Posted on: Friday 4 March 2022
Playworkers for Torfaen Council have won a top national award for their work during the pandemic.
The Torfaen Play Service team won the COVID response accolade at the National Playwork Awards ceremony in Eastbourne this week.
The team were recognised for the work they did throughout the pandemic, with more than 60 playworkers working daily at community hubs to engage with key worker children and vulnerable pupils.
The service was also celebrated for creating and delivering hundreds of play resource packs to families and for providing a wealth of online activities and materials to support parents and carers with home-schooling.
Many playworkers also took on extra council duties by helping on refuse collections and the delivery of free school meals during the midst of the pandemic.
Torfaen Executive Member for Children, Families and Communities, Councillor Fiona Cross said:
“It’s wonderful that Torfaen Play has been recognised nationally for all their efforts and hard work during the pandemic.
“The award is testament to the dynamic problem solving approach the service has always taken when faced with a challenge. In the most uncertain times, they found creative ways to keep children engaged in play.
Both online and in person, they’ve been invaluable in providing services for all children, including children with additional learning needs. Well done team Torfaen Play!”
At the ceremony It was noted that Torfaen Play had ‘gone above and beyond their normal role to support others’, championing every child’s right to play and enhance children’s wellbeing.
Julian Davenne, Torfaen Play Service Manager, stated:
“The entire play service team are really over the moon having received this award. We are so proud of our playworkers for what they have done for children, their families and the wider community.
“All the playworkers are young people themselves, so it has been amazing watching them make such a positive contribution to their community, during what was a really difficult and testing period.”