Street play is first step to ‘legacy' success

here has been plenty of talk about what the legacy will be of the London Olympics. Will we be able to produce another Bradley Wiggins, Jessica Ennis and Chris Hoy? What does it take to build the capabilities that help people go for gold in whatever they pursue?

You can guarantee the first place that our Olympics winners’ parents noticed their children’s drive and physical capabilities would not have been on a dedicated sports track or velodrome. It was probably on the street in front of their house or in the park nearby.

If we want such stars of the future, we need to not only invest in sport, but to welcome back children to the streets where they live.

A couple of weeks ago, CYP Now published the story of the housing association in Plymouth that has told parents not to let their children play ball games and cycle around their own estate.

In the past year, both I and colleagues from Play England have been asked to comment when police have stopped children kicking cans in their cul-de-sac, when schools have cut playtimes over presumed health and safety fears and when children were issued with Asbos because they climbed a tree in the local park.

Thankfully, the vast majority of people and communities have sense. We love the sound of children playing, and know instinctively that they should be seen and heard. Children playing outside their own front door are the sign of a healthy community – one where children know their neighbours, where they have friends of many ages and where they have secret den places.

Throughout the Olympic Games – and this year’s hugely successful Playday, the national celebration of children’s right to play – we’ve heard from families watching proudly as the children on their street make up their own sports, make their own medals and take pride in their own achievements. More kids are enjoying swimming, cycling and running about. More kids are playing in front of their own houses.

Where communities tell children they welcome them, where communities smile at children playing out, where a kid can leave their bike on the pavement and they smile back at you, those are happy communities. And they are places that can foster talent – including Olympic talent.

Yes, we need proper investment in sports facilities, but possibly even more than that, we first need to make sure kids are out playing on our streets. So what can you do to encourage street play?

Take inspiration from London Play, Bristol’s Playing Out project and families living in Leeds, Oxford and Hackney who are reclaiming their own streets, with the support of local councillors and transport teams. Some of their stories have been reported on the Love Outdoor Play blog (loveoutdoorplay.net).

In Bristol, they have developed “Temporary Street Play Orders” so residents can choose to close their streets to through-traffic for a couple of hours after school regularly. In many areas, residents around cul-de-sacs and in blocks of flats agree that they just want kids playing outside. The many street parties that have taken place this year have brought communities together – so how about having one yourself to bring your street together?

This Olympics has all been about that sense of togetherness and about the joy of getting involved – as a volunteer, a spectator, a commentator. Many people didn’t believe we could pull off the ceremonies, let alone host the world’s greatest sporting event in world-class venues and then achieve our greatest collection of medals ever.

It’s up to all of us to be involved in the legacy, to make sure our pride in our nation and the talented young (and not so young) people we have is not lost, and to ensure the next generation have the same chances to succeed – that they are not stuck indoors.

So whether as a professional or a parent, support the Love Outdoor Play campaign and get involved in getting more kids outside in your community. Let us make sure we continue to play long after the Olympics are over.

Hilary Emery is chief executive of the National Children’s Bureau