"The 51 minute challenge" will examine innovative solutions to providing children and young people with opportunities to play, socialise and develop outside of their time at school.
The conference takes its title from the fact that the time young people spend in the school environment is only a small fraction of their lives. Assuming full attendance for six hours a day for 38 weeks each year and ten hours sleep, between birth and age 16 children attend school for just nine minutes of every waking hour.
The conference, organised in partnership with Groundwork, CABE Space and the Children's Play Council, takes place at Church House Conference Centre, London on 31 March 2004. It costs 120.
Hilary Spiers, director of communications at The National Youth Agency, said: "One of the key government objectives for children and young people, highlighted in the green paper Every Child Matters, is "Enjoyment and Achievement". Yet children and young people often complain of having nowhere to go and nothing to do. Without safe places and public spaces to play and exercise in, young people's health can deteriorate.
"This conference will suggest options for supporting young people's personal and social development and offer insights into ways of tackling antisocial behaviour, community development, neighbourhood renewal, improving health and wellbeing and many other issues of importance to individuals, communities and local and national government. It will culminate in a call for action at local and national level."
The conference is suitable for a range of professionals working with young people and the built environment, from youth services to architect and landscape architect services and students. For more details contact Sara Dickinson, events co-ordinator at The National Youth Agency, on 0116 285 3708. Email: sarad@nya.org.uk, or visit The NYA web site at www.nya.org.uk.
