Our city is home to the UK's first PLAYCE
An activity space built on a scientific model for movement
Portsmouth's PLAYCE will be a versatile and colourful multi-skills activity space, designed to get the community moving.
A collaboration between the University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth City Council (PCC), and the Athletic Skills Model (ASM) Company, Portsmouth's PLAYCE will be the first space of its kind in the UK.
Based on a pioneering scientific model for movement developed in the Netherlands, our PLAYCE will be built to be accessible for people of all ages and skill levels, including those with disabilities. There will be no separate play areas for different groups, but an integrated activity space for all.
Our PLAYCE will be somewhere residents can get together, to not only be physically active, but engage in play and games. The most novel part of it is that the space is designed with the community in mind. Our overall aim is to encourage a more fun, active lifestyle for people in the surrounding area.
The PLAYCE activity space in Almere, the Netherlands
The PLAYCE activity space in Ede, the Netherlands
The Skills Garden in Schilderswijk, the Hague, the Netherlands
What is a PLAYCE?
The PLAYCE concept was developed in the Netherlands, where more than 40 PLAYCEs and 'Skill Gardens' (the larger version of a PLAYCE) have been built in schools, hospitals, sport clubs and public spaces.
Each PLAYCE is based on the principles of the Athletic Skills Model (ASM), a scientifically-grounded Dutch framework for sport, physical education, healthcare, art and culture.
PLAYCE designs are laid out to facilitate ten basic but versatile forms of movement - including balancing, climbing, throwing and jumping - known as the ASM’s Fundamental 10!
As well as movement quantity (how much time you spend moving), ASM focuses heavily on movement quality (how well you move). There are thousands of certified ASM practitioners in the UK and around the world, including elite and amateur sports coaches, PE teachers, dance instructors and healthcare professionals such as physiotherapists.
People of all ages and abilities can use a PLAYCE activity space, from elite and amateur athletes to grassroots sport teams, exercise classes to those simply looking to improve their lifestyles by moving more.
What will Portsmouth's PLAYCE offer?
- A colourful outdoor activity space purpose-built to get people moving by challenging them to think outside the box when it comes to physical activity.
- A space for the local community to exercise and socialise, including schools, sports clubs, health centres, sports coaches and carers carrying out training or exercise programmes.
- Athletic Skills Model (ASM) training for a number of local exercise professionals so they can help people make the most of the space, thanks to additional funding from Portsmouth City Council’s community infrastructure levy fund.
Make a donation towards Portsmouth's PLAYCE
Once our PLAYCE is built, our aim is to turn it into a larger 'Skills Garden' and deliver activity sessions for people in the local community.
You can help support this by donating through our crowdfunder - https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/portsmouth-skills-garden.
Portsmouth PLAYCE
Portsmouth has been chosen to host the UK’s first PLAYCE, a multi-skills activity space built using a pioneering scientific model for movement. The purpose of the space is to get people moving by challenging them to think outside the box when it comes to physical activity.
[Portsmouth has been chosen to host the UK’s first PLAYCE]
[The activity space is built using a pioneering model for movement]
[The playground is planned to be constructed at Lords Court in Landport]
[The community, schools, sports clubs, health centres and carers will be able to use it]
Dr Martina Navarro: In a nutshell, would be a space where the community can get together to not only be physically active, but also engage in play and games. And I think the most innovative or interesting part of it is that the space is designed with the community.
[The space will be built with the principles of the Athletic Skills Model (ASM)]
[It’s a scientifically based talent development model for physical activity]
René Wormhoudt: It's about versatile movement and has an holistic approach, which means that it's more than movement only, which makes you healthier, better for wellbeing and to become better in performance.
Nicola Clannachan: The Athletic Skills Model and the Athletic Skills Garden is around community. It's about reaching all age groups and being accessible to everybody, no matter their age, their ability. And that's what's really important to us, is to ensure that our recreational spaces aren't just for a single purpose or a single user. They're not just around children. It's about community space and community opportunity to move, have fun and get some fresh air.
[University of Portsmouth]
Get involved in Portsmouth's PLAYCE
If you live near Lords Court, Landport, we'd love to hear from you.
We hosted several events to hear local residents views on building a new space for play and physical activity in Landport. Based on what we heard, this is the initial design of the space (which includes the existing ball court and playground near Lords Court):
The new design took your views into consideration aiming to:
- Improve visibility by removing the current walls
- Reduce ball noise by, for example, installing sound-deadening fences
- Install soft surface instead of tarmac
- Create more opportunities to do different movements in the space – not only a football court
- Improve the adjacent children’s playground
- Improve accessibility
- Create more seating areas
The Portsmouth PLAYCE team and partners
Project leads
Our partners
-
Portsmouth City Council
Housing, Neighbourhood and Buildings Directorate
Public Health Directorate within Portsmouth City Council
Gail Mann PhD - Research Development Lead
-
The Athletic Skills Model (ASM) Company
Prof Dr Geert Savelsbergh - ASM co-founder and Professor at VU Amsterdam
Rene Wormhoudt - ASM co-founder and S&C Coach KNVB (Dutch Men's Football Team)
-
South Western Railway Community Fund
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