Finance Score: 0
Governance Score: 9
Support Score: 12
  • Volatile income & significant deficit in latest year: -5
  • Future income +5
  • No PartB
  • Good trustee age range: +3
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Gender balanced board: +3
  • Large volunteer base +3
  • Overall weighted support: +9
Overall GiG Score: 21 ?

LONDON PLAY

London Play wants every child in London to have quality, accessible and inclusive play opportunities. We campaign for more and better play spaces and support playwork in the capital. Our information and advice service, policy analyses and media comments help raise awareness of the right to play and of how important play is in the growth, development and well-being of children and young people.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • This charity has been successful in attracting volunteers relative to its size
  • A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government and there are significant future grants due to be received
  • The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Financial issues to consider:

  • Income has been volatile recently and was significantly lower than spending in the latest year
  • A PartB annual return has not been required and so detailed financial information is not available from the online data

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?
Sources of Income ?
Y/E Income
£k
Spending
£k
Surplus/
Deficit £k
Fundraising
Cost £k
Total
Funds £k
Unrestricted
Funds £k
Mths
Rsrvs
Staff Volun-
teers
31/03/23£166£231£-66n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/22*£228£244£-15n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/21£378£347£31n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/20£325£274£50n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/19£217£184£32n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/18£261£276£-15n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/17£338£345£-6n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/16£404£377£27n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/15£295£322£-27n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/14*£322£346£-24n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/13£399£381£18n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/12£293£288£4n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/11£308£291£17n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/10£312£371£-59n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/09£345£403£-58n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/08£451£422£29n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/07£469£443£26n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/06£400£400£0n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/05*£0£0£0n/an/an/an/an/an/a

Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000
Established: 20 years
(24 years as a company)

www.londonplay.org.uk

info@londonplay.org.uk

02033848510

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies HouseFacebookX
UN SDGs
?
Listed activities
  • Amateur Sport
  • Arts/Culture/Heritage/Science
  • Disability
  • Economic/Community Development/Employment
  • Education/Training
  • Environment/Conservation/Heritage
GiG Classification
  • Child day-care services
How it operates
  • Acts as an umbrella or resource body
  • Provides advocacy/advice/information
Where it operates
  • Throughout London,
Who it helps
  • Children/Young People
  • Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
  • People With Disabilities

Who supports them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years
DCMS£99,720
Trust for London£99,000
City Bridge Trust£65,826
London Marathon Charitable Trust£46,500
Garfield Weston Foundation£40,000
Tudor Trust£32,000
National Lottery Community Fund£29,670
CAF£6,000
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
Tudor Trust - Grant to London Play
£30,000 13/05/2020
12
over one year as unrestricted continuation funding towards core costs at a charity promoting play and delivering play projects across London
London Marathon Charitable Trust - Jelly Sports [Revised]
£46,500 30/08/2023
towards the delivery of play and sport in existing but inaccessible spaces in urban neighbourhoods located in 10 different boroughs
National Lottery Community Fund - Adventure Play: For the Community; by the Community
£9,840 25/08/2023
The funding will be used to celebrate and spotlight the 75th anniversary of Adventure Playgrounds. Community celebration events will take place in the autumn with 12 groups bringing members of the community together. The major central London event ....more
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£20,000 11/01/2023
London Play Core Funding
Trust for London - London Play
£9,000 29/09/2022
This is a cost of living uplift for grant reference 360G-trustforlondon-MAIN-S2-05.10.2021-9351
Trust for London - London Play
£90,000 09/02/2022
The funding is for a new project , Communities United for Play. We will co-produce an online campaigning ‘toolbox’ with and for Londoners in predominantly disadvantaged areas, equipping them with tools and confidence to successfully challenge ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Return to Nature Days
£9,900 04/02/2022
The funding will be used to host ‘return to nature’ days including foraging cooking and hikes for disadvantaged children. The project aims to provide outdoor learning activities for the beneficiaries to enjoy and improve their physical and ....more
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£20,000 24/09/2021
London Play Core Funding
National Lottery Community Fund - All Hands On Deck!
£9,930 12/03/2021
5
The funding will be used to produce packs of activity playing cards and deliver workshops for children and young people. The project aims to equip young people with a range of cultural games improve mental health and general wellbeing during the ....more
Tudor Trust - Grant to London Play
£2,000 14/01/2021
as an additional grant to support staff, volunteer and trustee wellbeing, to assist the organisation deliver its charitable purpose more effectively
City Bridge Trust - Grant to London Play
£22,638 13/08/2020
towards the costs outlined in your application for 2,000 play parcels for families
DCMS - Coronavirus Community Support Fund
£99,720 08/07/2020
"The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to operate, thereby reducing the burden on public ....more
CAF - Grant to London Play
£6,000 26/05/2020
3
Grant to London Play to support the organisation through COVID19
City Bridge Trust - Grant to London Play
£28,888 08/05/2020
A grant of £28,888 to fund the essential and urgent costs outlined in the application, so that the organisation can carry on providing support to Londoners.
City Bridge Trust - Grant to London Play
£14,300 09/04/2020
A one-off, unrestricted grant of £14,300, equivalent to one regular quarterly payment for the organisation’s current grant. COVID19
City Bridge Trust - Grant to London Play
£111,000 06/07/2018
24
£111,000 over two years (£53,800; £57,200) towards the salaries of a Programme Designer and Head of Communications, plus costs of training playground staff and related operational and management costs.
National Lottery Community Fund - Walthamstow Play Quarter Pilot
£9,895 11/10/2017
12
This project will run a series of supported play sessions for local children, enabling them to safely access outdoor activities in the urban location.
City Bridge Trust - Grant to London Play
£20,000 08/09/2017
£20,000 over one year towards 50% of the costs of the London Play (Design) Director, subject to quarterly management accounts of London Play.
Tudor Trust - Grant to London Play
£90,000 24/05/2017
36
over three years as continuation funding towards the salary of the director at a charity promoting and delivering play and play projects across London
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Grant to London Play
£53,800 08/07/2015
World War 1 Play Time - DORA Explorers
City Bridge Trust - Grant to London Play
£138,000 12/03/2015
36
£138,000 over three years (£37,400, £47,700, £52,900) towards the salary of a Play Works Mentor; costs of training playground staff; and related operational and management costs.
Tudor Trust - Grant to London Play
£87,000 25/04/2014
36
over three years towards salary and premises costs for an organisation promoting and delivering play and play projects across London
National Lottery Community Fund - London Play Street Project
£348,206 05/03/2014
36
This new project aims to meet the physical and emotional needs of children and young people in some of the UKÂ’s most deprived areas of London by building community spirit, confronting anti-social behaviour, and addressing LondonÂ’s lack of ....more
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Grant to London Play
£58,600 08/01/2014
Projecting London's play streets from the past into the present
National Lottery Community Fund - Old Hands at Mud Pies
£43,232 28/11/2013
12
Old Hands at Mud Pies, aims to build confidence, social networks and reduce isolation among older people in Deptford by engaging them in weekly community activities at a local play project. The project will bring young and old generations together ....more
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (11)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split
Based on 9/11 persons

Age Range of Trustees: 28-82
  • AMY QUINN Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Charity Programme Manager
  • BARRY WALDEN Appointed: 2005, Occupation: Local Government Officer
  • CAROLINE NEEDHAM Appointed: 2013, Occupation: Retired
  • DR KEITH CRANWELL, Occupation: Retired
  • HARRY DAVIDSON Appointed: 2019, Occupation: Charity Consultant
  • MELIAN BARBARA MANSFIELD (Chair) Appointed: 2003, Occupation: Teacher Trainer
  • NICHOLAS HALL Appointed: 2013, Occupation: Landscape Architect
  • RAFAEL PORTILLO Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Company Director
  • SARA MARTINS Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Social Researcher
  • SEREENA KEYMATLIAN Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Charity Director
  • ZAREEN ISLAM Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Play And Youth Worker
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 02/07/2004, number: 1104731
  • Registered at Companies House on 15/08/2000, number: 04055882
Gift Aid
  • Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Policies in force
  • Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
  • Complaints handling
  • Complaints policy and procedures
  • Conflicting interests
  • Financial reserves policy and procedures
  • Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
  • Internal risk management policy and procedures
  • Paying staff
  • Risk management
  • Safeguarding policy and procedures
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
  • Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
  • Trustee expenses policy and procedures
  • Volunteer management
Filing Record
19 returns made; AR22: 13 days late, AR14: 28 days late, AR05: 29 days late,
Recent reorganisation events:
  • Asset transfer in from HENRY SURTEES FOUNDATION on 24/03/2023
Main office

International House
64 Nile Street
LONDON
N1 7SR

Objectives

TO ENHANCE THE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION OF CHILDREN IN THE GREATER LONDON AREA BY DEVELOPING AND SUPPORTING THE PROVISION OF CHILDREN'S PLAY PRIMARILY BY:-1. IMPROVING THE QUALITY , DIVERSITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF PROVISION AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR PLAY IN LONDON;2. SECURING GREATER RECOGNITION OF THE FUNDAMENTAL IMPORTANCE OF PLAY IN THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF LONDON 'S CHILDREN;3. PROMOTING CO-OPERATION AND CO-ORDINATION BETWEEN PLAY PROVIDERS AND PLAY SPECIALISTS IN LONDON, AND TO DEVELOP A NETWORK OF LOCAL CO-ORDINATION AND SUPPORT AGENCIES FOR PLAY IN EVERY LONDON BOROUGH.

Defined Area of Benefit:

GREATER LONDON

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving

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