Different ways to campaign for play in your community

Start by thinking about all the possible ways you can get your message across. Be creative and imaginative – this will help you get the attention of decision makers and the media.
Think about how you could involve your child or other local children and teenagers in your planning and actions.
Find out more about involving children and teenagers.

Things you could do

• Hold a public meeting to find out who is interested in the issue
• Write letters to the people you need to influence
• Ask for a face-to-face meeting with the person or group you want to influence
• Write to the Letters page of your local newspaper
• Stage an event to draw attention to the issue in a positive way – for example, a play day in the park or a pavement chalk drawing competition
• Create a photo opportunity to get eye-catching images that can be used on social media, TV and newspapers (remember to seek parental consent before taking photos of children)
• Write a press release to catch the attention of the local media
• Use social media to highlight your message and present your case
• Work with a media partner – such as a local newspaper – to keep attention on your issue
• Involve your local councillor (see below).

How to prioritise your actions

You need to work out which actions will be easiest to achieve and most effective. Think about four things:

• How easy each action will be to organise
• What it will cost
• What resources you will need
• How effective you think it will be.

Download example action plan

How to involve your local councillor

Your local councillor has responsibilities for children’s play, so they should be interested. It’s a good idea to meet up with them early on to:

• get them on board
• find out how they can help
• let them know what you need them to do.

Find your local councillor