After 16 years, a new chapter.

Playing Out CIC is ending. Long live Playing Out the movement!

Playing Out began in 2009 with a vision for the kind of world we wanted for our own children and all children: one where they have the freedom to go out and play in their community, where they are ‘seen and heard’, healthy, and happy.

We started small: Alice and Amy devised and tested the simple, resident-led ‘temporary play street’ model in Bristol. The idea struck a chord; other parents got inspired and joined in. Councils saw the huge potential. Like so many with a half-decent idea and the energy to make it happen, we found ourselves setting up an organisation to grow a change-making movement.

Over the 16 years since then, Playing Out has helped to spread play streets across the UK and well beyond, fuelled by thousands of people taking action in their own communities, directly benefitting tens of thousands of children and their adult neighbours, helping to ignite a national conversation about children’s need to play outside and the value of our streets.

Last year, we decided to release Play Streets into the world and focus our energy on ‘big picture’ campaigning and policy change for children’s right to play out. We’ve worked hard to help play streets thrive without our direct support, and the signs are positive. People are continuing to take this action in their own communities, new councils are coming on board, and over 100 local organisations are now part of our online play street forum, coming together to support play streets where help is most needed.

Our strategic work over the past year includes:

• Co-authoring a report from the ‘Children and the Built Environment’ Parliamentary Inquiry

• Helping to set up, feed into, and shape the year-long Play Commission for England

• Giving evidence to the UK Government Covid Inquiry on children and outdoor play.

• Partnering on the More Ball Games campaign led by London Sport

• Helping to bring about and give evidence at the DCMS Select Committee session on play

• Huge amounts of media coverage on children’s need for outdoor/doorstep play.

We feel confident that our message is well and truly out in the world, and change is underway.

There is a growing awareness about the loss of free play for children’s lives – and the profound impact of this on their health and wellbeing. The realisation is spreading that this is an urgent, cross-departmental issue. The call for the Government to adopt a new Play Strategy is being heard in the corridors of power.

Ingrid recently spoke to the DCMS committee and, thanks to Play England, a new All Party Parliamentary Group on Play has been launched: a diverse group of MPs and Peers ready to act for children. A new generation of parents, community organisations, and professionals is also stepping up.

Partly because of this, and because we want to be freed up from running an organisation with all the ongoing pressures it involves, and our board is now ready to take the next step.

Playing Out CIC will be closing its doors on 31st March 2026. It’s time to return Playing Out to where it began, not an organisation but a movement for change – one that we will remain part of.

We hugely appreciate the energy, time, and commitment so many people have put into this movement so far, and very much hope this will continue beyond the organisation. There’s still a long way to go until children’s freedom is restored.

To galvanise energy, here’s what we’re doing between now and March 2026:

• Continuing to campaign and advocate for children’s right to play out.

• Contributing to national and local policy developments.

• Rebuilding our website as an open-access resource to inspire individuals, communities, organisations, and policymakers to carry this work forward.

• Hosting online and in-person events to share learning, celebrate what we’ve achieved together and encourage ongoing action, including a big event in Bristol next Feb!

• Finding ways for our peer-support networks to continue.

• Meeting with anyone interested in taking any of our work forward.

If you have ideas, resources, or networks that could help with any of the above, do get in touch.

We’ll be “going home for tea” on 31st March 2026, so if you want to “play out” – connect, collaborate or celebrate – with us before then, we’d also love to hear from you.

What’s next for us? We’re still committed – deeply – to the vision we’ve pursued over the past 16 years, and more. We’ll continue to work towards this, each in our own way and as part of this amazing movement for change.

With love, gratitude, and excitement for what’s still to come

Ingrid and Alice