OPAL hosts first Child Friendly by Design Workshop in SA

Thursday, 23 February 2012

OPAL communities from across SA will participate in the state’s first Child Friendly by Design workshop, aimed at creating places in the community which encourage a healthy and active lifestyle.

OPAL State Manager, Mark Williams said the workshop will enable OPAL councils to explore ideas for design and development of child friendly spaces in their local areas for families to enjoy.

“Creating a place where people want to go and spend time with one another and be social and active is important in helping promote a healthier lifestyle and physical activity,” Mr Williams said.

“To do this, we need make sure that we work with children, young people and families to hear what they would like to see in their local public open spaces.

“This may include ensuring the local playground or park has good lighting so that it can be used at night, including a safe path where people can walk or ride their bikes easily, or a green area for kids to run around and play, with shade and seating for the parents.”

Over the past two years, councils implementing OPAL have worked with community groups, local Government, schools and businesses to introduce a range of initiatives and activities to get people excited about being healthy, such as drinking fountains in parks, community gardens and healthy cooking demonstrations at supermarkets and schools.

“Tomorrow’s workshop will now build upon these achievements and provide OPAL staff with the skills and knowledge to enhance these relationships and look at new ways to create and design more child-friendly places,” Mr Williams said.

Child Friendly by Design Project Coordinator, Deb Langridge, said she was excited that OPAL was hosting the first the workshop in South Australia.

“We are very pleased to be working with the SA OPAL teams in Councils to help make child and family-friendly places a reality in their communities,” Ms Langridge said.

“OPAL is already doing great work in making communities healthy and active and this workshop will add to this by sharing child-friendly strategies that can be used by councils, businesses and organisations to create additional welcoming and social places in these communities.

“The exciting part of working in a ‘child-friendly by design’ way is that good places in communities can become great places; enhancing connectedness, physical activity and an appreciation of outdoor, place and each other.”

For more information about OPAL or Child Friendly by Design (CFbD) visit www.sahealth.sa.gov.au or www.healthyillawarra.org.au

For more information call the SA Health Media Line
Telephone: (08) 8226 6488