Our History
Re-Create holds a minutes record from a meeting that was held on Wednesday January 29th 1986 at 11.15 a.m. at the Community Support Anti-Waste Scheme building in Hope Street, Splott. The aim of the group that met that day was to set up a Children’s Play Resource Centre.
The group later became the management committee of a registered Charity called South Glamorgan Play Services Association on 14th October 1987.
During the early years the Play Services committee worked closely with
South Glamorgan Play Bus Association management committee and staff to develop the Resource Centre which eventually opened on 1st May 1988.
The Play Resource Centre’s aim then was to provide a range of support services for people working with children. Services such as:
· A Scrapstore: a wide variety of re-usable waste and surplus material donated and collected from firms around South Wales to re-use in children’s play.
· Information Services: an information area with publications on play, play equipment, legislation and other subjects that affect play providers and also a regular newsletter.
· Hire Equipment: large and expensive items of play equipment such as badge machines to be available.
· Arts and Crafts shop: to stock a wide range of cut-price arts and crafts
materials.
To provide these services the charity set up a company limited by guarantee called Cardiff Play Resource Centre to be its trading arm. The tenancy of the building the Centre was located in was shared with the Play Bus. For the first year it ran as a Community Programme with funding from the Manpower Services Commission. There were approximately twenty people on the project and about the same number involved in a Community Programme with Play Bus. As well as the Community Programme, Play Bus had three workers from an Urban Programme grant.
At the end of that year the Community Programme initiative was ended and both projects lost every worker. The end of the Community Programme was a disaster for many projects, in Swansea the Scrapstore closed completely. In
Cardiff the Play Bus development team funded by the Urban Programme grant were left with the responsibility for their own project as well as the development of the Resource Centre. For a couple of years the Play Resource Centre survived with the support of the Play Bus development team and because of the dedication of the committee members. The Centre relocated to our present building on Ely Industrial Estate. It is a 5000 plus square foot warehouse built in the 1940’s. Re-Create has been situated here since St David’s Day 1989.
The Centre eventually managed to secure funding from Cardiff City and South
Glamorgan County Councils as well as Environment Wales, the Welsh Office and then the new Cardiff County council. Just as the situation seemed stable, funding was pulled at short notice. This should have signalled the end of the Play Resource Centre. However, scrapstores are resourceful places in terms of staff and not just materials, so we put an emergency plan in place that has paved the way to long term sustainability.
At present Re-Create have three full-time and eight part-time workers, as well as several volunteers. The membership fee is only £1 per visit and attracting 6000 plus in a diverse range of members, including Playgroups, Play-Schemes, Schools, Childminders, Scouts, Community Education Teams, Community Centres, Family Centres, Leisure Centres, Arts Groups, Organisations, Private Businesses, Environmental Groups and Special Needs Groups. Re-Create also has family and student memberships. People visit Re-Create from all over the South Wales area and we collect materials from a number of firms in this area, as well as having relationships with Scrapstores in England and in Scotland.
Through the support of grants from funders such as BIG Lottery and Cymorth Cymru, Small Play Grants, Impact Grant and Lloyds TSB, Re-Create has developed a play team. The play team deliver and facilitate play workshops using a range of resources such as arts and crafts, loose parts and scrap. Re-Create also provides Sensory play sessions; working with children of all abilities using high quality purchased sensory equipment. Re-Create has also expanded in providing Intervention and Support Services, working to target previously unmet needs, such as play with parents, employ play workers for children with disabilities and play as a diversionary activity for at risk offenders. The Playworkers benefit the lives of these children through play and adhere to the Playwork principles. Re-Create is now a Play Association, a voluntary organisation working locally to promote, support, improve and deliver quality play opportunities from children in response to local need.
This summer of 2013, Re-Create will be celebrating its 25th birthday in
the knowledge that through the hard work of trustees, staff and members, tens of thousands of children and young people from all different circumstantial backgrounds have gained from this well worth and supported charity.
We have merged our charity and company into one organisation. The charitable company is now called Re-Create - Cardiff & Vale Play Services Association (registered number 1100526).
If you want to know more about us, give us a ring on 029 2057 8100 or access our Contact Us page.
The group later became the management committee of a registered Charity called South Glamorgan Play Services Association on 14th October 1987.
During the early years the Play Services committee worked closely with
South Glamorgan Play Bus Association management committee and staff to develop the Resource Centre which eventually opened on 1st May 1988.
The Play Resource Centre’s aim then was to provide a range of support services for people working with children. Services such as:
· A Scrapstore: a wide variety of re-usable waste and surplus material donated and collected from firms around South Wales to re-use in children’s play.
· Information Services: an information area with publications on play, play equipment, legislation and other subjects that affect play providers and also a regular newsletter.
· Hire Equipment: large and expensive items of play equipment such as badge machines to be available.
· Arts and Crafts shop: to stock a wide range of cut-price arts and crafts
materials.
To provide these services the charity set up a company limited by guarantee called Cardiff Play Resource Centre to be its trading arm. The tenancy of the building the Centre was located in was shared with the Play Bus. For the first year it ran as a Community Programme with funding from the Manpower Services Commission. There were approximately twenty people on the project and about the same number involved in a Community Programme with Play Bus. As well as the Community Programme, Play Bus had three workers from an Urban Programme grant.
At the end of that year the Community Programme initiative was ended and both projects lost every worker. The end of the Community Programme was a disaster for many projects, in Swansea the Scrapstore closed completely. In
Cardiff the Play Bus development team funded by the Urban Programme grant were left with the responsibility for their own project as well as the development of the Resource Centre. For a couple of years the Play Resource Centre survived with the support of the Play Bus development team and because of the dedication of the committee members. The Centre relocated to our present building on Ely Industrial Estate. It is a 5000 plus square foot warehouse built in the 1940’s. Re-Create has been situated here since St David’s Day 1989.
The Centre eventually managed to secure funding from Cardiff City and South
Glamorgan County Councils as well as Environment Wales, the Welsh Office and then the new Cardiff County council. Just as the situation seemed stable, funding was pulled at short notice. This should have signalled the end of the Play Resource Centre. However, scrapstores are resourceful places in terms of staff and not just materials, so we put an emergency plan in place that has paved the way to long term sustainability.
At present Re-Create have three full-time and eight part-time workers, as well as several volunteers. The membership fee is only £1 per visit and attracting 6000 plus in a diverse range of members, including Playgroups, Play-Schemes, Schools, Childminders, Scouts, Community Education Teams, Community Centres, Family Centres, Leisure Centres, Arts Groups, Organisations, Private Businesses, Environmental Groups and Special Needs Groups. Re-Create also has family and student memberships. People visit Re-Create from all over the South Wales area and we collect materials from a number of firms in this area, as well as having relationships with Scrapstores in England and in Scotland.
Through the support of grants from funders such as BIG Lottery and Cymorth Cymru, Small Play Grants, Impact Grant and Lloyds TSB, Re-Create has developed a play team. The play team deliver and facilitate play workshops using a range of resources such as arts and crafts, loose parts and scrap. Re-Create also provides Sensory play sessions; working with children of all abilities using high quality purchased sensory equipment. Re-Create has also expanded in providing Intervention and Support Services, working to target previously unmet needs, such as play with parents, employ play workers for children with disabilities and play as a diversionary activity for at risk offenders. The Playworkers benefit the lives of these children through play and adhere to the Playwork principles. Re-Create is now a Play Association, a voluntary organisation working locally to promote, support, improve and deliver quality play opportunities from children in response to local need.
This summer of 2013, Re-Create will be celebrating its 25th birthday in
the knowledge that through the hard work of trustees, staff and members, tens of thousands of children and young people from all different circumstantial backgrounds have gained from this well worth and supported charity.
We have merged our charity and company into one organisation. The charitable company is now called Re-Create - Cardiff & Vale Play Services Association (registered number 1100526).
If you want to know more about us, give us a ring on 029 2057 8100 or access our Contact Us page.
