Play support charity faces closure unless £10,000 is pledged

A charity that provides play opportunities for more than 6,000 children a year will close at the end of March unless it can raise at least £10,000.

Newark and Sherwood Play Support Group has been offering opportunities for play for more than 30 years.

Because of a shortfall in funding its manager, Mrs Jill Musson, was not able to take a salary last month and has been selling toys and play equipment to try to keep the charity afloat.

She said that in times of austerity, play was on few funding providers’ radar.

The group organises several play days a year at Sconce and Devon Park offering free activities for hundreds of children. It also hires out play equipment.

'At the point of no return'

When the financial year closes at the end of March, the charity will have received around £35,000 in income in 2017-18, down from £57,000 in 2016-17. It received £132,000 in the 2012-13 financial year.

Mrs Musson said: “We are now at the point of no return.

“This is the worst financial situation we have been in ­— and it has been tight over the last five years.

“It is upsetting. When you work for a charity, especially when it involves children and children with disabilities, and families with little income, you put your heart and soul into trying to make it work and to bring the funding in.

“Play has just dropped so far down the agenda of funding bodies that it is difficult to secure any long-term core funding to support the organisation to carry out all the things we do.”

Mrs Musson said funding applications, which five years ago she would have expected to be successful, were being turned down.

Currently it receives £9,000 a year from Nottinghamshire County Council and about £10,000 from 11 groups and organisations that share its base at Millgate Community Centre.

It received money this year from the divisional funds of county councillors Keith Girling and Sue Saddington.

'A smaller and smaller pot of funding'

Money also comes from Newark and Sherwood District Council for the Sconce and Devon Park sessions, which see 25 people hired over the summer to help out.

“Everyone is applying for a smaller and smaller pot of funding all the time and as play drops down the agenda the chances of getting it are less,” said Mrs Musson.

“All of it now is about mindfulness and mental health and, while they are incredibly important, the ironic thing is that play helps with all of these issues.

“It would help with mental health and giving people more self-confidence but they see the word ‘play’ in our title and dismiss it because they don’t understand the benefits.”

Mrs Musson said if the charity did not receive £10,000 to £15,000 before the end of March, it would close.

“Play is vital, especially with the social mobility issues that have been highlighted in Newark,” she said.

“The benefits of play are huge. I think people undervalue how beneficial it is.”

Centre could close

If more funding is not found, the district council-owned Millgate Community Centre could also have to close unless another managing tenant could be found.

If that was not achievable, the 11 clubs and organisations that use the centre — attracting around 900 people a month for activities such as yoga, flower arranging, a Lego club and a fun club for children with disabilities — could be without a base.

Mrs Musson is appealing to businesses to pledge money to try to keep the group running.

“If ten businesses gave £1,000, or 20 businesses £500 each, we would be OK,” she said.

To help, go to www.crowdfunder.co.uk/newark-and-sherwood-playsupport-group/

'It is hoped the centre can remain open for community use'

In a statement the district council said it would continue to offer advice and support in order to help the group through this difficult time, and it hoped Millgate Community Centre would remain open.

The statement said: “The group is based at Millgate Community Centre and is responsible for its day-to-day management and provides valuable community space for local groups and organisations.

“By working with Jill Musson and her team on a new business case it is hoped the centre can remain open for community use and that the organisation will become more sustainable in the future.”