A new report published today by the Raising the Nation Play Commission paints a stark picture of modern childhood in England: “sedentary, scrolling and alone.” This powerful phrase captures a growing crisis facing our children, one that’s painfully familiar to us here in East Bristol.

The Commission’s findings are clear: children’s lives are increasingly confined indoors, isolated, and shaped by pressure and screens, rather than freedom, movement and play. With the decline of youth clubs, community spaces, and safe outdoor environments, it’s no surprise we’re facing a mental and physical health emergency among young people.

But while the report calls for a renewed national focus on play, we at Eastside Community Trust are already doing that work – right here, every day.

Felix Road: A Place to Be Wild, Free and Fed

In the heart of Easton, Felix Road Adventure Playground stands as a vital community asset. It’s one of the last free, staffed adventure playgrounds in the city. A space that offers more than just swings and slides. It’s a place where children lead the way: digging, building, climbing, cooking, playing football, planting vegetables, and simply being together.

For many local families, Felix Road is also a lifeline in the fight against food poverty. Our food and play sessions ensure children have access to warm, healthy meals, often during school holidays when support disappears. This is play provision with purpose.

But as Deputy CEO Tom Williams says:

“Adventure playgrounds like Felix Road are too often left out of these reports and national strategies, as if we’re a relic of the past. The truth is, we are more relevant now than ever. We’re not just providing play; we’re supporting whole families with food, safety, and belonging. We have 2400 registered children and young people, and in 2024 provided regular free meals to 17,000 children. Imagine what we could do if we were properly recognised and funded as a key part of the solution to the crisis the Commission describes.”

The Power of Local Community Spaces

At Easton Community Centre, we see how public, welcoming spaces bring people together. Our work supports play, learning, cultural celebration and mental wellbeing, not just for children, but for parents, carers and neighbours too. These spaces are essential to combatting the loneliness, stress and inequality that increasingly define childhood today.

The Commission’s call for a statutory “play sufficiency duty” and a national play strategy is one we welcome, but we also want to see community-led, place-based organisations like ours at the centre of that strategy. Too often, funding and policy bypass those already doing the work on the ground.

We Know What Works, We’re Already Doing It

We’re inspired by the examples the Commission draws from places like Finland, where play is embedded across education and public life. But here in Easton and Lawrence Hill, we don’t need to look across borders to find good practice. We need to invest in it where it already exists.

We know what works:

• Free, inclusive, child-led spaces

• Daily access to outdoor play

• Trusted adults and skilled playworkers

• Food and fun hand-in-hand

• Spaces where children from all backgrounds mix and thrive

What You Can Do

✅ Visit Felix Road – Come and see the power of adventure play for yourself. Bring your children, volunteer your time, or join one of our community meals.

✅ Support Our Work – We rely on donations and partnerships to stay free and open. If you believe in play, please consider a regular donation (Donate HERE).

✅ Advocate for Change – Ask your councillor or MP what they’re doing to support play locally. Urge them to fund and protect spaces like Felix Road.

✅ Share the Message – Talk about play. Post on social media. Challenge the idea that risk, mess and noise are problems, instead of signs that children are living fully.

At Eastside Community Trust, we believe childhood should be messy, joyful, shared and full of movement, not lived in silence behind a screen. We stand ready to do even more for our children and communities, but we need the recognition and investment to match.

Let’s make East Bristol and England, a place where children can truly play again.