Townswomen Survey
Introduction
Townswomen is a national organisation with 1150 branches spread across the UK. It’s membership is aged anywhere between 20 and 90 years. In 1994, the organisation, then known as the Townswomen’s Guilds, conducted a major national survey of children’s play areas in the UK. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of this survey RoSPA and the organisation (now known as Townswomen) decided to conduct a new survey and to include assessment on progress to provision of access by disabled people to play areas.
Questionnaires were sent out to all 1150 branches and it is pleasing to report that a significant number of them made returns. Play areas were selected at random and included areas which did not have independent annual safety inspections as well as those who did. The sites were not assessed by experts but by the parents and grandparents of children who use the sites. This report therefore indicates the views of the public at large.
Where appropriate, comparison with the 1994 survey is made to show trends etc over the last ten years. (Figures shown in red)
The 1994 survey concentrated particularly on equipment. As 2004 was the year in which the Disability Discrimination Act came into full force it was decided to make the main emphasis of the 2004 survey suitability for use by disabled persons.
RoSPA and Townswomen would like to thank all the volunteers who helped in the production of this survey, especially Pam Pollock and Lee Southern of Townswomen for collating the returns and SMP Playgrounds for sponsoring the printing of the questionnaire.
Results from this Survey can be downloaded here (
PDF Document 28kb)
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RoSPA is a registered charity: Registered Charity No: 207823 Patron: Her Majesty the Queen RoSPA Head Office: Edgbaston Park, 353 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7ST, UK |
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