Skills for the Job: Organising an outdoor play event

Is a street party easy to arrange?
When London Play’s Street Play project began in 2008, it encountered a handful of local authorities in London that made street parties difficult to organise.

Some charged as much as £2,000 for permission to close a street while others used health and safety fears to deter party planners. But a shift came about in early 2011 as demand for Royal Wedding street parties grew. Government guidance was issued to all councils, urging them to undo the red tape and allow parties to go ahead.

Now as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations loom, many have suspended street closure fees and cut bureaucracy.

What do you need to think about when planning an event?
Children and young people are essential to the success of any street party as they create an atmosphere that allows adults to get into the spirit of things. Involving them from the start is a must.

How they contribute to the planning will depend largely on age. Older children can make suggestions at residents’ meetings while younger ones can have their drawings, lists and ideas forwarded to meetings by parents or siblings.

An application for street closure will need to be submitted to the council, ideally at least eight weeks in advance of the event. Most councils have information on holding street parties on their websites, and many also have an online application facility.

Each local authority has its own requirements but most will want public liability insurance to be taken out for the event, usually costing around £70 for £2m cover. Some might also ask for a risk assessment or proof of consultation with all the street’s residents.

What is needed for a successful event?
A small committed group of residents is a must, and it needs the backing of the majority of the street’s inhabitants. There will always be one or two dissenters, but as long as their views are heard it is a case of majority rules. Usually once the party is in full swing, the naysayers will be found mingling around the barbecue.

Preparation is key to success. Draw up a list of assigned tasks setting out who is doing what and when, from hiring trestle tables to tidying up at the end of the day.

Information posters on lampposts running up to the party will keep everyone on the street in the loop – and should remind residents to move their cars to adjacent streets by the time the bunting is strung up.

The organising group should draw up a varied programme of activities with something for everyone – silly competitions, food, music and den building all usually go down well.

Creating distinct zones along the street is worth doing, for example locating a quieter seating area at one end, music and children’s play at the other, and food and drink somewhere in between.

It is a good idea to have a couple of gazebos for shelter from rain – or sun – but if it does rain, it rarely lasts all day and children will play out regardless.

What does the future hold for street play?
The Department of Health has shown an interest in the concept of “Sunday play streets”. These are weekly play sessions allowing children to play out on quieter residential streets.

This could herald a return to the days where streets were seen as communal spaces where people can interact, if only for a few hours on a Sunday – rather than thoroughfares for cars.

Residents in some neighbourhoods have organised themselves to create after-school and weekend street play sessions. Volunteers in bright tabards are stationed at entry points to the street, alerting children to approaching vehicles, warning cars to slow down and acting as a reassuring presence for children and residents. 

Paul Hocker is play development manager at London Play