Before you start, find out what type of local authority or council you have.

If you live in a large town or city, there will probably be just one council, although many new town and urban councils are being created every year. If you live in a rural area it is more likely that there will be a two-tier arrangement with a county council and district, borough or city councils. In many rural and urban regions play areas may be the responsibility of parish or town councils.

The next step is to contact your local councillors – there are nearly 100,000 across the UK, so there will probably be several representing your area. If you live in an area with a two-tier arrangement there will be councillors elected to the county council and to district, borough and city councils. In rural areas and towns, it is likely you will also have community, parish and town councillors.

To get maximum help and support for your project, you should:

• Raise awareness of your project by getting in touch with local children and parents, through schools, children’s centres, local youth services or other play projects. 
• Find out who might be the most influential people and organisations in your neighbourhood, village, city or town and learn about their jobs and responsibilities, making yourself and your project known to them.
• Spread the word as widely as possible by, for example, attending MP and councillor surgeries and meetings where the use of public space or children’s services are being discussed and offering relevant information and your contact details.
• Find out if there are other similar projects and see how you can work together.
• Be open to how you might help meet other organisations’ targets as well as to how they can help you.

It will also help you enormously if influential local people support your project and put your case forward to relevant organisations and decision-makers.

These local champions might emerge as the project progresses. They might already be established within the local community, or you might have to search actively for them.

Ideally, your local champions will have influence and be able to generate support and identify resources – whether financial or ‘in kind’. Your champions might also be members of the neighbourhood who are able to attend meetings and argue the case for your project.

Some local authorities have a designated play champion. Ideally this will be a senior elected council member. There may already be an active Play Partenrship set up, involving local voluntary and charity providers as well as local councils. You will want to make the play champion aware of your project, as they may support your cause, but it is also worth having a local champion with a particular interest in your group, for example your local councillor.

It’s always worth finding out about the interests of your local councillor, the council committees they sit on, and the causes they champion.