Case Studies of previous 'Awards for Play'

Outstanding Contribution to Play 2007
- Guth Airson Iarrtasan Nis (GAIN ) for the Eoropie Dunes Park, Ness, Isle of Lewis.

GAIN is a user-led, voluntary organization that was set up by a group of mothers who had no local play park for their children.

The Park offers a wide range of interesting, stimulating, high quality play opportunities from a fully fenced traditional play area to the freedom for older children to play in a challenging environment. It includes a zip-wire, an embankment slide, swings, wigwams, tunnels, as well as skateboard/cycle zone, a well- produced children’s maze, a playhouse and an assortment of experiences including an adventure and a nature trail. The 4 acre site encourages children to explore, run about, make noise, and gives them the freedom to play with natural materials such as water, grass and stone. Young people have been central to this development and they have designed and produced many of the non-play features of the park, much of it reflecting Norse and Celtic history; they act also as volunteers in the running of the park.

In all, this is an outstanding example of innovative play in one of the more remote parts of Scotland.

Gail Cunningham (Volunteer Development Officer for GAIN)
“On behalf of the GAIN committee who were delighted to receive a Nancy Ovens Award in 2007. We believe the award has provided a positive impact for the park, the committee, the contractors, the users, especially the children, for the area and for the island of Lewis."

The benefits can be summarised:

• Raised the profile of the Eoropie Dunes Park nationally, especially in the “play arena”
• Helped to secure further funding
• Catalyst for further promotion of our work eg GAIN were asked to deliver a presentation at the “Growing Up in Rural Scotland” Conference
• Boosted the confidence and rewarded volunteers for their work
• The local community, especially the children, feel a sense of pride in having an “award winning” playpark
• Involvement in the awards process helped us to clarify our objectives, recognise our contribution and demonstrate best practice
• Awards ceremony provided an opportunity to network and see other examples of good practice

Outstanding Contribution to Play 2005
- Ormlie Community Association, Thurso

The Ormlie Community Association was formed a few years ago when a child was knocked down crossing the road to the play area site. Residents undertook a door to door consultation, which highlighted the neglected and dangerous play area as a priority. Central to the design and implementation of the play area which was opened in 2002 was, and is still, the involvement of children and young people. HRH Prince Charles opened a new indoor facility that adds to the year-round use of the play area in 2003. Recently the Association has been recognised nationally for the participation of children and young people in the positive changes that have happened in Ormlie.

Lorna Simpson, Manager, Ormlie Community Association Ltd
“I can confirm that the children and young people from the Ormlie Community Partners Programme felt an enormous sense of pride when they received the Nancy Ovens Award for Play. It was an enormous confidence builder for the two young girls who travelled to Glasgow to receive the award and made them more aware of the world outside Ormlie as neither had ever taken part in any form of public speaking. The whole award process was excellent for improving their confidence and awareness of other areas and groups.

The award has also been beneficial when we have been seeking external funding from various organisations and trusts as it has highlighted the inclusive work that we carry out with children and young people. The plaque is situated outside our small community centre and many people ask about the award and why we receive it. All very positive stuff.

Best Community Award for Play 2005
- Friends of Ravelston Park & Woods, Edinburgh

This play space has been designed with an active collaboration between local organisations, children, schools and the City Council. They have not only improved the woods but have distinctively involved children and the wider community in their processes. They have provided play equipment, a wildlife garden and children's nature leaflet to make an exciting play space for children, providing variety in the heart of a busy city.

Tina Woolnough, then-Chair of the Friends of Ravelston Park and Woods Association
Receiving the Award meant that:

• The children felt rewarded for their contribution to our community project
  It gave a strong message to the children that collaborative working is positively recognised
• There will be a lasting legacy for all those children who were involved because their efforts were rewarded – they will be encouraged to contribute in the future to community projects
• It was a major morale boost for our voluntary organisation which had worked collaboratively on the project with many local groups and organisations and the City of Edinburgh Council
• The Award plaque is fixed to a wall in the play park for all to see, a very public statement about the importance of joining in and team-working for the benefit of children

Nancy Ovens Bursary Award Winners

Nancy Ovens Bursary 2007

In its second year the Nancy Ovens Bursary was delighted to announce eight winners for 2007.

The bursary, sponsored by the SkillsActive and awarded by the Nancy Ovens Trust, is aimed at paid or volunteer coaches and leaders who work with children and young people in the active leisure and learning sector. Building on the exceptional experiences of the first year, eight people from across the sector were given the opportunity to increase their skills through a truly innovative range of placements and experiences.
The bursary awardees and the initiatives they undertook to develop their skills include:

The Bursary awardees in 2007 were:

• Richard Ashby, the current Lincolnshire U-17 and U-19 squash champion, expanded his squash coaching programme with Lincolnshire primary schools;
• Norman Greenhouse, a voluntary coach with Welsh Badminton specialising in coaching disabled athletes, gained experience with the disability badminton world champion and his coach in Holland;
• Matt Johnson, Head of Development at Reading Rockets Basketball Club, travelled to Davidson University, one of the top Basketball Colleges in the USA, to train with their head coach;
• Tom Lloyd, who runs a Portsmouth-based football academy, spent a month at the Cary Soccer Association, pioneers of women’s football development, in Chicago;
• Scott Nicholls, a full time lecturer in the Sports Department at York College, trained with and was mentored by professional coaches at the Headingley Cricket Academy with a view to establishing a cricket academy at York College;
• Andrew Osborne, Head coach of Stroud Swimming club, developed his coaching skills with top swimming coaches Graham Bassi and John Rudd at Bournemouth Dolphins and Plymouth Leander;
• Rehanne Skinner, a women’s football coach for Leicester City Women’s FC, gained football coaching experience with various men’s football teams including Everton, Hull and Sunderland, in preparation for undertaking her level 4 licence;
• Janet Warrington, Head Coach at Hoddesddon Swimming Club, shadowed top swimming coach Chris Martin at the Scottish Institute of Sport in Stirling.

Nancy Ovens Bursary 2006

In partnership with SkillsActive The Nancy Ovens Trust, was delighted to award its first ever bursary for community development in 2006.

The Bursary awardees in 2006 were

• Laura Harvey, a volunteer coach with Birmingham City Ladies FC, who completed her UEFA A coaching licence;
• Steve Jones, a English Volleyball Association coach education and development officer, and England women’s performance coach, who undertook a series of visits to Italy where he worked with a volleyball club in Perugia and development centres in the region, also visiting CONI – the Italian Olympic Association.
• Roger Pickering, a volunteer rugby league coach, who took a sabbatical from his day job to coach on a full-time voluntary basis as part of the Vale Royal School Sports Partnership in Cheshire;
• Glenn Smith, a swimming coach and development officer at Mansfield City Council, who undertook a programme of coaching sessions with the head performance swimming coach at Loughborough University;
  Glenn Smith voted Coach of the Year