Plings youth activities directory to rollout nationally

The Plings pilot programme was created in 2009 after the then Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) asked social research co-operative Substance to look at how information for teenagers could be gathered and shared through a single platform online. Twenty local authorities in England took part in the DCSF-funded pilot project, which is due to end in September 2010.

Substance is currently finalising a three-year funding strategy to continue Plings beyond September. This will involve developing service-level agreements with individual local authorities as well as with the commercial sector. Details of the new funding arrangements will be circulated to all local authorities in September.

Results from the pilot areas show that year-on-year the number of activities listed in the same four-week period increased by 300 per cent. According to an evaluation, the quality of information has also improved. Previously local authorities just produced a list of activity providers but now Plings provides activity information, descriptions, photos, maps and directions.

A spokesman for the Plings projects said: "Twelve months ago there was no data standard. Now all providers from youth clubs to sports centres collect information according to defined data standards so it can be easily published and syndicated. Because information is formatted in the same way it can be published on channels where young people ‘bump into it’ such as Facebook, blog pages, text messages and websites.

"Feedback from local authority marketing and children’s services officers shows that uniform data is saving them time and money and more young people are now attending positive activities."