Lifeline for charity at risk from cuts

A PLAY charity threatened with serious cuts has been awarded a £40,000 Government grant.

Playworks, based in Alfred Street North in St Ann's, will use the money to deliver a comprehensive play training programme.

Work will continue: Playworks chairman Val Chadwick, project director Liz Asher and secretary Sandra Pottshulte celebrate the new £40,000 grant.

It will include free courses and will be open for all organisations which deliver play-related services in Nottingham including schools, nurseries, charities and community projects.

Liz Asher, project director at Playworks, said the training was essential.

"Training staff and volunteers can help to keep children and young people safe, whilst ensuring that Nottingham retains and develops a highly knowledgeable, motivated workforce of play professionals and volunteers," she said.

"In turn, this will help to boost the quality of play provision in Nottingham and will hopefully help organisations to become more robust and flexible."

The grant will also allow the charity to get a national training licence, costing more than £1,000, to help it become more self-sufficient.

The licence from SkillsActive, a national play sector skills council, will give the charity access to more training and qualification opportunities for its staff and volunteers.

She said the charity had also been told that Nottingham City Council would continue backing the charity this financial year, following a review. It had expected its £35,000 from the council to end. Playworks was one of a number of groups in the voluntary sector under review due to council and Government funding cutbacks.

Next week the charity takes part in the city council's Year of Reading with a series of story-telling workshops.

There will be a workshop on Monday as well as further events in January and February to show parents, professionals and volunteers who work with children how to bring stories to life.

Some of the free play training sessions over the next couple of months include playing outside for the under fives, introductory play for volunteers, outdoor cookery, seasonal arts and crafts, drama and positive behaviour. For more details, call 0115 958 9199.