There will be a photocall on Monday 14 July, 2008 at 11.30am at Maurice Lea Memorial Park, Church Gresley with Cllr John Lemmon, Chairman South Derbyshire Play Partnership and Housing and Community Services Committee playing a giant game of Jenga outside the brand new Playmobile with Catherine Lissaman, South Derbyshire’s Lottery-funded Play Officer

Almost 200 sessions have been organised by South Derbyshire District Council’s Sport and Youth Development Team and other local partners.

And to make it even better this year there’s PlayMobile, a brand new vehicle with professional staff that goes out all over the District with lots of fun activities. There are giant games like Jenga, snakes and ladders and Connect Four. With the PlayMobile you can also enjoy arts and craft work.

Says Cllr John Lemmon, Chairman of South Derbyshire’s Play Partnership, “We promised in our Corporate Plan that we would increase the number of sports and playscheme sessions. The new PlayMobile is helping us add to our activities. We are very grateful to The Big Lottery Fund which has provided £200,000 for not only the PlayMobile, but also for ‘Free Play’ kit bags that will be available on loan across the district as well as improvements to three play sites. It has also provided funding for our Play Officer, Catherine Lissaman who will be coordinating and supporting the bookable touring playscheme programme ”

As well as the new PlayMobile, South Derbyshire’s SportsMobile will be out and about in the District. With the SportsMobile young people can enjoy wrestling in sumo suits, using up their energy on a bouncy castle or taking part in a variety of sports. There are also laser games and the 9 metre climbing wall.

Cllr Lemmon continues, “We have a new leaflet “Leap into action this summer” which gives details of all the activities which are on offer this summer. We’re currently talking at assemblies across all schools in the District and providing each child with one of our leaflets. You can find it at the Civic Offices, CVS, Youth Service, Green Bank Leisure Centre, even Police and Police Community Support Officers will be handing them out to young people on their patrols. You can also find out the details by going to

www.south-derbys.gov.uk/summeractivities With a bit of luck this summer, parents won’t have to put up with the usual complaint from their kids that there’s nothing to do”