Go Play Sandwell Partnership offers free and easily accessible play sessions after school, during school holidays and at weekends to thousands of five to 12-year-olds.

The partnership – made up of Sandwell Council’s Play Service, Powered by CAN (previously Creative Academies Network), Groundworks West Midlands and Murray Hall Community Trust – has been nominated in ‘The Play Award’ category.

The awards scheme celebrates projects, people and organisations across the UK that are striving day in and day out to improve the lives of children and young people.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the partnership developed a number of innovative projects so they could continue their work reaching out to and supporting children with their play activities.

The partnership delivered 3,500 play packs and created digital play sessions using social media platforms as well as developing ‘play bombing’ sessions – leaving items for children to interact with at various locations.

These included: creating temporary adventure maps in green spaces, leaving painted and decorated stones to inspire low cost art activities at home, placing ‘fairy doors’ in woods to inspire  imaginations into fantasy worlds and chalking out hopscotch grids on the ground to engage children in spontaneous games.

Councillor Simon Hackett, Sandwell’s cabinet member for children and education, said: “This is fantastic news. The nomination recognises the hard work of the partnership, and I’d like to congratulate everyone involved.

“Giving children the opportunity to play is an important part of the their development. The work being done by the Go Play Sandwell Partnership shows our commitment to providing free, accessible and local play opportunities for the benefit of thousands of children across Sandwell.”

The Children  and Young People Now Awards – which have become the gold standard for everyone working with children, young people and families – will be announced on Thursday, 24 November.