RAY CEREDIGION
Pengloyn, Tabernacle Street, Aberaeron
CeredigionSA46 OBN
www.rayceredigion.org.uk
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01545 570 686
gill.byrne@btconnect.com/rayceredigionadmin@btconnect.com
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 075252 06 252
RAY CEREDIGION
SETTING UP A NEW COMMUNITY PLAY PROVISION
Support RAY Ceredigion can offer for new community groups / existing groups interestred in
supporting community play facilities
Setting up a new committee
Establish who is willing to be on the committee – go for a minimum of five and never less than three. If
you can try and include people who have areas of expertise, such as finance, childcare, play etc.
Adopting a constitution
RAY Ceredigion advises using the Charity Commission ‘Charitable Associations: Model Constitution’
available from the Charity Commission website which is easy to fill in and allows groups to become
registered charities and covers the employment staff. You need a constitution before you can open a
bank account and you need both to apply for grant funding. Below are the pages you need to fill out in
the model constitution:
Page 3 – write down the date the constitution is adopted
Page 3 – Decide on the name of the group
Page 3 – add in your charitable objectives for the new play association. Below is an example which are
broad enough to allow the group to apply for funding any activity in the future, eg sport, drama, youth
club etc so if the needs of the group or community change over time there is no need to set up a new
association.
Example The charity’s objects are:
a) To support play, leisure and recreation provision for children and young people in (name of
town/village) and surrounding area]
b) To support the training and education of staff and volunteers who contribute to the provision of
play, leisure and recreation activities
Page 9 - Groups needs to state the minimum number of committee members who need to be present at
a meeting to make it ‘quorate’ – this means able to make a decision. Our suggestion is ‘3’ as 2 people
could disagree meaning no decision could be taken.
Page 19 - Signatures of all those on the committee
CRB checks for groups
The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) have merged
into the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). CRB checks are now called DBS checks. DBS can be
contacted at customerservices@dbs.gsi.gov.uk 0870 909 0811
Opening a bank account
Decide on a convenient bank that is easy for members of the committee who will sign cheques to get to,
eg during a lunch break from work – this could include the local post office. You will need to have a
minimum of two committee members as signatories for your cheques but it is a good idea to have at
least three in case someone is not available eg on holiday.
Insurance
All new groups must have their own insurance. RAY Ceredigion uses Poole Martin in Bristol who are
agents and who have insured new play associations in Ceredigion. The cost is between £300 and £400
per year. This will insure against loss of equipment and any accidents or incidents that occur during
play sessions whether to staff, volunteers, children or parents.
Play Pod storage containers
Grant funding can include a storage container for storing play equipment and the funding needs to
include the cost of delivery and siting the container. This means that staff can just turn up to run the
play session and other members of the community could be given keys so that parents can open up the
container for play sessions. Insurance would need to include this and the committee would need to
keep details of who has the key and dates that play sessions have taken place.
Grant funding
RAY Ceredigion can help new and existing groups search for appropriate grant funding which meet
each group’s needs. For example sessions can be weekly, monthly fortnightly etc, more than one day in
the school holidays. Sessions can be run by paid staff or unpaid volunteers or a mix of the two.
Sessions can stop for the winter or move inside if there is a convenient room or hall nearby. Play
equipment does not have to be expensive and could be done for somewhere around £800, with some
additional funding needed for healthy snacks such as fruit and breadsticks. RAY Ceredigion can provide
a guide list for resources and equipment.
Policies and Procedures
RAY Ceredigion can provide training for new groups on playwork and on the policies and procedures
needed to run a play setting. The training course will include a set of policies and procedures that can
be adopted and personalised for use by new play providers. The cost of this can be included in the
grant application.
Staffing ratios
The staffing ratio for open access play is one adult to every thirteen children aged five and over.
The Care and Social Services Inspectorate for Wales (CSSIW)
Open access play sessions can run for up to two hours or for up to five full days a year without needing
to register with CSSIW. If sessions run for more than two hours or for over five full days a year then
registration is necessary. RAY Ceredigion can advise on this and also provide assistance for groups
needing to register. Registration is only needed if groups include children aged seven and under who
attend without a responsible person with them. If a group states that children under eight must be
accompanied then registration is not necessary.
Contact details for CSSIW :
Government Buildings Picton Terrace Carmarthen SA31 3BT 01267 245160