In a letter to Rachel de Souza, Mark Hardy makes the case for play, particularly outdoor play, describing it as fundamental to the normal development of children physically, mentally, socially and emotionally. 

“The dearth of play experienced by children currently and in recent years is a disaster and goes a long way towards explaining the explosion in children’s mental health problems and childhood obesity. And yet, successive governments overlook the crucial role of outdoor play and fail to address it in their policies.”

Hardy referred to research that shows that playgrounds are hugely under-funded and disappearing fast, as local authorities juggle with prioritising community spending. 

“If playgrounds continue to decline at the current rate, our communities could look very different very soon, and once a playground disappears it is usually gone forever. The vast majority of children live in urban areas and without public playgrounds their opportunities for outdoor play are few.”

“I urge you to lobby for increased and sustained government investment in free to access, unstaffed public play provision to help end play poverty.”