Play Rangers encourage voluhnteers to join them to sustain the projects, including local parents, older siblings and others interested in working with children.
Current News
Sadly we are unable to provide Teignbridge with a Play Ranger project this year due to a lack of funding available for this type of project. We will continue to seek funding and opportunities for this work. If you are interested in booking the play rangers please contact Tepee.
We are currently seeking further funding to provide a more rural play ranger project and a continuation of the urban project. Funding is being applied for from the Reaching Communities Fund. (Another Big Lottery programme)
Project Background
In 2007 TEPEE's proposal for a Play Ranger project in Teignbridge was successful in the District Council's application for funding from the Big Lottery Play Fund. This will provide 1 play session a week in 4 different parks over 3 years. Each park has funding to run for 12 months and will look for further funding from the local communities to continue the project further. Following our recruitment of 2 more staff, Play Rangers are now back at Victoria Park, Buckfastleigh . After 8 months another play ranger project will start in Buckland and Milber in Newton Abbot, and then go on to cover Dawlish and Heathfield.
History of Tepee Play Ranger Projects
TEPEE carried out pilot projects in 2005 and 2006 (full reports below), and since then have been applying for funding for longer term projects and ways of establishing a sustainable future for play rangers. There has been a growing interest in the development of play rangers both locally and nationally, as it offers solutions to anti-social behaviour, vandalism, bullying and provides free play opportunities, the building of communities and the greater use of parks and open play spaces.
Play Wales have been developing a training programme for play rangers and Playwork Partnerships are also now offering a course 'Playing on the Range' - for more information on this course Click here
The first Play Ranger conference has also just been held in Torbay at the Riviera Centre on 16th November 2007. Click here to read about the Play Ranger Conference - 'free range childhood'.
To read reports from TEPEE's projects click on the appropriate link below:
Play Rangers Report 2008/09
Play Rangers Report 2007/08
Play Rangers Reprort 2006
Play Rangers Reprort 2005
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