Choose Play is a dynamic, local charity working across East Lothian. We believe in children’s right to play, as stated in article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child - the right to rest, play and recreation. Play, especially active outdoor play, is a vital element of childhood, contributing to the immediate wellbeing and happiness of children and making an essential contribution to health and development in the long term.

Choose Play organises play sessions for children, young people, families, community groups and schools. Play sessions take place at local greenspaces, beside playparks, in schools, community centres or other spaces.

Sessional Playworkers/Play Rangers work alongside other members of the Choose Play team to facilitate these sessions by bringing a range of play resources and making use of the environment for play. They directly support and facilitate children’s play to the extent that children need and want their involvement.

Some Play Ranger sessions take place regularly on the same day of the week, at the same time and place, others are Pop-Ups or events across East Lothian, with school holidays being an especially busy time. Choose Play sessions are designed to be free, fun and friendly.

The successful candidate will be someone who enjoys working with children and young people and is able to build good relationships with them and their families. They should be willing and confident to work outdoors in all weathers and seasons, have an enthusiastic attitude and be keen to create fun, inclusive opportunities for children’s play.

Choose Play is a dynamic, local charity working across East Lothian. We believe in children’s right to play, as stated in article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child - the right to rest, play and recreation. Play, especially active outdoor play, is a vital element of childhood, contributing to the immediate wellbeing and happiness of children and making an essential contribution to health and development in the long term.

‘Spark the Park’ is the name of an ongoing focus of play, environmental and social activities in a local greenspace, Crookston Willow Park, in Tranent.

The purpose of this project is to support children and families in the local area through a place-based approach. We seek to address barriers and challenges through trusted, consistent and inclusive local provision. The Project Lead will also support young volunteers, taking a lead on planning activities linked to local spaces.

We have worked in this space for about four years gradually transforming it from being an underused and neglected site, to one that is full of potential. After the recent opening of a new playpark in the greenspace, the Project Lead will be involved in a new phase of development in cooperation with East Lothian Council partners and local groups.

The successful candidate will be someone with practical experience in play, arts, creative fields, or place-based projects. They will have experience of participatory approaches with children, young people and communities, and enjoy connecting with local groups and individuals.

Choose Play is a dynamic, local charity working across East Lothian. We believe in children’s right to play, as stated in article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child - the right to rest, play and recreation. Play, especially active outdoor play, is a vital element of childhood, contributing to the immediate wellbeing and happiness of children and making an essential contribution to health and development in the long term.

Choose Play has progressively built more inclusive practice into all our provision for play in East Lothian, addressing the play rights of all children and in particular the right to play of disabled children and children with additional support needs (ASN).

We help to address barriers to play through our community-based play programmes and we recognise that families with children with ASN and disabilities face many additional barriers to accessing outdoor play.

Our Community Play (ASN) sessions mean that more children with ASN will have play opportunities to meet their needs. Whole families including parents, carers and siblings benefit from being able to play together.

The successful candidate will work alongside our Development Team & Delivery Team to:

• build on Choose Play’s work on inclusion with children and families
• plan, organise and lead on delivery of our play opportunities for children with ASN
• support sessional Play Rangers to deliver our PlayCan sessions and our sessions for families with neurodivergent children
• involve children in designing, documenting and evaluating services, and help to share their views and ideas.

The successful candidate will be someone with practical experience in play, arts, creative fields, or place-based projects, and experience of working with children with additional support needs.