FAQs
- Disabled people and those with long term health conditions
- Women and girls
- Ethnically diverse communities
- Lower socio-economic groups
What is a PlayZone?
The Football Foundation states:
“PlayZones are safe, inclusive and accessible outdoor facilities that bring communities together through recreational forms of football and a range of other sports”
Using investment from the Premier League, The FA and the Government through Sport England, the PlayZones Programme aims to engage with local communities across the country to create outstanding sports and activity spaces and tackle inequalities in participation. Read more about the Football Foundation PlayZones Programme.
Where will the funding come from for a PlayZone project?
The majority of funding will come from the Football Foundation who will provide 75% of the development and build costs.
What research has been carried out to develop PlayZone projects?
The Football Foundation have published insight into the findings that have influenced the development of the PlayZone Programme. This can be found at Insight, Football Foundation.
Will a PlayZone be gated? How can it be accessed?
The PlayZone will operate on a Smart Access System, which can be used to access the facility. Like the tennis model seen in parks across the city, you will be able to book exclusive hire through an app / website that will provide a unique code which can be entered to unlock the gate.
At times activated community organisations, you will be able to book onto a session via the website/app/directly with the provider. At time of free access, we will be working with local partners to ensure the gate is open for community use.
Why do PlayZones need to share a Smart Access System?
This is a core requirement as set by the Football Foundation. This is based on their research and insight as found here: Insight, Football Foundation.
The project focuses on four key target groups:
The aim is to develop sites that help people in these communities to feel more comfortable, able and confident in accessing quality sports and activity facilities in their local area. The understanding is that many people who currently don’t make full use of MUGA’s need a different approach to how MUGAs are used to help increase engagement. A key change will be having coach or community led sessions and the option for private hire. We will be assessing the results for the first PlayZone to learn more.
Will I have to pay to use a PlayZone? If so, how much?
This will depend on how you would like to use the PlayZone.
Private hire of a PlayZone will be charged e.g. a local sports club hiring the site for a training session for their club.
We will also be working with sporting and community organisations to put on community sports and activity sessions, the costs associated with these bookings will vary depending on the provider but we will be working closely with partners to monitor fees charged.
There will also be allocated free community use time that everyone can access a PlayZone.
What are the proposed operating hours?
We will be able to share a proposed timetable of use following community consultation. However, as each PlayZone will have floodlighting we will need to obtain planning permission. We envisage that PlayZone being open and ready to use year round, between the hours of 8am and 9pm.