Project Play

Who we are

Project Play provides safe spaces and the opportunity to play to displaced children across Northern France. We believe in the power of play as the best possible means to mitigate the impact of trauma and develop the skills for resilience.

The idea for Project Play was formed in August 2018, when volunteers working with Refugee Community Kitchen realised there was a gap in services specifically designed to target children and their wellbeing. We approached our partners Refugee Youth Service, who provide a vast range of support services for unaccompanied minors across Europe. With the support of Refugee Youth Service, we developed our idea to create a mobile safe space for children to play and learn, away from the everyday dangers of living outside. Our two founders have since worked tirelessly to turn the concept into the operational service it is today.

Project Play now operates six times a week in accommodation centres and informal settlements across Calais and Dunkirk. We have worked with over 200 children since the end of December 2018. We offer children the opportunity to engage in both free and structured play, with a focus on minimising the impact of trauma and building the skills for resilience. Our sessions target core developmental skills for children aged 1-18, using a combination of group games, sports, music, creative and formal learning activities, to provide structure and routine to children who need it most.

Play is an essential element of any child’s healthy development. For the children who access our service, it is a lifeline. Trauma and adversity severely disrupt a child’s ability to grow and learn, leaving huge gaps in their development. Play allows children to fill these gaps. Through play, they are able to process their experiences and build the foundations for later life. During our sessions, the children are given the chance to grow their understanding of who they are, what they enjoy and what they can bring to the world. Promoting resilience, self-worth and a strong identity is at the core of our mission. By providing the chance for free and imaginative play, we also hope to simply bring a little bit of laughter and positivity to the lives of the families we visit.

We are currently in the process of registering as a French charity. We have had ongoing support from a number of amazing organisations, including Refugee Youth Service, the School Bus Project, Refugee Women’s Centre, Donate4Refugees, Side by Side for Refugees and Help4Refugee Children.

Interested in volunteering with us? Want to gather resources or raise us some much needed funds? Have an amazing skill or talent you want to train us in? We would love to hear from you!