The Association of Play Industries will play a key role in improving school PE, sport and play facilities in the next twelve months.

A total of £18 million of National Lottery funding has been awarded by Sport England to over 600 schools across England who currently have little suitable outside space for PE, sport and active play.

Fifty per cent of Association of Play Industries (API) members that supply to schools have been invited to tender for Primary Spaces Facilities Funding projects to improve schools’ outdoor facilities and to encourage children to be more physically active both during and outside the school day.

Michael Hoenigmann says: “To tackle the catastrophic  physical inactivity epidemic, our children need encouragement to be active from an early age.

“Schools have a vital contribution to make and the API campaigns at the highest levels for policy recognition of the value of active play.

“API member companies are experienced play experts and it’s a measure of their professionalism that so many will be involved in improving hundreds of schools’ outdoor facilities through the Primary Spaces Facilities Funding initiative in the next twelve months.”

In addition to the Primary Spaces Facilities Fund, the government has guaranteed £150 million a year of School Sport Premium investment until 2020. Outdoor play equipment promoting physical activity and movement skills is eligible for this funding.

The API is the lead trade body within the UK play sector and is committed to quality, standards, service and safety in play.