About Milton Keynes Play Association

MKPA are an umbrella organisation providing support to over 1,000 local clubs and community groups such as Out of School Projects, play schemes, schools, Church groups and others each of whom provide play opportunities for school age children throughout Milton Keynes.

Their services are divided into three areas: Play (they are one of the largest play providers in Milton Keynes, offering a number of open access schemes in the holidays); Training (they offer an extensive training programme throughout the year); and Resources (MKPA enable over 1000 groups to resource their play by taking in reusable industrial waste from local companies and distributing it to their membership via their Scrap Store).

http://www.mkplayassociation.co.uk/

Milton Keynes Play Association's Project

MKPA first worked with EQUIPE at the Enterprising Play event in March 2004. They led workshops on Stakeholder involvement driving development of services/spaces for the community. MKPA’s director gave the opening speech at two EQUIPE roadshows and became interested in disseminating outcomes of the project in their local area. Their main objectives were:

• To improve existing services provided in rural areas by sharing knowledge and good practice on the social economy in rural areas.
• To encourage professional development of the existing rural community workshop in Play by reference to EQUIPE outcomes.
• To encourage the development of new sustainable community based and community run play provision in areas of rural deprivation, supporting community safety, better estates and activities through reference to EQUIPE outcomes.

Project Outputs

• EQUIPE outcomes such as the 4Children's Voluntary Management Committee toolkit and the Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change's techniques for engaging with communities, disseminated through integration with a new initiative to improve and sustain rural play.
• Research and identification of the needs around children and young peoples play and activities through active engagement with local communities and the delivery of action research activities.
• Identification of and contact with, existing organisations providing rural activities and improving the service they provide by the sharing of knowledge and good practice from EQUIPE, (including VMC toolkit).
• Evaluation of the project and publication and distribution of the findings.
• Reviews/reports used to extend the work with rural community groups.
• Exchange visits with CN4C to, for example, identify good practice.