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It’s often said that kids these days spend too much time in their rooms on their phones and not enough time outside playing – but is it their fault?
According to the charity London Sport, there are over 7,000 ‘No Ball Games’ signs in London. But it says that these are not just signs, they are barriers to children getting outside and being active, and part of a wider issue of over half of young Londoners failing to ‘meet recommended activity levels’. Because of this, London Sport is campaigning to get rid of every single ‘no ball games’ sign in the capital – or turn them into basketball hoops.
‘No Ball Games’ signs are more common in council-owned estates, so children from lower-income backgrounds are disproportionately affected.
And the movement is gaining momentum – Lambeth Council has already removed more than 100 signs throughout the borough. Ben Kind, council member for children and families told the BBC that the notices are ‘a hangover from the '70s and the '80s’ and that ‘By taking them down, we're able to make sure that Lambeth is a great place for young people to grow up
‘This is their estate too and they should be able to get out and play where they want to.’
Haringey has also begun work and gotten rid of 130 signs in the past few years in response to criticism.
Parents across the city have voiced support for the scheme, with one mum in Lambeth telling the BBC that she thinks ‘the kids won’t have so much fear of being out playing’ with the signs gone.
London Sport estimates that for every sign removed, up to 80 children will feel free to play in their own estates and streets. It has launched a petition to demonstrate support for their initiative – you can sign that here – which states that this is not simply a matter of where children can play, it’s a symbol of a much wider issue.
‘“No Ball Games” signs are a symbol of reinforced inequalities… Action is needed to ensure that children and young people – regardless of their background, household income or postcode – have access to free spaces where they can play, move, and be active close to home,’ says the petition.
Removing the signs, London Sport says, is just the first of many steps needed to make sure that all children in London and beyond have access to the same opportunities to stay healthy, happy and active.
So what’s next? According to London Sport, removing systemic barriers by ‘[reimagining] public spaces so they are open, inclusive, and accessible for all forms of play.’ This could mean more open spaces which all children can access, or more social acceptance for children being children in public. Either way, it will lead to a generation of more active people.
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