Powys' Play Sufficiency Assessment Executive Summary 2022

456 responses to the play survey were received from across the county and they of course differ from area to area.  The questions were not mandatory, so response rates varied from question to question.  Overall, 57% of respondents were allowed to play on their own and 76% with a friend (both options could be ticked).  14% were not allowed to play or hang out at all; while it was not made clear, the assumption is that this was as a result of the pandemic.

When asked to specify what is good and could be better about play in their area, the 'good' tended to focus, apart from football, on the overall environment, possibly a reflection of life in a very rural county.   The 'could be better' aspect, on the other hand, produced quite a specific wish list and echoed many themes from previous assessments. 

What's good           

• Lots of space 
• Parks 
• Friends
• Trees, woods, forests
• Football (a few said that boys and football can dominate the play space)
• Safe
• Peaceful
• Lake at Llandrindod Wells, canoes, boats and a sand pit

What could be better

• More equipment, more football, better goals
• Fewer cars, slower traffic
• Skate park, Water park, bike tracks
• A youth club, more things for teenagers to do, covered space to hang out
• More things for toddlers and under 2s
• Grass area by estates, so kids have more local areas to play
• A bus to get to facilities
• Less dog poo

Do you feel safe when playing or hanging out?

• Always   42%
• Usually   56%
• Never     2%

How are adults with you playing or hanging out?

• Great and happy 48%
• OK and alright     43%
• Some are grumpy and don't like children playing or hanging out  8%
• Most are grumpy and hate children playing or hanging out           1%

How are the places where you play or hang out?

• Great, I can do all the things I like           40%
• OK, I can do some of the things I like       56%
• Rubbish, I can't do any of the things I like 4%

How did Covid affect where you could play or hang out?

• They've changed since the pandemic                49%
• I can still hang out in all of the places I'd like to  51%