Flintshire’s summer play scheme programme has been celebrating its best attendance figures for three years – despite it being a wet summer!
The statistics and surveys are now being analysed and show that over a third of children in Flintshire went to use their local play scheme this summer. The total recorded attendance for the five weeks was 26,920. This represents over four and a half thousand Flintshire children who attended play sessions across the county in five weeks over the summer holidays – an increase of 6.4% on last year’s figures.
The scheme – which is run in 70 venues across the county – is funded by Flintshire County Council with support from all the town and community councils.
112 play workers, as well as Playscheme Buddies for children with disabilities, ran almost 1,725 two hour play sessions during the course of the holidays.
The Council’s Head of Leisure Services, Mike Hornby, says the feedback from both children and parents has been excellent:
“The majority of parents reported that their children had benefited from attending their local playscheme; returning home ‘healthier, happier and more confident’”.
Councillor Dennis Hutchinson, Executive Member for Leisure, said:
“These numbers are tremendous and the best since we last had a sunny summer. The majority of play schemes are ‘open-air’ and the staff have coped extremely well with the wet weather, providing an excellent opportunity for play five days a week and for five weeks. Well done to all concerned and to all those children who enjoyed the sessions.”
The summer playscheme programme is unique to Flintshire and includes Quayplay, based in Connah’s Quay, which is the biggest playscheme in the country.
For any further information & details of play provision in Flintshire please contact Janet Roberts, Flintshire Play Development Officer on 01352 702456 or e mail [email protected]
