Increasing the hardware Essay Example for Free

Increasing the computer hardw atomic number 18 EssayAbstractAs any subscriber line grows, they are always looking to expand distributively(prenominal) aspects oftheir business. With this expansion, the cost of increase the hardware and packet demand for the expansion is as well as increasing. Many companies are looking for ways to keep or even streamline the hardware they modernly capture yet expand. They want a way to view their guests log into their localise and go to a central server but want all the necessary files for the customers to be stored elsewhere which result increase the fastness of the server. To be successful in todays market, many businesses are realizing the necessity of apply technology. As more and more companies use more technology, their IT infrastructure flowerpot non handle all the duty due to the lack of available server/ terminus shoes bes perioded to gibe the increasing demands of the customers. Whether the business is small or a l arge corporation, finding the needed available server/ transshipment center office is sightly an ever increasing problem. Trying to solve this problem, many businesses have begun to look for an alternative antecedent to store many of their business files away from their cause of import computers, this is called blot out storage.Think about how you have an external hard drive that you use to store files away from the hard drive of your computer, the profane storage kit and boodle in the akin way. The only exception is that you do not own the external storage, you rent the storage space from someone who takes care of all the bread and butter and updating of the site. JPCexpress has been in operation(p) for many years with their own internal storage capabilities and now are in the market to expand their business. The current server space that the company owns is being bogged down by the sum totals of information it involve to use daily so they need a noveler solution to their storage problems so that they net continue to strain their production facilities and customers the best possible attend. Next day service sets this company apart from other online businesses and I provide show what needs to be done to help accordingly continue to accomplish this with a simple server space solution.Company BackgroundJPCexpress is an innovator in the online publish industry. They use advanced technology that allows the customer to place an order and have it printed and delivered the next day. There are many online printing organizations, but JPCexpress was one of the first-class honours degree that offered next day delivery if you place your order by a certain time the day before. Thecompany was founded in 2001 that offered printing as a service so that the customer has opening to all the company printing business solutions allowing them to place their orders right on the company website. The customer does not have to invest any monies into their own pr inting infrastructure and the staff that would be needed to maintain it. JPCexpress offers its service to many different organizations of all sizes that do not want to hassle with having internal printing capabilities. Due to the customer being able to upload all their information to help us perform the needed services, this takes up a lot of storage space.JPCexpress operates three huge warehouses that are strategically placed across the country. Within each induction, they house all the hardware and software needed to conduct the printing business along with all the hardware and software needed for the IT side of the business. The customers are able to use our site as their own so they know they go away place exactly the product they want. Our teams of engineers are always introducing new services and solutions for the customers and they have them integrate the new technologies into our platform monthly. The reason we have the fastest turnaround time for online printing companie s is due to the fact that our customers are able to use our site as their own to make and order their printing needs. We have become a leader in the online printing world because of our customer service, ease and speed of our online services and the fact that we guarantee you will have your order the next day if you meet the daily cut off time.Discussion of Business caperDuring times of spot use, the amount of data used is overwhelming. JPCexpress is a top of the line printing business but due to our storage capabilities, we do have issues that will impenetrable the service to our customers. This is an issue because the timing of the slowness (can prevent customers from making the cut off time for next day service) which directly relates to customer service and customer satisfaction. The main issue is that when there are many users on the governance, it slows down and prevents ease of use. I think that JPCexpress could bene survive from emerging technology as buy computing or could storage. Increasing our storage capacity would prevent the ashes from slowing down and loss of data. Any IT department within any business always needs new ways to increase the capabilities of their current infrastructure without drop in new hardware, new licensing requirementsor having to spend the time and monies to involve and hire new personnel.Due to the increasing amounts of data needed by our existing customers and the addition of new customers, members of our IT department has to manually go into the system and get rid of old files and clear any redundant data. This happens when our system becomes slow which slows the use of our production tools and this all adds up to a loss in the amount of work that can be performed. If the organization was to use overcast computing, the problem of overwhelming the system could be avoided. Cloud computing encompasses any subscription-based or pay-per-use service that, in real time over the Internet, extends its existing capabili ties (Gruman, 2012). Use of the maculate could begin at our centrally located facility for trial purposes until we cypher if victimization it would be beneficial to both the customers and to our stockholders.High Level SolutionFor many businesses, having enough storage space to hold all the information they have acquired from their customers and the working(a) of internal business practices is a real challenge that becoming increasingly harder. Many organizations have turned to deleting huge amounts of data to open up manner for the new data they need to stay updated and to continue to provide their customers with excellent customer service. Many businesses have turned to cloud storage to help mollify this problem. Cloud storage acts as a centrally located server whose main purpose is for storage only. Using cloud storage, each of the three facilities can store and recollect files as they are needed without investing in more infrastructure. When deciding to move to cloud storag e, a few concerns will be raised. Some people think that cloud storage is less skilful than local data centers and this is not true. . When the cloud host that IT manager work unneurotic the cloud host will encrypt the data and the business will store the keys to that encryption on it local network (Marsh, 2013).Many cloud providers offer dashboards to the client so they can log and manage the companys data center. They can add more storage if they need and all this is blameless without adding any equipment to increase storage. I have checked two of the major providers of cloud storage for pricing and flexibility. virago S3 is 99.9 percent reliable and it is scalable to fit your current business needs and also can be changed to fit your future needs as well (Amazon WebServices, 2013). All data pass into this cloud storage is encrypted for data security and you can decide what region you want to have your data stored in. Another excellent benefit is that once the data is entered into the cloud, it is automatically backed up in case one system fails you will lose your data. All data uploaded is for free but they do air for each GB of data that is transferred or downloaded from the cloud.This seems pretty reasonable since we will maintain a central server with only our servers logging into the cloud to retrieve the customer information. Google cloud storage offers secure and safe cloud storage. It has configurable security controls and the cloud is flexible so that you can get what you need now and posterior on if you need more storage you can always add more (Google Cloud Storage, 2013). Looking between the Amazon and Google sites, they both offer the same types of features but I could not find any data that says how reliable the Google cloud is. Also, checking the pricing from the two sites, it appears that Amazon is slightly cheaper than Google is. sorrowful to cloud storage is a viable option to help solve latency issues and website lag due to the enor mous amounts of data being transmitted over our site.Benefits of Solving the ProblemSolving this problem using cloud storage will increase the speed of the servers the customers use to conduct their business. The increased speed of the server will also take the customers orders quickly and get them to the desired printing facility to promise they make the cut off time for next day delivery. Implementing the cloud storage solution at only one facility will allow the business time to see if the cloud is a viable option to investing countless monies in upgrading our current facilities. Using the cloud will save us money because of the increased speed at which the customers can use the system, the speed in touch on the orders and also save us money because we will not have to hire additional personnel to maintain additional hardware or pay for licensing for additional software. In an article written by Joe McKendrick for Forbes magazine, he talks about the benefits of cloud computing for a business.Cost diminution using cloud as storage lowers transaction costs, minimizes the investment in hardware and software and also reduces the need for a huge IT staff or for adding additional personnel to manage you IT infrastructure. Cloud as storage is scalable soyou can take as much or as itsy-bitsy as you need and then increase as your needs increases. You only pay for what you use most uploads are free so you pay when you download data from the cloud. Businesses of all sizes will have access to more up to date technology while using the cloud. Letting someone else manage your IT for you reduces the need for pricey licenses or buying software or hardware.Business/Technical ApproachConducting thorough research before deciding which provider of the cloud services we will go with. When a cloud provider has been chosen, our CIO and his team will work with the provider to ensure we get what storage we need and also to ensure the security of the files we will move to the cloud for storage. Only have one facility use the cloud as a test case to see if it will improve the speed of our system and also to see how reliable the cloud services are. Conducting technical inspections using our IT department will ensure that we are keeping control on what goes into the cloud storage and also to help us determine if the cloud is useful. When we move older files from our servers into the cloud, we should see an immediate return in the speed of our system and also improvements in order processing and order filling. The IT department must ensure what files are being put in the cloud and that they are being encrypted for increased security.Also inspecting the files in storage routinely to ensure the data is not being corrupted. To ensure we do not lose any of our major customers, we will move only the older files to cloud storage to increase space on our servers. When we have determined (Senior heed/CIO approval) that the cloud is a viable option to investing in hardware/software, we will move more files to the cloud in an effort to free up more space which should increase the speed even more. Also, once the one facility has proven more efficient and profitable, we will migrate another facility to cloud storage. There is no set timeframe for this to happen, we just want to ensure the cloud is meeting our needs in the ways we want it to. Using the current IT staff at the first facility to check usage and speed of the system will help us in our decision whether to stay with the cloud or invest in our own infrastructure.Business Process changesImplementing cloud storage will allow the company to store more fileswithout causing the system to run slow which increase productivity. This is going to be a big move for JPCexpress in the way they do business at each of their facilities. We will use the current IT department at each facility to maintain the data stored in the cloud and to ensure that only the less used files have been migrated to the c loud until its reliability has been proven. There will be one central location for all the internal storage of customer information. When the customer logs onto the site with his credentials, they will log onto our central server who will access the cloud and pull their information off for the customer to use. When the order is placed, the server will then entrust that order to the printing facility closet to the customer location for fast, reliable completion of the order. When the cloud is implemented for use by all facilities, the IT departments at those facilities will be reduced.Setting up a team to continually observe the cloud for reliability and security will also be accomplished. Senior perplexity with the CIO will have to make a decision on implementing other facilities and how that will be accomplished. Technology or business practices used to augment the solution After thorough research I have decided that implementing cloud storage is the best solution to help fix th e problems at JPCexpress. Moving the files to the cloud will free up valuable space which will increase the processing speed of our current servers. The IT department will maintain our current servers and monitor how effectively the cloud is to the company.The IT department will also routinely perform inspections on our equipment to see how well it is working and also to ensure what files are being moved to the cloud. Having someone compile quarterly reports on how well the cloud implementation has helped the speed of the system and to see if it truly has increased the speed at which orders are shipped. We will not have to hire additional personnel to accomplish any of these tasks we will use the current staff at each facility. This alone will save the company huge amounts of money.Conclusions and overall recommendationsThe current system that JPCexpress has, it is not capable of handling the enormous amounts of data that goes through it during peak operating times. JPCexpress will have to upgrade their current hardware/software or find other alternatives. Cloud storage is just that alternative solution.Moving files to cloud storage will free up much needed space that will allow the system to run faster during peak operating times. Using the cloud offers different ways that it can be beneficial to the company. Using cloud instead of investing in new hardware/software to upgrade our current system will save on ongoing support, maintenance and upgrades and having to hire additional IT staff to work the new system. When switching to the cloud we will replace all the up-front expense of investing in a new system and replace that cost with a manageable monthly subscription cost.David Linthicum discusses wherefore companies should invest in the cloud. All the upgrades and maintenance are handled by the cloud host. The software will always be current without the company having to pay for expensive licensing. The fear of cloud storages security being an issue is bein g proven invalid. Cloud providers have been working hard to prove how secure their storage is. Cloud based companies offer the highest level of customer service because they cannot afford to lose customers because they are unsatisfied with the service and with all the blogs out there, a bad review could mean countless lost customers. Every data storage center or data processing center has some downtime at some point but many cloud providers offer higher than a 99 percent reliability rate.High level implementation excogitate* Conduct thorough research to ensure the right cloud provider is selected* Work with provider to ensure we get the security we need and also the devise that fits the amounts of storage needed* Schedule when to transition to the cloud storage* Determine what files will initially be moved to cloud storage* Reroute all traffic from one facility to the other two* Shut down one facility and transition to the cloud* Once all files are transferred to the cloud cancel the cloud* Bring the shutdown facility back on line* Test the new configuration for speed and user ability* Monitor the cloud for potential problems* Produce monthly reports as to the speed of the facility and improvements in the processing of ordersSummary of ProjectJPCexpress system runs slow because each facility has access to all the files that are stored on the server. The storage problem can be handled either by investing countless monies into a new upgraded data system or to use cloud storage to alleviate this problem. Business processes are slow due to the servers being bogged down during peak hours resulting in delays in processing and delivery of orders placed by the customers. When we transition to the cloud storage we can increase the processing speed which will increase the speed of the orders being printed and then shipped to the customer. This will save on time and money because we will not have to pay additional shipping costs when we cant meet the next day delivery . This is not meant to be a permanent solution but will benefit the company until we can determine if this is the best solution.ReferencesAmazon Web Services. (2013, Oct 1). Retrieved from Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) http//aws.amazon.com/s3/ Google Cloud Storage. (2013, Aug 1). Retrieved from Google Cloud Platform https//cloud.google.com/products/cloud-storage/ Gruman, G. K. (2012, Feb 2). What cloud computing really means. Retrieved from InfoWorld http//www.infoworld.com/d/cloud-computing/what-cloud-computing-really-means Linthicum, D. (2013, June 25). Cloud adoptions tipping has arrived. Retrieved from InfoWorld Cloud reason http//www.infoworld.com/d/cloud-computing/cloud-adoptions-tipping-point-has-arrived-221335 Marsh, J. (2013, Oct 3). The Top 5 Myths about Cloud Storage. Retrieved from Formstack http//blog.formstack.com/2013/top-5-myths-cloud-storage/ McKendrick, J. (2013, July 21). 5 Benefits of Cloud Computing you arent likely to see in a sales brochure. Retrieved f rom Forbes.com http//www.forbes.com/sites/joemckendrick/2013/07/21/5-benefits-of-cloud-computing-you-arent-likely-to-see-in-a-sales-brochure/

Doping in Sport and the AFL Policy on Drugs Essay Example for Free

Doping in Sport and the AFL Policy on Drugs EssayDrugs in sport What is it? Drugs in sport or doping is when an athlete takes performance enhancing drugs or any tabu substance. The sports that have the most trouble with drugs are Weightlifting, cycling, badminton, boxing, track and field. These athletes take drugs so they skunk be the best in at that place sport. One of the most recent cases was American sprinter Marion Jones who won five gold medals in the 2000 Olympics at Sydney, since so she has been unembellished of all her medals after admitting that she took performance enhancing drugs in 2007. She had lied in front of two Judges saying that she never had taken steroids. Another case was Australian Cricket hero Shane Warne who was banned for a year after taking diuretics. Another one was former West Coast Eagle champion, brownlow medallist, and premiership player Ben cousins who was banned from playing football for taking cocaine and other banned substance. What is a d rug? A drug is a substance (other than food) that when taken into the body, produces a transmute in it. If this change helps the body it is referred to as a medicine. If this hange harms the body, it is referred to as a poison.I think drugs in sport is terrible because these are highly gainful professionals who are role models to so many kids and they are taking drugs to make them better at there chosen sport. These athletes are respected by there country and in my opinion should never be allowed to compete in there sport again. Some reasons an athlete might use drugs are the effect of the drug, physical dependence, easily available or they might be dissatisfied with there performance or progress, the environment, pressure to win from coach, parent, edia, public, financial reward, unrealistic exit standards or performance expectation.This is a list of some prohibited substances and doping methods Stimulants Anabolic agent Non-steroidal Diuretic Many different sports have differe nt policies on drugs. The AFL insurance has been under a lot of scrutiny lately. The policy is as follows test First positive Players enter treatment/education program coordinated by an AFL medical officer. The result is confidential to those involved in the treatment. Second positive test Dealt with by and AFL medical officer with a view to further educating, focal point and treating the player.Third positive test Player is deemed to have breeched an AFL rule and will face the tribunal if found guilty player may be suspended between 0-12 matches Fourth Positive test Player will face tribunal and be suspended for no less than 6 weeks. I think this policy is way to easy on the players because they have so many chances. I think the player should have one chance and then be kicked out of the AFL for at least a year. Doping in Sport and the AFL Policy on Drugs By amdeep

Local Area Networks Interconnection

Local Area Ne cardinalrks InterconnectionThis lab is designed to essay the implementation of switched local area entanglements. The simulation in this lab will help you examine the performance of different implementations of local area communicates machine-accessible by switches and hubs.A hub forwards the packet that arrives on any of its inputs on all the outputs regardless of the destination of the packet. Hub has entirely one encounter domain.On the different hand, a switch forwards incoming packets to one or more outputs depending on the destination(s) of the packets. Switches has separate collision domains for each connection.Here we will study how the throughput and collision of packets in a switched mesh are affected by the configuration of the network and the types of switching devices that are used.Implementation of NetworkThe implementation involves series of steps as followsWe select the network topology as star and edit all the attributes as per the lab manual.T he next step is to configure the nodes of the network for setting the duty generated by each station. The network consists of 16 nodes each of which is connected to a hub by a 10 Base-T Ethernet.The statistics are chosen for the simulation. We select the interrupt(sec), traffic displace ( packets/sec), traffic gatherd ( packets/sec) and the collision turn over.The simulation is configured for the time duration of 2 minutes.The next step involves duplicating the scenario in order to have two hubs connected by one switch.Finally, the simulation is run and the results are compared for their performance based on the statistics chosen for simulation.Lab ResultsWe have experimented with two scenarios i.e.Scenario1 Only hubScenario2 Two hubs and a switch.The statistics chosen for comparing the above mentioned scenarios areEthernet Delay (sec)Traffic displace (packets/sec)Traffic procured (packets/sec)Collision count.As per the implementation steps followed, we received the sideline results given belowThe two figures given below compares the traffic sent/received(packets/sec) in the two scenarios.The fig1 indicates that the average time to send the selective information packets in a network with a hub or a hub switch is the same or almost identical.The Fig2 indicates that the average time to receive data packets or the throughput in case of a hub switch network is more than that of a network with save hub.Fig1. Indicates the time average for traffic sent in packets/secFig2. Indicates the time average for traffic received in packets/secThe two figures given below compares the collision count and the time delay in the two scenarios.The Fig3 indicates that the collision count in a hub and switch network is lesser than in an only hub network.The Fig4 indicates that Ethernet delay in a hub and switch network is lesser than in an only hub network.Fig3. Indicates Ethernet collision count for the two scenariosFig 4. Indicates Ethernet delay(sec) for the two scenar ios.The Fig5, compares the collision count in both the scenarios i.e. with only Hub and in HubSwitch networks.It shows that the collision count for only Hub is maximum as compared to the collision count for a HubSwitch network.The collision count for the Hub1 and Hub2 in the office network have almost the same collision rate.Thus, it proves that the collision rate reduces in a network with a switch compared to the network with a hub. Thus, the throughput of switched network is greater than only hub networks.Fig 5. Indicates the collision count of the Hub in the Only Hub network and the Hub1 and Hub used in the Hub and Switch network.Question and AnswersQ-1 excuse why adding a switch makes the network perform better in terms of throughput and delay.Ans As per the collision count identified for both the network with only Hub and other with a Hub Switch, the collision count for the Hub1 and Hub 2 in a switched network is much lesser than the Hub1 in the only Hub network. This happens because of the following reasonsAs soon as the Hub receives the packets at its input ports, it forwards them to all outputs irrespective of the destination of the packet to be sent. This increases the chances of collision in hubs.Where as, in case of a switched network, the switch can receive the packets at its input ports in parallel, and forwards multiple packets to their designate addresses at the same time.In the lab experiment, at that place exists two hubs i.e. Hub1 and Hub2 with a switch connecting the two in the middle. Both the hubs receive the packets. The switch acts a a mediator between the two hubs and forwards the packets from one hub to the other with lesser collision.Thus, the switch helps to reduce the collision rate compared to that with a single hub. Hence, this improves the network performance in terms of throughput and delay.Q 2 We analyzed the collision counts of the hubs. hind end you analyze the collision count of the Switch? Explain your answer.Ans In the experiment, we have analyzed the collision counts of the hubs in both single and double hubs with a switch networks. From the results obtained from the experiment, it clears tha fact that the collision count using a switch reduces to a greater amount compared to that without a switch. This is due to the fact, that the switch can receive the packets in parallel and buffer the same in case of heavy incoming traffic and also forward the same in parallel to their destined address. Since, there is always a full duplex communication between the switch and the hub, thus the packets exchanged will never collide with each other. Thus, there are hardly any collisions in case of switch.Q 3 Create two new scenarios. The first one is the same as the OnlyHub scenario but supplant the hub with a switch. The gage new scenario is the same as the HubAndSwitch scenario but replace both hubs with two switches, remove the old switch, and connect the two switches you just added unitedly with a 10Base T link. Compare the performance of the cardinal scenarios in terms of delay, throughput, and collision count. Analyze the results. Note To replace a hub with a switch, right-click on the hub and assign ethernet16_switch to its dumbfound attribute.AnsIn the first scenario we have duplicated the scenario consisting of only a hub.Thus, the only hub shown in Fig3.1 has been replaced by a switch as shown in Fig3.2.In the second scenario, we have duplicated the network with Hub and a switch as shown in Fig8.Thus, the two hubs in Fig3.3 have been replaced by two switches and have removed the sometime(a) switch as shown in Fig3.4. Both the new switches have been connected using a 10 BaseT link.Fig 3.1 N/W configuration with only hub.Fig 3.2 N/W configuration with only switch.Fig 3.3 N/W configuration with two hubs and one switchFig3.4 N/W configuration with two switchesComparing the ResultsThe four scenarios which have been compared include the following(1) Network with only a hub(2) Net work with a Switch and a Hub(3) Network with only a switch(4) Network with two switches.In the Fig3.5, the graph compares the Ethernet delay in seconds for all the four scenarios. It shows, that the time delay is maximum for a network with a single hub and least for networks with no hubs but switch(s). Thus, the graph shows that the time delay reduces with the number of switches added in the networkThe Fig3.6 compares the throughput i.e. the number of packets received per seconds for all the four scenarios. As per the graph, the throughput is almost the same and maximum for the networks consisting of one or two switches. Whereas, the throughput is less with only hub in the network. Thus, the no. of packets received is greater for the networks which are switched based.Fig 3.5 Compares the Ethernet delay in sec for four scenarios.Fig3.6 Compares the traffic received (Throughput) in packets/ sec for the four scenarios.We have not compared the collision count for the four scenarios beca use the collision count is very less in case of switched networks.ConclusionFrom this lab experiment we have concluded that the switched networks have better throughput, delay and collisions compared to the network with Hubs. The problem faced while performing the experiment was the reading of collision count for the switched network with two hubs and the switch in middle. We faced issues in collecting the unite results of collision for the first two scenarios.But towards the end of the lab experiment, we received good hands on experience on Opnet, and the advantages of having a switched network compared to hubs.

Impacts of Chronic Illness: Biological Disruption

Impacts of Chronic Illness Biological DisruptionChronic disease may cause biographical flicker. Explain what you understand by this term and drawing on the experiences of your patient. Discuss the different ways in which degenerative distemper impresss on an individual. aesculapian encyclopaedia defined disruption as the morphologic defect resulting from the extrinsic breakdown of, or interference with, a developmental process.1 In other words, it is the time out or impediment of a progress.2 Therefore, biographical disruption is described as how the chronic nausea can lead to the loss of self-identity or social fundamental interaction in an individual.3In this report, I will discuss how chronic illness impacts patients in terms of their behaviour, daily lifestyle, relationships with partners or family members and acceptance of their illness as easily as how they cope with it.4 This report will be illustrated based on my patients experience, Ali, a 58-year-old retired office worker from Gelang Patah.Onset and Getting a DiagnosisChronic illnesses are non-communicable diseases which develop gradu completelyy over time. They generally can non be solved instinctively and are barely to be cured ultimately.5 In most cases, chronic illnesses are more likely to be insidious where the patients have mild or no symptoms. How of all time, the transition between universe symptomless to having a chronic illness diagnosing can be challenging for the patient.My patient, Ali, was diagnosed with hypertension in year 2010. Hypertension refers to an elevated systolic blood bosom of 140mmHg or greater and diastolic blood blackmail of 90mmHg or greater.6 It is also a danger factor of myocardial infarction, chronic kidney disease, and stroke. It has been determined as the one-third leading cause of conclusion worldwide by the institution Health Organization and given a reputation as a silent orca.7Before Ali was diagnosed with hypertension, he experienced tiredness and nausea every day. He was shocked because has always led a healthy lifestyle and did sports regularly. Thus, he denied the diagnosis that the GP gave him. At first, he did not follow the routine of taking the medicine, but insisted in taking some herbs to relieve the symptoms. However, it press outed no improvement in his condition. Then, he started to take his medication as indicated. Few days later, his symptoms were relieved and he accepted the truth that he is suffering from high blood pressure (BP).Before finally accepting his illness, Ali went through a stage of denial which was described by Freud as a way to protect the ego from anxiety, a defence mechanism, by not admitting that he would never return to his previous way of life and require medication for the rest of his life.8Coping with chronic illnessManaging a chronic illness is far beyond medicating as it also involves how well a patient adapts to the effects of the symptoms in their day-to-day living. It is importa nt how a patient manages his or her health, emotion and daily life as they can determine the efficacy of the treatment given to the patient. Besides, rather than formal health vexation and coping-with-life-changes cosmos core 99899999domains, they should eliminate health-compromising behaviours by self-regulatory efforts, and adopt health-enhancing behaviours. Ali said,I had to adapt by changing my lifestyle including my diet, controlling my temper and reducing heavy workloads. Sometimes I feel that I am weaker than ever, no longer as fit as what I used to think I was. The large submerged accord of hidden mass of the iceberg corresponds to the undiagnosed cases which are presymptomatic and unapparent.10 About one-third of population with high BP are not aware that they have it. In other words, the extrinsic problems of what the patients present are the small constitution of the tip of the ice while the undiagnosed hypertensive patients represent the intrinsic complications deep under the surface.11Figure 1 Illustration of Iceberg possible action12In addition, recent studies indicated that 58% of diagnosed hypertensive patients are receiving appropriate treatment and can communicate effectively with health care providers as well as actively self-manage their illness. This shows the difference between the two groups of individual and the success rates to reduce mortality and premature death of hypertension.13Chronic illness sufferers have to learn to manage their symptoms to get better. Parsons sick power model states the obligations, a sick person (patient) must get well as soon as possible and must seek professional help.14, 15 Hypertension is a preventable disease, thus it is the patients profession to accept the medication regime. Therefore, for Ali to get well, he must actively learn to manage his illness at the same time be guided by doctors (professional role).16Psychosocial ImpactsRelationships with family members and Daily LivingChronic illness brings a vast impact to the patient and the family. Since the onset of Alis illness, there have been some marked changes in his relationship with his wife of 33 years, Mira, who has taken up the responsibility to monitor his health. He finds it hard to accept that he is a patient who requires more care and attention from his wife of whom he used to take care. Despite this, Ali mentioned that the strength of his marriage had improved as he described them being closer than ever although he frequently feels frustrated delinquent to his dependency on Mira. He now appreciates her more than before.Furthermore, Alis children who are highly educated always show concern for their father by checking up on him and advising him on his daily diet and exercise regime. dishonor and IsolationStigmatisation commonly occurs with chronic illness. Stigma is described as depreciating a character which then causes the individual to be discounted.17 It exceeds mainly when the patient is diagnosed with c ertain diseases and they are treated as vicarious or handicaps. This scenario can lead to unhappy consequences. It is then called as deviant conditions when they are not accepted by the society. However, Ali did not feel stigmatised at all as hypertension is one of the commonest diseases among the population. In Malaysia, the prevalence of hypertension was 42.6% in the year 2006 for the residents aged 30 years and above.18 Furthermore, some of his friends are having the same illness they generously shared their experiences, ways to handle the disease and methods to control BP.Changes in lifestyle and UncertaintyLife is full of uncertainties. Chronic illness contributes to unpredictable events due to the nature of the illness that can restrict some patients from leading their normal lifestyle. In addition, asymptomatic illnesses could result in distress in patients and their carers when they do not know when the disease will worsen. For Ali, he is uncertain when the BP might be rais ed as he knows that elevated systolic pressure above 200mmHg increases the risk of mortality from stroke19 whereas Mira needs to get ready whenever she realises that Ali is unwell. Ali admits to feeling stressed most of the time as he is afraid that a sudden rise in BP may trouble his family, particularly his wife. Mira spends most of her time with Ali, worrying that something bad will happen to him if she leaves him alone.Uncertainty can persist throughout the course of chronic illnesses, not only at diagnosis or onset. In Alis case, this led to the feeling of fear and uncertainty to both Ali and his wife about what could happen to him. Stroke is the main concern for Ali as this thunderclap attack will have a huge impact on his independence and quality of life, forcing him to draw a burden for his family members.ConclusionIn conclusion, chronic illness is not merely a medical condition but it can cause several(prenominal) forms of biographical disruptions that can significantly af fect a patients life. Biographical disruption is one of the major aspects of living with a chronic illness because it can affect the patients role in the family and his or her relationship with the family members. In a wider context, it also impacts their daily life and relationship with their friends, colleagues and the community. It could potentially alter the focus of their life against their wishes and retrain them from succeeding theirs previous plans of life such as employment and hobby. For instance, Ali had thought of delaying his retirement, however, he was restricted from accomplishing jobs that he was being assigned to after being diagnosed with a chronic illness. The ability in performing tasks is diminished. Sometimes they are stigmatised as a disabled by society. separately and every chronic illness sufferer will undergo different disruptions and changes in their life. Nonetheless, care, attention and support from the family members and society are essential to reduce the impact of the illness. Additionally, improvement on palliative care is necessary to improve the patients quality of life. It is important to note that the healthcare system also plays a big role in understanding the social behaviour that surrounds their patients for an efficient and effective health provision to be given.List of FiguresFigure 1 Illustration of Iceberg theoryReferences1.Farlex, Distruption, in thefreedictionary.2.Disruption, 2014 Research Narrative.3.Bury, M. the Social Experience of Living with Chronic Illness and Disability. Concepts of Health and Illness 2007 cited 2007 Available from http//www.healthknowledge.org.uk/public-health-textbook/medical-sociology-policy-economics/4a-concepts-health-illness/section6.4.William, S.J., Chronic illness as biographical disruption or biological distruption as chronic illness? Reflections on a core concept. Sociology of health and illness, 2000. 22(1) p. 18.5.Promotion, N.C.f.C.D.P.a.H. Chronic Diseases. The Power to Preven t, The Call to Control At A Glance 2009 2009 December 17, 2009 December 17, 2009 Available from http//www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/chronic.htm.6.Malaysia, M., Clinical Practice Guideliness Management of Hypertension, M.o.H. Malaysia, A.o.M.o. Malaysia, and M.S.o. Hypertension, Editors. 2008 Malaysia. p. 70.7.Maryon-Davis, D.A. Hypertension the Silent Killer. may 2005 Available from http//www.fph.org.uk/uploads/bs_hypertension.pdf.8.centre, W.M., Asthma, F.s. N307, Editor 2013, World Health Organisation World Health Organisation.9.Barry, A.M. and C. Yuill, Understanding the Sociology of Health An Introduction. 2008 SAGE Publications.10.Sharma, M. Theories of disease causation. 2012 1 Jan 2014 cited 2012 26 Nov Available from http//www.slideshare.net/monikasharma7739/theories-of-disease-causationppt.11.Tarafdar, D.M.A. iceberg phenonmenance. Available from http//wiki.answers.com/Q/Define_the_iceberg_phenomena_of_disease.12.Ciulla, M.M., G.L. Perrucci, and F. Magrini. Adaptation and exploitation in a Gravitational Environment A Theoretical Framework for the Limited Re-Generative Post- Natal Time Window of the Heart in Higher Vertebrates. May 22, 201313.Beth Collins Sharp, P.D., R.N., Hypertension Care Strategies, in Closing the Quality Gap2004, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality US Department of Health Human Services.14.61% of Malaysians UNHEALTHY. 2012 Tuesday, 12 June 2012 Available from http//www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2view=itemid=3476961-of-malaysians-unhealthyItemid=2axzz2qjcz5j7l.15.Scambler, G., Sociology as Applied to Medicine. 6TH ed. 2008, UK ELSEVIER. 348.16.Burke-Smith, A. and D.F. McGowan. Introduction to Medical Sociology Available from http//www.icsmsu.com/exec/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ABS-Sociology.pdf.17.Organisation, W.H. 10 FACTS ON OBESITY. 2014 Available from http//www.who.int/features/factfiles/obesity/facts/en/.18.Hypertension Clinical management of primary hypertension in adult s. 2011 Aug 2011 cited 2011 Available from http//publications.nice.org.uk/hypertension-cg127.19.Judyta Cielecka-Piontek, Arkadiusz Styszynski, and K. Wieczorowska-Tobis, Knowledge of Risk Factors for Hypertension in the Elderly. Borgis New Medicine, 2004(1) p. 2-4.Social Science SectionPage 1

Designing a Natural Play Environment

Designing a inwrought converge EnvironmentIntroduction raw(a) bid is a fundamental aspect of a childs fall inment and physical exercise. Through prevail, a childs person-to-personity develops and they assimilate a greater control of mind and body. breeze has opportunities for social, ethical and emotional development. Environmental found tactical manoeuvre initiates spontaneous fiddle as salubrious as ego-reliance, confidence and maturity 1 sour is used as a medium for translating matchless childs personalized culture to another, this repeat portrays findings from the psychologist Arnaud in 1984 2 I re eithery believe there is something ab turn out personality that when you atomic number 18 in it , it makes you realise that there be far larger things at work than yourself.Being in character smoke be the a dash to escape without amply leaving the world. 3Landscape architects surrender recently been given the state to end inborn mutant schemes under the 2006 form England initiatives which have butt jointd the largest ever national investing in earthy be. 4 Under these initiatives, the traditional c at a timept of fitted out(p) contribute force fields has been disregarded and instead, a greater emphasis is given to creating cancelistic hunt surroundingss for divers(prenominal) age groups. Consequently, grace architects have forthwith a greater role in the development of function atomic number 18as rather than the inst tout ensembleation of equipment for admit solvents. However, there ar constraints which determine the extent to which grace architects can give a congenital cultivate fancy. This make will keep in linek and re post recent pouchs in consecrate to evaluate the achievement of much(prenominal) schemes. The research for this study is found upon the authors experience working on Newcastle City Councils Play Englands Play Pathfinder schemes during the summer of 2009 as well as designing and b uilding an aerial manner of walking on a woodland essay drag out which was developed on a heighten lax to the public. 5, 6The study will be in counterfeited by types from published literature, studies and information from stand for companies. Firsthand experience of the subject gained with designing, building and managing graphic revive sectors as well as observations on unfluctuating confabs to Skelton Grange Environmental Centre (Leeds) and during a field trip to Denmark (2009) will as well be used.Aims and ObjectivesThe shoot for of the study is to identify the principles behind the planning and design of ingrained sport argonas, as well as discussing constraints which affect the murder. Factors that affect the design of ingrained put to work areas will be discussed childhood development, social context, aspects of the site, management and cost as well as possible avenues which have not been considered under the Play England initiative. In doing this, it is h oped to determine to what extent infixed pass environss can be designed and implemented in England.What is inhering tactic?Before discussing the design of infixed play schemes it is important to define inborn play and how it has evolved. infixed play provides play opportunities in a ever-changing inseparable landscape. Natural play can alter children to feel much self-assured in themselves, often divine revelation their deeper feelings and sharing of their likings. Natural play has some(prenominal) in invaluable qualities that cannot be taught through structured knowledge activities the theories of infixed play are pickustly patroniseed by researchers from varied disciplines including psychology, breeding, philosophy, anthropology and recreation. 7The evolution of natural play spacesThe essence of childrens play has changed little all over the centuries. The link amidst the play patterns of un- modernize and developed societies have been shown to be truly qu asi(prenominal). For example Kung children in the Kalahari desert use an object, in their case the sheath of a banana leaf, to symbolise a baby and these mothering games are similar to those contend by children in developed societies who play with dolls. 8 However, adults controlling childrens lives have imposed a serial of changing theories as to how they should play.During the age of enlightenment when entirely sorts of theories were universe examined Rousseau (1712-1778), the French philosopher, economic valued the importance of good experiences to mental development in children. When he hear of children forced to read and not play he wrote those who would rob these little innocents of the joys that pass so quickly, he went on to say, We must never forget all this should be play, the easy and voluntarily control of movement which nature demands of them, the art of varying their games to make them winninger without the least bit of constraint. To a child of 10 or 12 work or play are all one, with the proviso that the activity of play is with the charm of chuck up the spongedom. 9The case studies for this essay have been chosen followers observations of natural play schemes during 2008 2009. The sites cover the fundamental aspects and current trends of natural play used by after naturalize clubs, Play England, Natural England initiatives, and surroundal cultivation projects.Play pathfinders and play builder explainSkelton GrangeSkelton Grange Environment Centre, Leeds is primed(p) 5 km from Leeds City Centre (figs.). The site is a gentle sloping 8 Acre site with woodland, point-blank meadows, lawns and riverside walks. The site is located in a large industrial area on the periphery of Leeds City Centre and is hired from the theme Grid. The project is an modernistic, award winning, environmental facts of life project that aims to bring alive the subjects surrounding sustainable development. 15The project is hoped to help battalion develop an dread and appreciation of the environment by educating its visitors on ways to rampart our future. The scheme funded by BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) aims to use the Eco Centre and surrounding landscape to support a wide range of activities working mainly with children, fresh people and adults on rail trips, play schemes, corporation groups as well as teenaged individuals.The site is used for education and training sessions, practical conservation, and BTVC tender development. BTCV staff at the pore work with young people and adults, educates, play schemes, community groups and individuals on developing an understanding appreciation of their environment, and their role in safeguarding its future. The children who visit annually are from intragroup city West Yorkshire primary schools. These children gain galore(postnominal) valuable experiences of environmental play which can be absorbed and provide inspiration for similar forms of play at home or scho ol. The almost striking issue which was get a lined on the site was the willingness to the children o learn and play in a rugged natural environment as many of the inner city children have a very limited horizons when it behaves to getting out of town. burbot House Farm contingency chase afterBroom House Farm Adventure sweep up is Located in the Durham countryside approximately 6 miles east of Durham City (figs.). The adventure trail is set on land be to a diverse organic farm enterprise. The surrounding landscape has a significant impact on the adventure trail as it is visible from the trail and relates to educational material within the trail. The woodland where the adventure trail is located is predominantly coniferous however there are many mature broadleaved species in the woodland. Most of the coniferous woodland was established over 50 years ago when the land was set aside by the farming tenants after it was open cast for coal. The woodland is very diverse in plant a nd fauna. The trail is open to the public and has approximately 4,000 public visitors, 60 school parties per annum. These include visits through a recent Natural England initiative (name it) . There are to a fault visitors from institutions for people with special needs. The wood offers a wide range of natural based learning activities and many outlets for un-structured natural play. The site has been designed to change a sense of discovery for visit children, consequently giving a salutary vex with the environment.The site is unique in the area and proves very thriving with all users, the blend of natural play, education and playing within a woodland environment strongly complement each other. Visitors with special needs gain special fundamental interaction with nature when visiting. The bonding with nature is similarly highly significant for children visiting the site from deprived inner city areas of Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland and Durham.During my experience as educati on/ preventive officer at Broom House Farm (2008), I administrate and carried out educational activities with the children. This was an important experience for me as over a period of time I was able to give away the children utilise the natural play setting. During the summer of 2009 I designed and helped build advanced additions to the adventure trail including a 100m raised board walk and other play zones (figs.).Denmark Junk playgroundThe play site is located in Fredriksberg, a primordial district of Copenhagen, Denmark. The site consists of a large clearing in a Beech woodland. The margin has mature trees which overhang much of the site. Shrubs have been compound beside to structures built by the children . This unique Junk Playground also caters as an after school club for the adjoining school. The site offers a safe environment for children to be supervised from a distance, allowing them to give a conformation of custom built play equipment from cherishs to play s tructures. This resource is run by adults employed by the council and funding from parents, all staff have a degree in some form of child development or education. The eagerness is also open at weekends when it is supervised by parents. The site is a huge success and is very popular.The value of this resource to the local community is very high children are left at the after school club anyday so they have to be very imaginative in the playspace to keep them occupied. The outcome of what the children design and build is usually well implemented. The community involvement of many parents also helps safeguard the success of the site on weekends. The site has an importance policy which allows children to construct play equipment, this is a good example of allowing usurp a chance in the play environment.It was elicit to observe the competence of children as they explained what they had built and the construction methods learnt. More importantly the children explained that everyone uses the tools in a responsible manner, consequently there are some injuries.ADD? Children are constantly encouraged to be creative within the education system. Depending on their age many have a drive to create constructions. Through natural play, natural materials can be used to create personal play equipment. This adds a further dimension to the benefits of natural play. When children construct anything they feel more confident of another intuitive childhood process.Within the Danish discard playground, children are issued with and allowed to bring their own construction tools such as hammers, nails, saws and other materials to construct play equipment from the abundance of materials provided. These materials include wood, block paving and other recycled materials. The shade of the constructions made is inspected by adults for strength and any other irregularities. Through this process errors can be corrected and the equipment passed as being safe. The individuals responsible for the construction thusly shows their play mates and they share their special creations with each other and revise there constructions and equipment with a greater knowledge of construction. The constructions are often nestled and integrated within site, composed of mature trees and shrubs. The success of the natural environment is the popularity of building these structures and games within the greener areas of the site.Fagan note to sketch book for his opinions and feelings about the thriving site from a childs perspective?SkrammellegepladsenA scheme in place in Fredriksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark were by children build natural play environments adding a divergent dimension to natural play, combine out of school care and natural play recreation. The results of this scheme is of huge significance to my study and is very popular on the streets of Copenhagen. Parents pick children up from the nubble up to as late as 5 o clock. The children are fed with sound meals which they of ten cook themselves, children are then free to contrive the site playing and constructing play spaces. The children are issued with hammers, nails, wood, hard landscaping materials. The teaching staff all have degrees orientated around primary and youth education. The centre accommodates for ages up to 15 Years of age. There is a strong drive within Play England Guidelines to accommodate teenagers, in particular girls within natural play schemes within Britain. The site in Fritsberg is adjacent to a large inner city school so the visiting children have a quick intonation between the two spaces. This could be more common as schools both within the inner cities and rural areas have a wider perimeter to their site with arena to expand, typically a site composed of wasteland grasslands, gravel, mud and pockets of trees with huge potential for transmutation to create natural play spaces to socialise and spend immeasurable hours in order to develop. The possibility for devising the most of school yard sites would be of epitome affect as playground play is one few occasions children get to play in a safe environment. If developed playgrounds were open to the community more and not as segregated. As much of the school site in un used within the school timetable with limited Sport, Outdoor play and education it would make sense to make more use of these spaces as natural play sites. One of the biggest bonuss to the scheme adjacent to the school in Fritsberg is the lack of self-aggrandising intervention. The children when playing are left outside to their own devices in time could seek help, if needed from staff who located themselves near to the building entrance.Newcastle play sitesLocation quad from city etc / Add type of landscape, fields, water, woodland and surrounding area flat, hills etc? These play sites have been identified by the council to be improved, using funding from Play England. These playgrounds up graded from a play pathfinder to play build er, few of these sites have been completedADD Observations not mentioned in table. How children use it. What you thought was good about it.The activities carried out in these environments have many benefits enhancing childrens ability to get along and appreciate the natural play environment. Sketches of the natural settings within these sites have been included. The natural qualities deployed create elating surroundings with opportunities for more imaginative play and wonder. Adults may view nature as a surrounding for the childs activities. However children count to view a natural play space as a sensory experience and a place where they can interact within a fantastical environment. Children develop their inclination continually through everyday experiences, which is essential in the childs development as a well rounded individual within society.Why is natural play important today?Natural play environments offer a diversity of natural landscape experiences such as trees, veget ation, wildlife, plants, shaded areas, shelter, water, rivers and hiding spaces create a never-failing naturalistic landscape. Children using natural play environments can render thoroughly engaged with nature. 16 The wide variations of the natural elements to play schemes can trigger unique spontaneity, for example playing with animateness creatures such as insects, building dens with natural materials or setting physical challenges within the environment such as climbing trees. 17Children seem to have a natural affinity with nature and live for the natural open air but today opportunites for this can be limited. Natural England carried out a survey in 2009 which identified that less than 10% of children have the prospect to play in woodland settings, the countryside or parks. The research also discovered that completely 24% of children visit a natural environment at a time a week in comparison to 53 % of adults who did so in their childhood. 18The benefits to children from playing in natural play environmentsA recent lecture by Paul Walker the Director of Timbercare (designers and builders of natural play landscapes, mainly manufacturing wooden play units) highlighted his personal opinions of many elements of natural play. He concluded his speech by saying that ironically the investment within the surrounding landscape of a play area was more valuable to children than a collection of individual equipment which the participation specialises in providing. 19 Walker felt strongly about his childhood experiences of natural play, he told many stories of his freedom one of which was how by the age of 11 he had a 6 Mile radius to roam within central Sheffield. The complexity of his different play spaces were therefore hugely diverse including post industrial landscapes, derelict buildings, woodland areas, canals and streets. Walkers primary concern for his industry today is the necessity for low risk in play. Although safety standards now take a more balanc ed approach he felt they could go further. 20 He felt his childhood experiences of natural based play had a variety of different elements of risk and risk taking, making children of that era much more adventurous and evolving life skills in the changing environment around Sheffield.Another professional who believes that children should have similar opportunities to Paul Walker is an American journalist Richard Louv whose revolutionary phrase Saving Our Children from Nature famine Disorder sums up the restrictions facing the majority of children in modernised society. The quote below illustrates trends in child play.ONE EVENING WHEN (sic) my boys were younger, Mathew, then ten, looked at me from across a restaurant table and said quite seriously, Dad, how come it was more fun when you were a kid?. Within the space of a few decades, the way children understand and experience nature has changed radically. The polarity of the relationship had been reversed. today, kids are aware of the global threats to the environment but their physical contact, their intimacy with nature, is fading. Thats the exact opposite of how it was when I was a child. 21Louv feels that our affinity to nature is innate and in jeopardy across the modernised world. Quoting Sobel he discusses the changes which have occurred in the experience of obtaining food suggesting that food has lead almost abstract now being a yield in a supermarket which has little connection with the field or farm it came from.Children are now having to learn where food comes from through schemes such as Natural Englands Learning Outside initiative.22, 23 School trips to farms in England are limited as they take up considerable financial and staffing resources and often only occur once a year as seen at Broom House Adventure Trail. 24Urban living can be an experience which is disconnected from nature and can create ecophobia a term which Sobel devised to explain a fear that nature can be physically dirty and da ngerous. While working at Broom House Adventure Trail it was apparent from children and teachers that children were warned not to get dirty and were wearing dearly-won designer clothing. This made a roadblock to the children fully experiencing natural play and it would be beneficial to the children if teachers made it clear to parents that there would be a strong possibility of clothes getting dirty and damaged. Some of the children also seemed initially hesitant and detached from the natural environment. 25Benefits to Childrens Health from Natural PlayWatching children using the play sites described in this study it is obvious they set down a great deal of energy and burn many calories.Not all children take sport and some do not like organised activities, but all children want to play.Natural play offers less structured opportunities for refining skills such as balance, endurance and confidence and provides a valuable solution for steering children away from childhood obesity.M any children are at risk from health problems caused by their life styles which include poor diet and lack of exercise.In 2009 it was reported that 25% of boys and 33% of girls between two and 19 are overweight. 26 It was noted in this survey that parents are getting so used to see overweight kids, they do not recognise their own children are obese.These problems cost the National Health over 2 billion annually. County Durham is one of the worst areas in England for childhood obesity. 27 At Broom House Farm Adventure Trail it was noted that the obese children had less self confidence, were more oppose in their approach to playing on the equipment and were teased by classmates.Benefits to Childrens Mental Health from Natural PlayThe BMJ group estimate that 2 children in every class of 30 schoolchildren will have ADHD. 28 There is a strong belief that children with doings and learning difficulties, such as ADHD, are thought to be deprived from the experience of natural play. 29Louv reports that parents of children with these problems are being taken to natural play environments in order for them to experience situations which require intense concentration, the children are compelled to observe what is around them and drive part of the environment rather than separate from it. 30Children with special needs at Broom House Adventure Trail were seen to greatly eff the sensory experience of being close to vegetation, running around and watching others playing on equipment. The carers commented that the escapism of being in such a tranquilize atmosphere was beneficial to their state of mind and they would appreciate access to such a facility more often. One respite care home set for their children to attend the adventure trail weekly in conjunction with their other activities.Benefits to Children from interaction with playmatesToday many children in England lead less active lives as they are able to watch non-stop television or play indoors on figurer games. Th is decreases the amount of interaction they have with parents, siblings and friends. Curry and Arnaud noted that By the age of cardinal and five children are extremely sensitive to each other and precipitously tuned to what interests, pleases or provokes another child. 31 Decreased opportunities to interact through observation, collaborationism and discussion during play can have a damaging effect on the confidence of a child and their ability to interact in play environments and in their future lives.Playing with others give children the chance to learn about equality and become integrated within wider cultures.During a consultation process at Kippax Ash Tree Primary School the children discussed their visit to Skelton Grange where they worked together making a shelter and a pebble island to simulate an speculative civilisation in the woodland. The idea of the project was to encourage the children to integrate through constructive play and say how they would survive on the isla nd. The outcome was a number of sustainable solutions which they had learnt about during the family of the day.Opportunities to develop self relianceNatural play environments develop a childs independence and self sufficiency. When a child enters a natural play environments they can develop a distance from their carers or parents either individually or with other children exploring. This hazard for play can be achieved in any out-of-door space, however in a natural play environment it is enhanced by the sorcerous natural surroundings. This process is important to children who live in throttle conditions and are restricted from access to natural play by the location of their accommodation and poverty. duster and Stoecklin state While the development of greater independence from toddlerhood to shopping center childhood can happen within the confines of indoor spaces, safe space outdoors greatly adds to the ability of children to naturally experiment with independence and separa tion, and the adults willingness to trustfulness the childs competence which is essential for separation to happen. 32When children accompanied by parents played in the woodland at Broom House they were often heavily restricted by parents who would not allow them to explore the zoned play spaces alone. This was seen on many occasions and created a barrier to the full potential of the natural play experience for their children.It was interesting to note that although school children stayed within their small teaching groups and despite not being in the comfort of their friendship groups, they were sufficiently stimulated to play together. It was also interesting to observe that the children travel quickly from the natural based play equipment to evolve new imaginative games, making maximum use of the woodland. It was also ascertained that the paths were used as catalyst for exploring the site within a time limit. 33Opportunities for exposure to natureOur interactions with nature can be hugely diverse depending upon the environment which a child lives in or is exposed to. The experience of different materials, changing seasons and making connections to nature are important components in natural play. 34 The purvey of living material in natural play landscapes incorporates the underlying processes of nature and therefore gives a strong understanding of nature gained through physical interaction and watching seasonal changes in the landscape. Plants and vegetation as a medium within play spaces develop interactive skills. Plants stimulate discovery, dramatic pretend play, and imagination. Plants let loose to all of the senses, so its not surprising that children are closely attuned to environments with vegetation. Plants, in a pleasant environment with a mix of sun, shade, colour, texture, fragrance, and softness of enclosure also encourage a sense of peacefulness35. When children experience nature, it can be in a variety of sensory experiences its value is prec ious and can be remembered for a long time.Children appreciate the natural layers of the earth no matter how small the play space. Moore recorded a conversation with girls about playing in sand We make streams in the sand when it rains and comes down the hill the girls said. The got down on their workforce and knees and embarked on a sequence of sand play. Within a few moments they had laid out a network of roads running around the humpy break through of the fine, hard-packed, sandy soil. Other infrastructure such as houses and an imaginary manor house was also built. 36* Water playThe outdoor environment provides a variety of contrasting surfaces with different textures and play qualities. Recent heavy snow in England (2009) triggered instinctive responses to an element which acted as a catalyst for all ages to enjoy passion and freedom without hesitation or social barriers.Natural materials are used to enhance environmental play for deprived inner city schools of Leeds such as Skelton Grange Environmental Centre in Leeds (West Yorkshire). One of the many natural based activities completed by school visitors is to construct components of the imaginary settlement described to a higher place using, sand, soil, water, twigs and leaves. This exercise although educational connects the children with natural materials.DesignDesign of Natural play environments can produce a range of natural play experiences rather than a single type as per traditional equipped play areaDISCUSS HOWHow can a landscape architect in the UK create natural play environments?The previous section outlined an understanding of what natural play is, case studies and the benefits of designing natural play areas. Play England have given landscape architects the opportunity to design natural play areas in many parts of England what considerations need to be taken into account when designing them?New Initiatives of Play England between the years 2006 2009Play England began working for the ch ildrens play programme in 2006 and 2007, with funding gained from The Big Lottery fund. The recent Play England guidelines show the design principles of Play England. Play England has produced many documents summarising the commitments announced for the Play Strategy of England. The two most relevant one to this study include the Play Strategy and Design for Play. 37Weve recently moved over to assessing the tenders on play value much more and this has forced the quality standards up, with suppliers now trying to outdo each other for natural play as well as good design and ethereal quantity of features we score each activity and feature for points and use this information to guide us in consideration of the tenders. In the end though it tacit comes down to us trying to decide which will offer the best play opportunities for the abutting 15 years or more.Play England have worked in tune with a range of professionals to ensure the best possible guidelines for Landscape Architects t o work towards during implementation of the national Play Strategy in their work. Play England is supporting local authority Playbuilders and Play Pathfinders (focusing on 8-13 yrs olds). Their purpose is to deliver the governments 235m investment in play and natural play in order to create innovative and adventurous play spaces across the UK. This level of investment has not been made before in England. The Play Pathfinder scheme is intended to provide free play opportunities for children and young people in the country over the next 10 years. The authorities announced in April 2009 that the overall success of the schemes would be reviewed by children in their local areas. A conference is planned in March 2010 and will explore the future and momentum of the campaign after the last four years.Play England GuidelinesSince 2006 Landscape Architects have been required by Play England to adopt design principles which take into consideration the summarised guidelines below for new and refurbished natural play schemes (please see appendix 1 for Play England Design Principles in full) 38Enhancing the site. Site analysis work ensuring the bosom of the chosen site is enhanced, complementing attractive parts of the site and enhancing poorer environments.victimization the best location. A balance in defining the exact location of the proposed park, between safety of the child user and seclusion.Enhancing natural features of the site as well as adding new features./Adding a variety of new soft landscape material and natural landscape features in urban and rural play sites.Providing opportunities for diverse play./This includes accommodating natural play for all age ranges including devising social spaces for parents and carers onsite.Provide the opportunity for children of all abilities and needs to mix./ There should be no barriers for people with special needs which may include carers or parents.Encourage community participation in the design process./ The design req uired has to work for the community and grip preferences of the neighbours of the site.Ensure the play space can be used by all ages./ The play site must incorporate many aspects of risk for its users to develop an understanding of risk.Design to develop childrens experiences of taking rDesigning a Natural Play EnvironmentDesigning a Natural Play EnvironmentIntroductionNatural Play is a fundamental aspect of a childs development and physical exercise. Through play, a childs personality develops and they gain a greater control of mind and body. Play has opportunities for social, ethical and emotional development. Environmental based play initiates instinctive play as well as self-reliance, confidence and maturity 1 Play is used as a medium for translating one childs personal culture to another, this quote portrays findings from the psychologist Arnaud in 1984 2 I really believe there is something about nature that when you are in it , it makes you realise that there are far larger things at work than yourself.Being in nature can be the a way to escape without fully leaving the world. 3Landscape architects have recently been given the responsibility to design natural play schemes under the 2006 Play England initiatives which have provided the largest ever national investment in natural play. 4 Under these initiatives, the traditional concept of equipped play areas has been disregarded and instead, a greater emphasis is given to creating naturalistic play environments for different age groups. Consequently, landscape architects have now a greater role in the development of play areas rather than the installation of equipment for play solutions. However, there are constraints which determine the extent to which landscape architects can give a natural play experience. This study will explore and review recent projects in order to evaluate the success of such schemes. The research for this study is based upon the authors experience working on Newcastle City Counc ils Play Englands Play Pathfinder schemes during the summer of 2009 as well as designing and building an aerial walkway on a woodland adventure trail which was developed on a farm open to the public. 5, 6The study will be informed by examples from published literature, studies and information from play companies. Firsthand experience of the subject gained through designing, building and managing natural play areas as well as observations on regular visits to Skelton Grange Environmental Centre (Leeds) and during a field trip to Denmark (2009) will also be used.Aims and ObjectivesThe aim of the study is to identify the principles behind the planning and design of natural play areas, as well as discussing constraints which affect the implementation. Factors that affect the design of natural play areas will be discussed childhood development, social context, aspects of the site, management and expenditure as well as possible avenues which have not been considered under the Play England initiative. In doing this, it is hoped to determine to what extent natural play environments can be designed and implemented in England.What is natural play?Before discussing the design of natural play schemes it is important to define natural play and how it has evolved. Natural play provides play opportunities in a changing natural landscape. Natural play can enable children to feel more confident in themselves, often revealing their deeper feelings and sharing of their ideas. Natural play has many invaluable qualities that cannot be taught through structured learning activities the theories of natural play are robustly supported by researchers from varied disciplines including psychology, education, philosophy, anthropology and recreation. 7The evolution of natural play spacesThe essence of childrens play has changed little over the centuries. The links between the play patterns of un-modernised and developed societies have been shown to be very similar. For example Kung childre n in the Kalahari desert use an object, in their case the sheath of a banana leaf, to symbolise a baby and these mothering games are similar to those played by children in developed societies who play with dolls. 8 However, adults controlling childrens lives have imposed a series of changing theories as to how they should play.During the age of enlightenment when all sorts of theories were being examined Rousseau (1712-1778), the French philosopher, valued the importance of good experiences to mental development in children. When he heard of children forced to read and not play he wrote those who would rob these little innocents of the joys that pass so quickly, he went on to say, We must never forget all this should be play, the easy and voluntarily control of movement which nature demands of them, the art of varying their games to make them pleasanter without the least bit of constraint. To a child of 10 or 12 work or play are all one, with the proviso that the activity of play is with the charm of freedom. 9The case studies for this essay have been chosen following observations of natural play schemes during 2008 2009. The sites cover the fundamental aspects and current trends of natural play used by after school clubs, Play England, Natural England initiatives, and environmental learning projects.Play pathfinders and play builder explainSkelton GrangeSkelton Grange Environment Centre, Leeds is located 5 km from Leeds City Centre (figs.). The site is a gentle sloping 8 Acre site with woodland, open meadows, lawns and riverside walks. The site is located in a large industrial area on the periphery of Leeds City Centre and is leased from the National Grid. The project is an innovative, award winning, environmental education project that aims to bring alive the issues surrounding sustainable development. 15The project is hoped to help people develop an understanding and appreciation of the environment by educating its visitors on ways to safeguard our future . The scheme funded by BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) aims to use the Eco Centre and surrounding landscape to support a wide range of activities working mainly with children, young people and adults on school trips, play schemes, community groups as well as teenage individuals.The site is used for education and training sessions, practical conservation, and BTVC volunteer development. BTCV staff at the centre work with young people and adults, schools, play schemes, community groups and individuals on developing an understanding appreciation of their environment, and their role in safeguarding its future. The children who visit annually are from inner city West Yorkshire primary schools. These children gain many valuable experiences of environmental play which can be absorbed and provide inspiration for similar forms of play at home or school. The most striking issue which was observed on the site was the willingness to the children o learn and play in a rugged na tural environment as many of the inner city children have a very limited horizons when it comes to getting out of town.Broom House Farm Adventure trailBroom House Farm Adventure Trail is Located in the Durham countryside approximately 6 miles east of Durham City (figs.). The adventure trail is set on land belonging to a diverse organic farm enterprise. The surrounding landscape has a significant impact on the adventure trail as it is visible from the trail and relates to educational material within the trail. The woodland where the adventure trail is located is predominantly coniferous however there are many mature broadleaved species in the woodland. Most of the coniferous woodland was established over 50 years ago when the land was set aside by the farming tenants after it was open cast for coal. The woodland is very diverse in flora and fauna. The trail is open to the public and has approximately 4,000 public visitors, 60 school parties per annum. These include visits through a r ecent Natural England initiative (name it) . There are also visitors from institutions for people with special needs. The wood offers a wide range of natural based learning activities and many outlets for un-structured natural play. The site has been designed to enable a sense of discovery for visiting children, consequently giving a strong bond with the environment.The site is unique in the area and proves very successful with all users, the blend of natural play, education and playing within a woodland environment strongly complement each other. Visitors with special needs gain special interaction with nature when visiting. The bonding with nature is also highly significant for children visiting the site from deprived inner city areas of Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland and Durham.During my experience as education/safety officer at Broom House Farm (2008), I supervised and carried out educational activities with the children. This was an important experience for me as over a perio d of time I was able to observe the children using the natural play setting. During the summer of 2009 I designed and helped build new additions to the adventure trail including a 100m raised board walk and other play zones (figs.).Denmark Junk PlaygroundThe play site is located in Fredriksberg, a central district of Copenhagen, Denmark. The site consists of a large clearing in a Beech woodland. The perimeter has mature trees which overhang much of the site. Shrubs have been integrated next to structures built by the children . This unique Junk Playground also caters as an after school club for the adjoining school. The site offers a safe environment for children to be supervised from a distance, allowing them to construct a variety of custom built play equipment from shelters to play structures. This resource is run by adults employed by the council and funding from parents, all staff have a degree in some form of child development or education. The facility is also open at weekend s when it is supervised by parents. The site is a huge success and is very popular.The value of this resource to the local community is very high children are left at the after school club everyday so they have to be very imaginative in the playspace to keep them occupied. The outcome of what the children design and build is usually well implemented. The community involvement of many parents also helps safeguard the success of the site on weekends. The site has an importance policy which allows children to construct play equipment, this is a good example of allowing risk in the play environment.It was interesting to observe the competence of children as they explained what they had built and the construction methods learnt. More importantly the children explained that everyone uses the tools in a responsible manner, consequently there are few injuries.ADD? Children are constantly encouraged to be creative within the education system. Depending on their age many have a drive to creat e constructions. Through natural play, natural materials can be used to create personal play equipment. This adds a further dimension to the benefits of natural play. When children construct anything they feel more confident of another intuitive childhood process.Within the Danish junk playground, children are issued with and allowed to bring their own construction tools such as hammers, nails, saws and other materials to construct play equipment from the abundance of materials provided. These materials include wood, block paving and other recycled materials. The quality of the constructions made is inspected by adults for strength and any other irregularities. Through this process errors can be corrected and the equipment passed as being safe. The individuals responsible for the construction then shows their play mates and they share their special creations with each other and revise there constructions and equipment with a greater knowledge of construction. The constructions are o ften nestled and integrated within site, composed of mature trees and shrubs. The success of the natural environment is the popularity of building these structures and games within the greener areas of the site.Fagan refer to sketch book for his opinions and feelings about the thriving site from a childs perspective?SkrammellegepladsenA scheme in place in Fredriksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark were by children build natural play environments adding a different dimension to natural play, combining out of school care and natural play recreation. The results of this scheme is of huge significance to my study and is very popular on the streets of Copenhagen. Parents pick children up from the centre up to as late as 5 o clock. The children are fed with healthy meals which they often cook themselves, children are then free to roam the site playing and constructing play spaces. The children are issued with hammers, nails, wood, hard landscaping materials. The teaching staff all have degrees ori entated around primary and youth education. The centre accommodates for ages up to 15 Years of age. There is a strong drive within Play England Guidelines to accommodate teenagers, in particular girls within natural play schemes within Britain. The site in Fritsberg is adjacent to a large inner city school so the visiting children have a quick transition between the two spaces. This could be more common as schools both within the inner cities and rural areas have a wider perimeter to their site with scope to expand, typically a site composed of wasteland grasslands, gravel, mud and pockets of trees with huge potential for transformation to create natural play spaces to socialise and spend countless hours in order to develop. The possibility for making the most of school yard sites would be of double affect as playground play is one few occasions children get to play in a safe environment. If developed playgrounds were open to the community more and not as segregated. As much of the school site in un used within the school timetable with limited Sport, Outdoor play and education it would make sense to make more use of these spaces as natural play sites. One of the biggest bonuss to the scheme adjacent to the school in Fritsberg is the lack of Adult intervention. The children when playing are left outside to their own devices yet could seek help, if needed from staff who located themselves near to the building entrance.Newcastle play sitesLocation Distance from city etc / Add type of landscape, fields, water, woodland and surrounding area flat, hills etc? These play sites have been identified by the council to be improved, using funding from Play England. These playgrounds up graded from a play pathfinder to play builder, Some of these sites have been completedADD Observations not mentioned in table. How children use it. What you thought was good about it.The activities carried out in these environments have many benefits enhancing childrens ability to recognise and appreciate the natural play environment. Sketches of the natural settings within these sites have been included. The natural qualities deployed create stimulating surroundings with opportunities for more imaginative play and wonder. Adults may view nature as a surrounding for the childs activities. However children seem to view a natural play space as a sensory experience and a place where they can interact within a fantastical environment. Children develop their imagination continually through everyday experiences, which is essential in the childs development as a well rounded individual within society.Why is natural play important today?Natural play environments offer a diversity of natural landscape experiences such as trees, vegetation, wildlife, plants, shaded areas, shelter, water, rivers and hiding spaces create a timeless naturalistic landscape. Children using natural play environments can become thoroughly engaged with nature. 16 The wide variations of the natural elem ents to play schemes can trigger unique spontaneity, for example playing with living creatures such as insects, building dens with natural materials or setting physical challenges within the environment such as climbing trees. 17Children seem to have a natural affinity with nature and love for the natural outdoors but today opportunites for this can be limited. Natural England carried out a survey in 2009 which identified that less than 10% of children have the opportunity to play in woodland settings, the countryside or parks. The research also discovered that only 24% of children visit a natural environment once a week in comparison to 53 % of adults who did so in their childhood. 18The benefits to children from playing in natural play environmentsA recent lecture by Paul Walker the Director of Timbercare (designers and builders of natural play landscapes, mainly manufacturing wooden play units) highlighted his personal opinions of many elements of natural play. He concluded his s peech by saying that ironically the investment within the surrounding landscape of a play area was more valuable to children than a collection of individual equipment which the company specialises in providing. 19 Walker felt strongly about his childhood experiences of natural play, he told many stories of his freedom one of which was how by the age of 11 he had a 6 Mile radius to roam within central Sheffield. The complexity of his different play spaces were therefore hugely diverse including post industrial landscapes, derelict buildings, woodland areas, canals and streets. Walkers primary concern for his industry today is the necessity for low risk in play. Although safety standards now take a more balanced approach he felt they could go further. 20 He felt his childhood experiences of natural based play had a variety of different elements of danger and risk taking, making children of that era much more adventurous and evolving life skills in the changing environment around Sheff ield.Another professional who believes that children should have similar opportunities to Paul Walker is an American journalist Richard Louv whose revolutionary phrase Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder sums up the restrictions facing the majority of children in modernised society. The quote below illustrates trends in child play.ONE EVENING WHEN (sic) my boys were younger, Mathew, then ten, looked at me from across a restaurant table and said quite seriously, Dad, how come it was more fun when you were a kid?. Within the space of a few decades, the way children understand and experience nature has changed radically. The polarity of the relationship had been reversed. Today, kids are aware of the global threats to the environment but their physical contact, their intimacy with nature, is fading. Thats the exact opposite of how it was when I was a child. 21Louv feels that our affinity to nature is innate and in jeopardy across the modernised world. Quoting Sobel he dis cusses the changes which have occurred in the experience of obtaining food suggesting that food has become almost abstract now being a product in a supermarket which has little connection with the field or farm it came from.Children are now having to learn where food comes from through schemes such as Natural Englands Learning Outside initiative.22, 23 School trips to farms in England are limited as they take up considerable financial and staffing resources and often only occur once a year as seen at Broom House Adventure Trail. 24Urban living can be an experience which is disconnected from nature and can create ecophobia a term which Sobel devised to explain a fear that nature can be physically dirty and dangerous. While working at Broom House Adventure Trail it was apparent from children and teachers that children were warned not to get dirty and were wearing expensive designer clothing. This made a barrier to the children fully experiencing natural play and it would be beneficial to the children if teachers made it clear to parents that there would be a strong possibility of clothes getting dirty and damaged. Some of the children also seemed initially hesitant and detached from the natural environment. 25Benefits to Childrens Health from Natural PlayWatching children using the play sites described in this study it is obvious they expend a great deal of energy and burn many calories.Not all children prefer sport and some do not like organised activities, but all children want to play.Natural play offers less structured opportunities for refining skills such as balance, endurance and confidence and provides a valuable solution for steering children away from childhood obesity.Many children are at risk from health problems caused by their life styles which include poor diet and lack of exercise.In 2009 it was reported that 25% of boys and 33% of girls between two and 19 are overweight. 26 It was noted in this survey that parents are getting so used to seeing o verweight kids, they do not recognise their own children are obese.These problems cost the National Health over 2 billion annually. County Durham is one of the worst areas in England for childhood obesity. 27 At Broom House Farm Adventure Trail it was noted that the obese children had less self confidence, were more negative in their approach to playing on the equipment and were teased by classmates.Benefits to Childrens Mental Health from Natural PlayThe BMJ group estimate that 2 children in every class of 30 schoolchildren will have ADHD. 28 There is a strong belief that children with behaviour and learning difficulties, such as ADHD, are thought to be deprived from the experience of natural play. 29Louv reports that parents of children with these problems are being taken to natural play environments in order for them to experience situations which require intense concentration, the children are compelled to observe what is around them and become part of the environment rather tha n separate from it. 30Children with special needs at Broom House Adventure Trail were seen to greatly enjoy the sensory experience of being close to vegetation, running around and watching others playing on equipment. The carers commented that the escapism of being in such a calming atmosphere was beneficial to their state of mind and they would appreciate access to such a facility more often. One respite care home arranged for their children to attend the adventure trail weekly in conjunction with their other activities.Benefits to Children from interaction with playmatesToday many children in England lead less active lives as they are able to watch non-stop television or play indoors on computer games. This decreases the amount of interaction they have with parents, siblings and friends. Curry and Arnaud noted that By the age of four and five children are extremely sensitive to each other and acutely tuned to what interests, pleases or provokes another child. 31 Decreased opportun ities to interact through observation, collaboration and discussion during play can have a damaging effect on the confidence of a child and their ability to interact in play environments and in their future lives.Playing with others give children the chance to learn about equality and become integrated within wider cultures.During a consultation process at Kippax Ash Tree Primary School the children discussed their visit to Skelton Grange where they worked together making a shelter and a pebble island to simulate an imaginary civilisation in the woodland. The idea of the project was to encourage the children to integrate through constructive play and say how they would survive on the island. The outcome was a number of sustainable solutions which they had learnt about during the course of the day.Opportunities to develop self relianceNatural play environments develop a childs independence and self sufficiency. When a child enters a natural play environments they can develop a distan ce from their carers or parents either individually or with other children exploring. This opportunity for play can be achieved in any outdoor space, however in a natural play environment it is enhanced by the magical natural surroundings. This process is important to children who live in confined conditions and are restricted from access to natural play by the location of their accommodation and poverty. White and Stoecklin state While the development of greater independence from toddlerhood to middle childhood can happen within the confines of indoor spaces, safe space outdoors greatly adds to the ability of children to naturally experiment with independence and separation, and the adults willingness to trust the childs competence which is essential for separation to happen. 32When children accompanied by parents played in the woodland at Broom House they were often heavily restricted by parents who would not allow them to explore the zoned play spaces alone. This was seen on many occasions and created a barrier to the full potential of the natural play experience for their children.It was interesting to note that although school children stayed within their small teaching groups and despite not being in the comfort of their friendship groups, they were sufficiently stimulated to play together. It was also interesting to observe that the children moved quickly from the natural based play equipment to evolve new imaginative games, making maximum use of the woodland. It was also observed that the paths were used as catalyst for exploring the site within a time limit. 33Opportunities for exposure to natureOur interactions with nature can be hugely diverse depending upon the environment which a child lives in or is exposed to. The experience of different materials, changing seasons and making connections to nature are important components in natural play. 34 The provision of living material in natural play landscapes incorporates the underlying processes of natu re and therefore gives a strong understanding of nature gained through physical interaction and watching seasonal changes in the landscape. Plants and vegetation as a medium within play spaces develop interactive skills. Plants stimulate discovery, dramatic pretend play, and imagination. Plants speak to all of the senses, so its not surprising that children are closely attuned to environments with vegetation. Plants, in a pleasant environment with a mix of sun, shade, colour, texture, fragrance, and softness of enclosure also encourage a sense of peacefulness35. When children experience nature, it can be in a variety of sensory experiences its value is precious and can be remembered for a long time.Children appreciate the natural layers of the earth no matter how small the play space. Moore recorded a conversation with girls about playing in sand We make streams in the sand when it rains and comes down the hill the girls said. The got down on their hands and knees and embarked on a sequence of sand play. Within a few moments they had laid out a network of roads running around the humpy surface of the fine, hard-packed, sandy soil. Other infrastructure such as houses and an imaginary manor house was also built. 36* Water playThe outdoor environment provides a variety of contrasting surfaces with different textures and play qualities. Recent heavy snowfall in England (2009) triggered instinctive responses to an element which acted as a catalyst for all ages to enjoy excitement and freedom without hesitation or social barriers.Natural materials are used to enhance environmental play for deprived inner city schools of Leeds such as Skelton Grange Environmental Centre in Leeds (West Yorkshire). One of the many natural based activities completed by school visitors is to construct components of the imaginary settlement described above using, sand, soil, water, twigs and leaves. This exercise although educational connects the children with natural materials.DesignDesi gn of Natural play environments can produce a range of natural play experiences rather than a single type as per traditional equipped play areaDISCUSS HOWHow can a landscape architect in the UK create natural play environments?The previous section outlined an understanding of what natural play is, case studies and the benefits of designing natural play areas. Play England have given landscape architects the opportunity to design natural play areas in many parts of England what considerations need to be taken into account when designing them?New Initiatives of Play England between the years 2006 2009Play England began working for the childrens play programme in 2006 and 2007, with funding gained from The Big Lottery fund. The recent Play England guidelines show the design principles of Play England. Play England has produced many documents summarising the commitments announced for the Play Strategy of England. The two most relevant one to this study include the Play Strategy and De sign for Play. 37Weve recently moved over to assessing the tenders on play value much more and this has forced the quality standards up, with suppliers now trying to outdo each other for natural play as well as good design and sheer quantity of features we score each activity and feature for points and use this information to guide us in consideration of the tenders. In the end though it still comes down to us trying to decide which will offer the best play opportunities for the next 15 years or more.Play England have worked in tune with a range of professionals to ensure the best possible guidelines for Landscape Architects to work towards during implementation of the national Play Strategy in their work. Play England is supporting local authority Playbuilders and Play Pathfinders (focusing on 8-13 yrs olds). Their purpose is to deliver the governments 235m investment in play and natural play in order to create innovative and adventurous play spaces across the UK. This level of in vestment has not been made before in England. The Play Pathfinder scheme is intended to provide free play opportunities for children and young people in the country over the next 10 years. The Government announced in April 2009 that the overall success of the schemes would be reviewed by children in their local areas. A conference is planned in March 2010 and will explore the future and momentum of the campaign after the last four years.Play England GuidelinesSince 2006 Landscape Architects have been required by Play England to adopt design principles which take into consideration the summarised guidelines below for new and refurbished natural play schemes (please see appendix 1 for Play England Design Principles in full) 38Enhancing the site. Site analysis work ensuring the spirit of the chosen site is enhanced, complementing attractive parts of the site and enhancing poorer environments.Using the best location. A balance in defining the exact location of the proposed park, between safety of the child user and seclusion.Enhancing natural features of the site as well as adding new features./Adding a variety of new soft landscape material and natural landscape features in urban and rural play sites.Providing opportunities for diverse play./This includes accommodating natural play for all age ranges including devising social spaces for parents and carers onsite.Provide the opportunity for children of all abilities and needs to mix./ There should be no barriers for people with special needs which may include carers or parents.Encourage community participation in the design process./ The design required has to work for the community and captivate preferences of the neighbours of the site.Ensure the play space can be used by all ages./ The play site must incorporate many aspects of risk for its users to develop an understanding of risk.Design to develop childrens experiences of taking r