The Let’s Play Cork initiative, an interagency collaboration between Cork Sports Partnership, Cork Healthy Cities and members of the URBACT ULG local group; Foroige, Cork City Council, Cork City Libraries and Let’s Grow Together continues to promote play opportunities for people of all ages and abilities across Cork. To date a series of play activities, resources and projects have been delivered to families, communities and organisations with immense success. Some of the resources and projects include:

• Let’s Play Cork Booklet & Pack- Children
• Let’s Play Cork Booklet & Pack- Older Adults
• Online Play Resources
• Pop up Play events
• Play Streets

Cork City Libraries have been working with members of the Let’s Play Cork initiative to develop a community play bag scheme which would see a play bag full of resources and equipment housed in seven libraries across Cork city available to community groups and organisations to borrow. 

The Community Play Bags were due to be launched in 2020 but unfortunately like so many projects a pandemic pause ensued due to Covid-19.  On Thursday 9th, Cork City Libraries in collaboration with Cork Sports Partnership and Let’s Play Cork were ready to hit ‘play’ again with the launch of the Community Play Bags. 

The launch took place in the Tory Top Library in Ballyphehane with children from nearby An Cliabhain Parent and Toddler Group testing out the play equipment from the bag, which includes snakes and ladders, ludo, a parachute, tug of war rope and much more. Catherina Lane, Sports Facilitator with Cork Sports Partnership said:

We are delighted to be able to finally launch this fantastic new scheme as part of the Lets Play Cork Initiative. It will be of huge benefit to the many groups & communities locally in Cork city who are keen to organise play activities and events over the summer. We would like to acknowledge the support of the Cork City Library service who have been extremely supportive of this scheme from the start and look forward to working with them in the future.

Eibhlin Cassidy, Executive Librarian for Cork City Libraries outlined the role the libraries will play in this initiative.

Play and stories are intertwined making the public library a natural advocate for the right to play for all ages and all communities. Recognising that play is an essential ingredient for individual and community wellbeing, Cork City Libraries provides access to play for all, regardless of age, through playful programming and collection development. The community play bag initiative will allow communities to access play equipment for fun days and special events. We would like to acknowledge the support of Cork Sports Partnership in making this initiative a reality and we are really looking forward to seeing the community play bags being used to promote and support access to play in communities across Cork city, she concluded.  

The play bags are a wonderful resource that are available for schools, community groups and organisations to borrow from Cork City Libraries. To borrow a bag log on to www.corksports.ie and register using the form provided. 

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