This is such a good video from our brilliant Croydon Mayoral Candidate @RowennaDavis celebrating the power of our sports clubs to lift up our communities!

This Government is committed to investing in grassroots sport across the country 🏏 ⚽️ 🏉 🎾

Pleased to join the Show Racism the Red Card drop in this week in Parliament. Great to speak to Ken Monkou about the important work they do. Racism has no place on the football pitch, or in our society.

'Why the £18 million for playgrounds in the budget is so important – and how it should be spent' - @ConversationUK theconversation.com/why-the-… This new investment is the first significant policy step towards supporting children’s play since 2008, when the then Labour government introduced the first national play strategy. That strategy was scrapped just two years later as an austerity measure. playengland.org.uk/newsblog/… This is an apt example of how frequently play is overlooked and undervalued, despite the mountain of evidence that proves its importance and its protection as a right in the UN convention on the rights of the child (UNCRC). Children’s outdoor play has declined by 50% in a single generation. Only 27% of children play in the streets regularly, compared with 80% of adults when they were children in the 1970s. Over 2 million children in England under the age of nine do not live within a ten-minute walk of a playground. This lack of access to playgrounds is more significant for children from deprived areas. A recent study found substantial inequality: deprived areas of England have fewer, smaller playgrounds that were also further to travel to. playengland.org.uk/newsblog/… Playgrounds must meet the play needs of all children and should be designed in an inclusive manner, with opportunities for children of all ages, genders and abilities to play. In allocating and spending the money set aside for playgrounds, it is crucial that their primary beneficiaries and users – children – are involved in decisions about how the money is spent and how play spaces are designed. Play spaces need to be accessible to children. This means considering how far playgrounds are from children’s homes, and whether children are able to safely get to them by themselves. They must offer quality play experiences: they must support imaginative play, creativity, be stimulating and include elements of risk. The budget announcement of playground investment is welcome, and long overdue, but it is just the first step to ensuring that children have their right to play fulfilled. Children’s right to play can only be realised through acknowledging that children’s rights are equal to those of adults. This means we need a cultural shift that acknowledges this equality and that play is critical for children of all ages. We need a culture that supports and promotes children’s play, especially their free play: play that is child-led. Playgrounds are only part of the answer. #ItAllStartsWithPlay #PlaySufficiency #NationalPlayStrategy #UNCRC #Artcle31

Amid her busy Strictly schedule, Karen Carney joined me this week to discuss our 2035 Women’s World Cup bid submission. ⚽️ We discussed the opportunity this tournament presents to inspire the next generation and showcase the very best of women’s football on home soil.

A privilege to appear on a panel with the renowned Sir Michael Marmot & Mayor Richard Parker to discuss tackling health inequalities through sport. The Active Partnerships Annual Event brought together industry to discuss how locally-led solutions can improve health outcomes.

The Let’s Move campaign launched by @DCMS and Sport England encourages 7-11s to get active. I joined local MP @SarahCoombesWB, Mayor @RichParkerLab and Councillor Jackie Taylor for a family boxercise at @rydersgreen_sch in Sandwell to see it in action🥊💪

‘Rachel Reeves to plough millions into children's playgrounds after years of Tory neglect’ - @DailyMirror mirror.co.uk/news/politics/r… The Chancellor will pledge £18million for 200 children's play parks across the country left neglected under the Tories. The Mirror understands the most deprived areas will be prioritised for the cash injection. A Treasury source said: “This funding will breathe new life into play areas across England, creating safe, exciting spaces for thousands of children. It will enrich and empower communities – giving every child a place to play and grow, wherever they live.” @EugeneMinogue, Executive Director of @PlayEngland, said the funding on playgrounds would be a welcome step and a "clear signal that play is finally back on the government’s radar". He added: "Our work with the @SheffieldUni shows just how unequal playground provision is across England, with children in deprived areas having far fewer places to play. playengland.org.uk/newsblog/… "Children make up 20% of our population, but they are 100% of our future, and their access to play should reflect that." Mr Minogue said coupled with a new national play strategy "it could be the start of real, lasting change for children, families, and communities across England." @TomHayesBmouth, who chairs the the All-Party Parliamentary Group @APPGonPlay, added: "Until this year, MPs hadn’t debated playgrounds for eight years. MPs and the Government are listening to families when they say they want better playgrounds. Every child deserves safe, fun, and inclusive places to play and we’re doing right by our children. When the last government effectively ignored playgrounds, is it any wonder they were left to rust - or that people felt pushed away from politics? This investment is a downpayment not only on better playgrounds, but on brighter, stronger communities.” #ItAllStartsWithPlay! #Playgrounds

Why a pro-sport Budget is essential for Government to deliver on its missions 💼 Ahead of next week's Budget statement, we've taken a look at the key issues and the work we've been doing lobbying on behalf of members 👇👇 sportandrecreation.org.uk/ne…

🛡️ PROTECT WHERE WE PLAY - SIGN OUR PETITION 🛡️ We have launched a petition, calling for the Government to maintain @Sport_England's status as a statutory consultee for planning applications involving playing fields ✍️ Sign it here 👇 petition.parliament.uk/petit…

RT @AlexDaviesJones: Today is 36 years in the making. The Hillsborough Law finally starts its journey through Parliament. We will make su…

'She should be utterly ashamed of herself.' Labour's Wes Streeting condemns Reform MP Sarah Pochin’s remarks about adverts 'full of black people,' labelling them racist.

RT @kimleadbeater: Real pleasure to join the team from @goodgym in Parliament this week to show my support for their brilliant ‘Movement fo…

My brilliant constituency team and I once again showed our support for @theredcardwales’ Wear Red Day. Racism has no place in our communities. We must all play our part to make it history. #ShowRacismTheRedCard🔴

The House of @CommonsLibrary has published a new Research Briefing on Children, Young People and the Built Environment, exploring how planning, design and development affect children’s ability to access both formal and informal spaces for play. commonslibrary.parliament.uk… The briefing sets out the barriers many children face in finding safe, welcoming, and inclusive spaces, and highlights the benefits of a child-centred, place-based approach to shaping our built environment — supporting health, wellbeing, and vibrant, sustainable communities. @PlayEngland welcomes this research, which aligns closely with our bold, new 10-year strategy #ItAllStartsWithPlay! and our continued advocacy for a play sufficiency approach embedded within planning policy and local decision-making. playengland.org.uk/newsblog/… @PlayEngland’s work (& many others) is referenced throughout, reflecting our evidence and advocacy on play sufficiency legislation, planning reform, and the need to embed children’s right to play in the design of our towns, cities and neighbourhoods. It validates the central tenets of our strategy: that play sufficiency, child-centred planning and spatial justice are not optional extras — they are essential to delivering equitable, thriving places. It also further strengthens the political case for change. With the Commons Library now signalling the issue, there is a clear mandate for policymakers and local authorities to embed play principles in planning frameworks and statutory guidance. Read the full research briefing: researchbriefings.files.parl… #PlaySufficiency #ChildFriendlyPlanning #RightToPlay

Great to meet @BayoAlaba, the Essex Boys and Girls Club @lifstansBC and Southend Amateur Boxing Club in Parliament. Boxing has made to young people. I am pleased that @DCMS will continue to invest in spaces like this so that young people have opportunities to thrive.

Registrations for our AGM and 90th Year Anniversary Celebration at St James's Palace will close on Friday! Don't miss your opportunity to join us as we look back on our proud history, and celebrate future leaders with our #CSRAYouth 🌟 Sign up here 👇👇 sportandrecreation.org.uk/ne…

While I was in Liverpool, I visited Wavertree Cricket Club to meet players from different teams to see some of the excellent children's & visually impaired sessions. 
It was a pleasure to discuss this valued club’s future plans with local members and @PaulaBarkerMP.

Such a privilege to join rugby legends, Jamie Jones Buchanan and Gill Burns, at the @LabourForSport Conference reception with so many representative from across the sector.

Great to have the Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock MP speak about the difference sport makes and the positive impact #Lab25