UK play market popularity increasing according to the API

The two quarters this year have enjoyed increases.

The trend for the UK and European play markets seems to be upwards according to figures released this year by the Association of Play Industries (API).

As the lead trade body in the play sector, the API represents the interests of manufacturers, installers, designers and distributors of outdoor and indoor equipment as well as safer surfacing.

The UK play market enjoyed a boost in the second quarter of this year, as latest figures from member companies of the API show an increase of almost 4% on orders. This equates to £48.2M for the second quarter and when comparing to last year, represents a rise of 9.6% from Q2 2014.

In light of budget constraints for local authorities, the API is working as hard as ever to ensure that the UK play market is a big player in the national obesity strategy that will be outlined later this year.

The Association’s Chairman, Michael Hoenigmann, said the cost of play areas is “a small price to pay” if it keeps children active.

He said: “We’re delighted to be helping many schools improve their facilities for physical activity through the Sport England Primary Spaces initiative. But despite evidence of the benefits of active play, both to child development and to wider societal wellbeing, play lacks a Cabinet champion.

“This means we are yet to see play given the credibility it deserves as a preventative measure against obesity.

“We believe the cost of adopting a national play strategy that provides opportunities for children in every local community to be physically active is a small price to pay compared to the long term growing cost to the NHS doing nothing.”

The news about the growth in the UK play market follows on from the first quarter of the year, which saw order values increase by 20% according to the API.

In that time, member companies’ order values were worth £46.2M which was also a 6.7% on the same quarter of 2014. In addition, export order values went up by 38.5% compared to Q1 2014.

The API believes that well designed, public play facilities are required, particularly in deprived communities and the Association also wants to see an extension to the scope and scale of Sport England’s Primary Spaces funding programme to continually improve play areas for children.

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