The play fighter - Nick Jackson, play development manager, The Learning Trust

Last year, Haringey Play Association was visited by Kevin Morley, former boss of Rover, for the Channel 4 series The Secret Millionaire. Morley volunteered on the adventure playground for a few days before handing over £75,000.

"It was a surreal experience - almost like Victorian-style philanthropy - but you can't really account for that in your business plan," says Jackson, who left the association a fortnight ago after five years to join The Learning Trust in neighbouring Hackney, overseeing the borough's play strategy.

He was grateful for the exposure and the cash, which funded a senior playworker for two years and camping trips for the children. But he knows the play sector rarely receives this kind of backing. That may sound ridiculous considering the government is halfway through a £235m strategy to develop and refurbish thousands of play areas, but Jackson is referring to the day-to-day running of services on the ground.