21st December

The Children's Information Service are on the Move
The Children's Information Service are in the process of moving office.  The move will take place on 2nd January 2008. During the move disruption to the service will be kept to a minimum and normal service will be resumed as soon as is humanly possible. Our new address is:

Wakefield District Children's Information Service
Room 238
County Hall
Bond Street
Wakefield
WF1 2QW

We can still be contacted by Freephone 0800 587 8042, Text 07624 809247 or email at cis@wakefield.gov.uk however, staff direct dial numbers will change from 2nd January 2008.

20th December

Big Lottery Funding Awarded for Play in Wakefield
The Big Lottery Children's Play Initiative has awarded £772,573 to Wakefield Council to improve play facilities and opportunities across the district. The funding from the Big Lottery Fund will support the Council's Playing Out in Wakefield portfolio of play projects. It aims to provide exciting, inclusive free play provision and opportunities for all children and young people in the district.

The portfolio consists of five projects which include an adventure playground, a school project, two mobile play facilities and a play scheme project. The projects will benefit 2,235 children and young people over a three year period including children and young people from black minority and ethnic groups, disadvantaged communities and disabled children.

To view the Wakefield Play Strategy or find out more about children and young people's play, visit www.wakefield.gov.uk/earlyyears, or contact Natalie Baxter, the Council's Play Strategy Co-ordinator on 01924 302274.

12th December

Children's Plan Launched
The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls has launched the 'Children's Plan', a long term vision to improve schools and a step-change in the way parents and families are supported to deal with the new challenges faced by young people in the 21st century.

Amongst other things the plan aims to make sure that young people have exciting things to do outside of school, and create more places for children to play. Some of the key announcements included a £225 million allocation over the next three years to build or upgrade more than 3,500 playgrounds and set up 30 new supervised adventure playgrounds designed for the 8 - 13 age group, in deprived communities.  There will be £160 million to improve the quality and range of places for young people to go and things for them to do.

To download a copy of the Children's Plan go to www.dcsf.gov.uk.