Working Together for Childhood
The Alliance for Childhood serves as a network that facilitates reflection and action by people with concerns about the care and education of children. It is not a conventional organisation, but an expression of a willingness to work together for the betterment of the experience of childhood. It exists in the shared work and spirit of cooperation whereby all partners can find mutual support. It is a collaborative approach that is created by commitment and by the activity itself.
Alliance for Childhood Newsletter No 6
Here is the latest Newsletter
Alliance for Childhood 3rd International Conference
Budapest, Hungary 13-16 October 2010
Childhood in Balance
During the four-day conference, we have a valuable opportunity to explore the subject of ‘childhood in balance’. This theme is meant to encompass the entirety of the formative years, from birth until adulthood.
In recognition of our host country, there will be special focus on the situation in Hungary. In addition, the Alliance for Childhood, associated sponsors and supporting organisations want to share new insights into the themes of early childhood and care; the effect of the media and IT on children; and poverty and exclusion'. We will seek to find ways in which to support and encourage each other in what we do and to develop concrete policy proposals for the various levels on which we operate.
By coming together in this way, we strengthen the community working to improve the quality of childhood, which will help us to form alliances with those who wish to extend this idea to a local, regional, national and ultimately international level.
The conference is open to everyone who shares a concern for these questions. We hope you will be able to join us for this important event!
Please find here further details including the conference programme timetable and registration form.
Alliance for Childhood European Network
Improving the Quality of Childhood in the European Union: New perspectives
is a compilation of talks given at the Alliance's European Network Group sessions in the European Parliament. Contributors include John Bennet and Sir Richard Bowlby from the UK, Dr Boris Cyrulnik of France and Rene Diekstra from Holland; covering subjects from education in the European Union to attachment and the changing face of adolescence .
Copies are available at £10 plus postage and packing.
Please contact us to order your copy.
All proceeds go to fund the work of the Alliance.
Embracing Inclusive Approaches for Children and Youth with Special Education Needs
11-14 July 2010, Riga, Latvia
One of the partners in the Alliance for Childhood European Network is the Step-by-Step Association (ISSA).They are organising a conference in Latvia on the above theme. See more details here.
Play England New Strategy on Play
Play England has announced a proposed reorganisation in the light of the imminent reduction in the value of its contracts with the Department for Education for 2010-11, the removal of ‘ring-fenced’ funding for local play provision and the changing policy context for the play agenda under the coalition government. Details here.
To show your support for children's play in this period of change, sign up to the Manifesto for Children's Play here
Nick Clegg outlined policy in a speech to Barnardos here.
Planet Earth Report
Play with Rainwater and Sustainable Drainage
Produced by Planet Earth Ltd for London Play with part-funding from Natural England
A ‘How to’ Guide
London Play have commissioned this report to investigate:
- How beneficial it must be for children to experience above ground what is happening to water, how it flows and sparkles, finds its own level and runs downhill?
- How beneficial it must be to design environments that can use rainwater to support lush and luxuriant plant habitats not normally sustainable in an arid, gully-ridden street?
Planet Earth Ltd have been using rainwater in children’s play for over 16 years. They have re-visited some of their early projects to see how they have endured and they have collected information from other sources for the benefit of designer’s wishing to implement similar projects for children today.
See the report here
Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood
Consuming Kids: The Commercialisation of Childhood (Trailer)
Susan Linn from CCFC has made a series of videos on the effect of advertising and promotions on childhood. You can access them here
Children’s Food Campaign
Help protect free school meals for some of England’s poorest children
The government has announced that it is dropping plans for primary school children from low income working families to receive free school meals. This breaks a commitment from the new government to protect the poorest from cuts to government spending, and is very likely to discourage parents from finding work.
Michael Gove also announced cuts to pilot projects to provide free school meals to every primary school child in five local authorities. Sustain needs as many people as possible to write to Mr Gove now, asking him to reconsider these cuts.
Details of how to do this are here
Play England - Playday 2010
Tell us how you’re celebrating Playday 2010 by registering your event today!
From junk modelling and water fun in Runnymede, to mud slides and gunge pools in Kilmarnock, there are already hundreds of events planned across the UK this summer to celebrate Playday 2010. Register your Playday event on the Playday website today and receive a free registration pack to kick-start the celebrations! When you register, you can also choose to make your event details public to increase publicity. Free resources, including Playday posters, postcards and the Get organised! guide are available to download or order via the Playday website.
Further promotional items are available to buy via the Playday web shop.
Join in the fun on Wednesday, 4 August and celebrate children’s right to play. http://www.playday.org.uk
New publication
The Spoilt Generation: Why Restoring Authority Will Make Our Children and Society Happier
Aric Sigman
Dr Sigman's new book The Spoilt Generation, has just been published. His previous book was Remotely Controlled: How Television is Damaging Our Lives, and his health and psychology book Getting Physical won The Times Educational Supplement's Information Book Award. Aric Sigman has worked on health education campaigns with the Department of Health and acted as advisor to the Institute of Personnel Management on health and psychology issues. He conducts seminars and public speaking. He currently gives talks to schools and parents on the effects of alcohol and other health issues, and he has recently written the Brain and Behaviour column for The Times Educational Supplement magazine.
Order here
Well Connected?: The Biological Implications of 'Social Networking', is published in the spring edition of Biologist, Vol 56(1), the journal of the Institute of Biology. Find it here
NOTE: This paper has been misrepresented by many news reports as claiming that social networking causes cancer or disease. This is not true. The paper addresses the extent to which time online may be displacing face-to-face contact, and that lack of social connection is associated with physiological changes, increased incidence of illness and higher premature mortality.
Quote of the month
'The young brain needs to be primed through real world 3D experiences that place plenty of cognitive demands on it.
'Children need to hold, feel, rub, taste, see and move real things to educate their neurological and cognitive infrastructure with a basic understanding of the real world.
'While new technology may serve as a powerful tool, it must be introduced and used judiciously at much later ages - ideally at least age nine.'
Dr Aric Sigman, Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine Read more