Rangers come out to play
Lancaster City Council’s Play Rangers will celebrate a successful first six months by doing what they do best – planning a range of fun activities for children from Ellel St John’s primary school.
Lancaster City Council’s Play Rangers will celebrate a successful first six months by doing what they do best – planning a range of fun activities for children from Ellel St John’s primary school.
Melissa Martin and Melanie Walker, affectionately known as ‘The Mels’, joined the council in May this year.
Funded by a grant from the National Lottery, their job is to organise free activities for children including arts and crafts, gardening, bug hunting, fire building, family orientated games, den building and junk modelling.
The aim, explained Coun Jane Fletcher, cabinet member with responsibility for young people, is to encourage children away from their TVs and computer screens and back to the great outdoors.
Coun Fletcher said: “It is generally accepted that over the last decade or so, for a number of reasons, children are playing less.
“Instead they spend an increasing amount of time on computer games or watching TV. Not only does that reduce their fitness levels, it also has an impact on their social development.
“The aim of the Play Rangers is to get children and young people playing more, interacting with their friends and becoming more involved with the community.”
So far more than 844 children have taken part in activities planned by ‘The Mels’, including at events such as the Sandcastle Festival, Love Parks Week and the West End Gardens fun day.
Over the three year lifespan of the project the Play Rangers will work in parks, estate play areas and other outdoor public spaces across the whole of the district.
As well as organising activities in parks and other open spaces, they will be popping into schools across the district and offering free taster sessions to raise the profile of their work and that of children’s play.
“We love getting involved with schools because we have a captive audience to work with!” added Melissa.
“We have had a really good reception from those we’ve visited so far and we’re looking forward to visiting as many as we can over the next three years.
“If a school wants us to come and deliver a taster session they should just give us a ring so something can be arranged.”
For more information on the Play Rangers and forthcoming activities telephone 01524 582641.
Date Updated: 19/03/09