The Environmental Case Analysis Of Ryanair Commerce Essay

The Environmental Case Analysis Of Ryanair Commerce actIn an organisation the most(prenominal) important b mortified is its schema, because outline is the feature which gives the means to the firm to be successful. This is an effective long-term method to preserve an organisation to reach its objectives and goals to stay put on its warlike margeThe scope of this essay is to consult the strategical depth psychology of purlieu and the diligence unitedly with the companys present strategic choices, and also it is requested to recommend unuse strategic initiatives and argonas for improving strategy implementation for the senior management group of Ryanair.This is conducted with the use of six strategic models ( prep ar, bray, Porters louvre Forces, Strategic groups, nurture range and VRIO) that be recommended to be used to analyse the internal and international environment of the company.Each model go forth be nominaten in to retardation and discussed c arfully to high-pitchedlight what had begin the wooing for the negative perception and the exacting perception of both the nodes and the companies towards its addition and sustainability in that locationfore this case study will be analysed to pin bear down on what should be done for the forthcoming strategic management of the company.Out of all the low shape up flight paths in the europiuman pains Ryanair takes the lead. This air duct however is from Ireland and its head office is rigid in Dublin. London Stansted Airport in UK is its main op sequencetional base. Ryanair is named as the largest low constitute letter carrier and the is the third largest airline in the posting of rider public figures.To offer- secure, cost rivalrous and efficient in services in the aviation hauling and to retain their employees dedication and devotion to fulfil the objectives of the industry, to check minimum standard of on eon military operation rate darn complying will all application r egulations and to sustain an environments where dignity and family values ar cosmos utilized.ObjectivesTo achieve revenue growth annuallyTo aim on having a bigger market shargonTo pull in a absorb better customer service than their rival companiesTo fall in a stronger wrinkle throwReputations with clients than rivalsTo be accept as a loss leader among airline industriesTo fence in the globular marketTo have a stable competitive gain(Marivic .B 2009)3.0 Micro environment analysis (Internal analysis)Organisations create worth of customer value be measured by a product performance characterises and by the credits which customers be willing to pay, by utilizing the capabilities and resources that atomic number 18 set internally and reaching the pack of standard global opposition . These extra collection of capabilities and resources which gives the exclusive advantages to the organisation be thitherfore measured as core competenciesCarpenter, Bauer, Erdogan (2009)3. 1 SWOT analysis (Strength and Weaknesses)StrengthsThe concluding cost in credit line to all the former(a) LCC in EuropeThe low cost leadership had make it stand out from the arena of LCC industry in EuropeThe worlds most remunerative airlineAccording to the case Ryanair was the most profitable airline in the world on the basis of its operating and concluding profit margin, on per airline and passenger basis.Brand recognitionIt is claimed match to the case that Ryanairs website was the largest excursion website in Europe and the fifth most recognized cross off in GoogleThe attitude of No frill Low fareTo over pass the weakness of low passengers the airline restyled the system with this attitudeCompared to other LCC airlines Ryanair has the most passengers42 million passengers in 2007Most make out of bases with most enumerate of aircraftsAccording to the case study Ryanair has flown from 16 bases with over ascorbic acid vernal Boeing 737-800 ordering further 138 new air c rafts doubling the coatHighest control in the EU low cost market29.9% from the holy Low cost marketBeing the youngest fleet of all the major airlines in the EUReplacing its fleet of old aircrafts with new, more eco intimate aircrafts, minimizing the average age of its fleet to 2.4 years.WeaknessesWheelchair chargersBad reputation and ethical issues reflected when ryanair charged 18 pounds to use a wheelchair and in response to the protest it trim the charge to 50 cents wheelchair toll on e very passenger slatingPoor service qualityThe little legroom and unfriendly lag being the worst part of Ryanairs know-howExtra charge for food and luggagesCarryon luggages being shit and making them check in bags allowing the passengers to walk in with minimum of hold luggageBad relationship with the pi lucksRyanair has bullied pilots to force them to agree to new contracts wherer they would have to pay 15,000 francs for retraining on new aircrafts if they left the airline.Airports in t he suburbs away from the main city make the customers inconvenientNegative response by the passengers for the additional servicesAccording to the case non all ancillary services initiatives were successful in 2005, passengers were resistance to pay additional amount because they thought it is non a worthwhile investment for a gyp flight.3.2 The Value chainInfrastructure of the firmAround Europe Ryanair has 16 bases having the main bases in Stanstead and Dublin. The chargers of Ryanair airports are low imputable to its use of airports that are signifi dejectiontly away from the congested main airports. As adaptation for surcharges are not included for fuel they have to reduce costs of on other ways with implementing chargers for the use of wheelchairs ,food and extra luggages. Ryanair having one part of aircrafts (boeing 737) they sole(prenominal) have to train the pilots to fly thos particular plane hence can cut down costs as they do not have to be sent to various courses.Th e hierachial structure of Ryanair is very effective as the managers have to report to the CEO to make decision from the information given. military man Resource managementHaving the employees sleep in the bases and not having them stay in hotels has do Ryanair reduce costs. Ryanair can make future plans since they have a good roster for most of their workers having 4 days on and 3 days off.Technological developmentOnline booking was introduced by Ryanair for the first time and thus they became eligible to reduce their costs. Self-check service enabling to the passengers was also introduced withal thus Ryanair was able to reduce staff and cost. Having the youngest fleets in the EU make Ryanair reduced in costs for the new airplanes.ProcurementRyanair only providing a service and having to outsource the material they need. in addition to that they have to bribe fuel and equipment collectively with leasing planes.Inbound logisticsOut sourcing of handling services is very common fir a business like thisI.e. cleaning service, food, medical checkup services and security/safety.OperationsBefore setting off it is a must to check out all the planes and equipments by the pilots and the airports used are not very congested and only make point to point tripsMarketing and gross revenueHaving the biggest website in Europe and having large advertizing boards made them increase in sales and marketing. but the attempt of introducing the entertainment readiness onto flights where customers had to pay more was failed as nation refused to pay due to swindle journeysServiceHaving tried to keep the fleet up-to-date and letting the staff go on course once a year to meliorate their knowledge and making sure they know all the new regulations made Ryanair queenful on services as closely.3.3 VRIO AnalysisResources and capabilities can be regard as things that an organization own. It is essential to narrow down and clear up the core competencies to netherstand the meaning of the different organizational performances. If an organizations resource and capabilities are valuable, exalted, inimitable and organized then it will direct to a sustainable competitive advantage. The internal analysis can thus be analyse through this base of VRIO simulation.Carpenter. M, Bauer. T, Erdogan .B (2009)Analysis of the caseRecoursesValuableRareInimitability organizeCompetitive Implication(1)Human ResourcesNoNoNoNoCompetitive disadvantage(2)Finance ResourcesYesYesYesYesSustainable competitive advantage(3) indubitable assetsYesNoNoYesCompetitive Parity(4)Intangible assetsYesYesYesYesSustainable competitive advantage(Table 1)The human resource of Ryanair is a competitive disadvantage as it highlights on bad relationship with pilots hence it is not valuable it is not rare it is inimitable and it is not organized as it is not in effect arranged and deployed in the market.The Finance resources of Ryanair is valuable, it is rare, it cannot be imitated by other airlines an d it is well organised and effectively arranged in the market thus it is a sustainable competitive advantage.The tangible assets of Ryanair i.e. the airplane types etc are valuable merely they are not rare they can recollect them anywhere and the planes are imitable as any other company could have the comparable kind-hearted of flights. They are very well organized with the youngest planes and eco friendly with better airlines to come in to the firm in the future. Thus it has a competitive parity.The impalpable assets of Ryanair especially the brand recognition are valuable they are rare and they are inimitable and they also effectively help the organisation to be organized. Thus it is a sustainable competitive advantage.4.0 External analysis4.1 SWOT analysis (Opportunities and Threats)OpportunitiesSales increases due to credit crunchAs a go of the recent recession the credit crunch made the sales increase as many customers wanted to reduce their costs.Can collapse the long h aul market penetration by the possibility of fetching over Aer LingusAs the result of losing the bid Miceal OLeary assumed that Aer Lingus can be bought over as it has no long term future.Most routes are being clear as other carriers start withdrawingAs the jolt change magnitude with the routes of Ryanair other airlines such as My Travel Light are avoiding the routes all together.ThreatsThreats due to accidentsIf an accident happen in a LCC airline it will Marjory affect the firm as there are a very high percentage of significant reduce in demandAttacks of terroristsAttacks like 9/11 will reduce the demand for airlines.increase fuel determineRyanair limiting its ability to pass on increased costs to the passengers of low fare placing extra fare on the carriers as a policy to find cost saving in other spheres of its operations leading Ryanair for hedging.Possibility of taxation introductionDue to global warming there can be a environmental taxationIncreased competition from dev eloping countriesEasyjet having and extra skyttax starFor website booking and customer support Ryanair scored 1/5 in nine of the 16 criterias. (Bitterwallet nd)4.2 The PESTLE analytical technique(Figure 1) The Macro Environmental analysis, What makes a good leader?PoliticalOne of the significant advantages to Ryanair is its political environment as the majority of its procedures are controlled within Europe. This region maintains political stability and it was a fact that we all knew. Even when there is government instability Ryanair does not set about issues as an apprehension regarding passenger volumes or flight destinationsEconomicFor the airlines industry the increment of fuel price caused a major problem they had to cut corners if they did not hedge to accumulate cost on other areas. on that point can be seen a fall in demand for the flights due to the recent economic crisis. Hence job cuts increased and customers have low disposable income blocking them to spend on vacati ons. However this could be an advantage for other cheaper airline industries as there are people who are still able to afford a vacation as they are sounding for lower cost alternatives.SocialThis factor has generally impact Ryanairs business strategy. The prediction of Buyer behavior are becoming little by little more complex to forecast as loyalty are being shifted by the modern consumers from one brand to anther due to the differentiation of price and lack of basic buyer reliability. In addition to that the increasing competition among carriers with low cost fare is resulting in consumers mentally in which carrier to choose when traveling within Europe destinations.TechnologicalThe modern era is advance in technology which means that the entire industry is under change with more eco friendly and efficient. Online booking is one major progression Ryanair has technological wise having the most visited travel website in Europe together with the fifth most recognized brand on Goo gleLegalThe hard regulated industry with laws that are constantly adapting to new changers by not allowing liquid in the customers carry on luggages bring the legal position of Ryanair in to action. The new laws that implies to airline industries are the laws that are put across the industries to be more environmentally friendly. This will thus lead to companies advertize ting to reduce carbon procession and make the industry little harmful to the environment to meet the terms of EU regulations.EnvironmentalThe external environment of Ryanair is somewhat stable. Nevertheless apprehending the consumer behavior is Ryanairs biggest problem together with utilizing marketing applications to improve entire buyer patronage and sales performance.4.3 Porters Five ForcersThe case study will be discussed through the porters five forces analysis. This analysis is a very powerful yet simple technique to find out where the power stays in a business. This technique is used to comprehend the strengths of the present competitive position and the future where Ryanair is willing to go in.HighMediumLowHighMediumBargaining power of suppliersIn the airline industry there is a small number of low fare airlines, thus it shows a high threat jibe to the case Ryanair is being chosen by many customers for its lowest price. However by any happen if there is a price climb customers have a high potential of geological fault to another brand in brief customers have no loyalty towards one brand. Which gives the result as negociate power of the suppliers is low.Bargaining power of buyersThe potential of switching to other airlines are very common with LCCs since the customers are only looking for the cheapest. Therefore if Ryanair increase the cost under any circumstance there is a possibility of losing customer. In that case its evident that buyer bargaining power is high.Rivalry of competitorsAs a result of slow growth in the industry most carriers find it difficult to succeed th e chance of succession is limited to a few firms because of the competition for market share. The high fixed cost and low product differentiation leads to high rival threat. This shows with Air Ligus, GlyBe and Easyjet discovering the similar path of Ryanair.Substitution ThreatThere are many substitutes for long trip i.e. Trains Buses, cars, ferries. However one cannot equalise a plane with all of the above mentioned alternatives and a plane travel faster than any of them. Therefore substitute threat is moderate.The threat of new entryAirline industry is not the easiest to enter it has a lot of barriers. Ryanair is the market leader and with the implementations of new regulations and the pressure to reduce carbon emission makes it a moderate threat of new entry to the market.4.4 Strategic groups lineament321CostAccording to the dimensions of quality and cost of the entire industry (Refer appendix 1)1st group move under the same(p) strategic group as they have same strategy of low cost leadership.2nd group mainly serving to the people with a moderate income levels and moderate cost therefore they have the same strategy of medium cost leadership strategy.3rd group falls under the same strategic group, as they have the same strategy of high cost high quality.Profitability321Number of passengersAccording to the dimension of profitability and number of passengers of Budget airline industry(Refer appendix 1)1st group falls under the same strategic group as they have low profit and lowest number of passengers2nd group falls under the same strategic group as they have medium profitability and medium amount of passengers travelling3rd group falls under the same strategic group as they have high profitability and the highest number of passenger5.0 Strategic choices and the recommended strategyThe strategic framework of change managementThis framework helps Ryanair to understand the substantial change over recent years and the greatness of organisational culture to o rganizational analysis. It also can be used to lay the key steps that could improve the management of change. However according to the Ryanair case study management is up to a good standard and therefore change management is least importantThe strategic framework for advertising challengersThis framework can be implemented to Ryanair as it had an incident with a customer where she was mislead by an advertisement, yet this framework is also a less importantThe strategic framework for client Relationship focussingThis framework is used to broaden the understanding of CRM.Negative response by the passengers for the additional servicesBad relationship with the pilotsPoor service qualityThese are some of the weaknesses Ryanairs CRM come across thus to fill the span of the cranny between negative attitude towards Customer relationship and to make it more favourable it is a must for ryanair to focus on the CRM.If Ryanair take this strategic frame work in to action they will be able toB ecomeThe most favourable airline in the industryThe most profitable budget airlineThe positive word of oral fissureThe well recognized brand in the industryMoreover with Customer relationship management the internal market will be looked in to with a positive perspective when the employees are motivated and when there is a beginning for employment recognition thus employees will be hardened well which will lead to an overall success of the airline6.0 remainderRyanair case study was analysed through six analytical techniques (SWOT, PESTLE, Porters five Forces, Value chain, VRIO and strategic groups).Based on the analysers the management can now understand that in order to improve the strategic implementation they must follow the strategic framework of Customer relationship managementIt helps to bridge the gap and to meet their objectives.Therefore when the recommended framework is implemented the vision of Ryanair can be reached easily.7.0 ReferencingBeamish. H.R, 2008 Strategic m anagement, 3rd edition, Pearson Prentice HallBourgeois L.J, Duhaime.I.M, Stimpert J.L, (1999) Strategic prudence a managerial perspective, 2nd Edition, Dryden press, USABourgeois L.J, Duhaime.I.M, Stimpert J.L, (1999) Strategic commission a managerial perspective, 2nd Edition, Dryden press, USACarpenter. M, Bauer. T, Erdogan .B (March 2009), Developing strategy through internal analysis Principles of management, ,Retrived on 15th April 2010 fromhttp//www.flatworldknowledge.com/pub/1.0/principles-management/29045Carpenter. M, Bauer. T, Erdogan .B (March 2009), Developing strategy through internal analysis, Principles of management and Organisational Behaviour, ,Retrived on 15th April 2010 fromhttp//www.flatworldknowledge.com/pub/1.0/principles-management-and-orga/32825De Puget.G, 2003, cut Accent Ryanair Slow on Emotion, Brandchannel, Retrieved on 11th April 2010 fromhttp//www.brandchannel.com/brand_speak.asp?bs_id=72Eerste. P de, (2008), Boeing 737-800 RyanAir Textures, Retrieve d on 25th April 2010 fromhttp//simviation.com/simviation/index.php?type=itemHYPERLINK http//simviation.com/simviation/index.php?type=itemID=60page=9HYPERLINK http//simviation.com/simviation/index.php?type=itemID=60page=9ID=60HYPERLINK http//simviation.com/simviation/index.php?type=itemID=60page=9HYPERLINK http//simviation.com/simviation/index.php?type=itemID=60page=9page=9GRUNDY, T. (2006) Rethinking and reinventing Michael Porters five forces model. Strategic Change. Vol 15, No 5, August. pp213-229.http//www.coursework4you.co.uk/essays-and-dissertations/porter-5-forces.phpHaberberg, A. and Rieple, A. (2001), The Strategic Management of Organizations, Essex Pearson education Limited.Johnson, G., Scholes, K. (1997). Exploring corporate strategy (4th ed.). London Prentice HallJohnson G, Sholes K, Whittington R, (2005) Exploring Corporate system text and cases 7th Edition, London Prentice HallMarivic.B, 2009,Ryanair financial objective, thinking made easy, Retrieved on 11th April 2 010 fromhttp//ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2009/03/ryanairs-financial-objectives.htmlMun.J, (2008) Analysis of Ryanairs Competitive Advantages Business HYPERLINK http//www.associatedcontent.com/business/?cat=3HYPERLINK http//www.associatedcontent.com/business/?cat=3 Finance , Retrieved on seventeenth April 2010 fromhttp//www.associatedcontent.com/article/1159874/analysis_of_ryanairs_competitive_advantages.htmlPorters five forces, Mind Tools retrieved on 12th April 2010 fromhttp//www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_08.htmRyanair,Airfearsflights nd retrived on 10th April 2010 fromhttp//www.airfaresflights.co.uk/airlines/RyanairFigure 1http//www.whatmakesagoodleader.com/macro-environment-analysis.html8.0 Appendixes

Royal Mail To Change Its Business Plan And Strategies Business Essay

princely put up To Change Its subscriber line Plan And Strategies ancestry Essay proud chain air HRM Strategies an Overview (2005-2010)AbstractThe rapid growth in the Digital Communication applications such as internet, fax, e harness, online shopping, and the spaceal Service put to work (2000), liberalization of merchandise, drives kingly light to wobble its patronage plan and strategies to survive in the authorized dynamic completivepostal commercialise and in a broader way its future communication channel is uncertain. This essay aims to depictthe empurpled send out Human Re get-go heed (HRM) policies and strategies, and mainlyfocused for the period of 2005-2010. It as well covers how princely place is dealing withcompetition from the new entrants, and how it hided the recent extension crunch and itsimpact on the proud beam short letter.IntroductionIn recent prison terms, this separate has been confronting with various problems. The crowd reportedlo ses for several quarters. So, the governing body had asked the postal regulatory body PostalService Commission (Postcomm1) to liberalize the postal market place. Initially, in 2003 attestwere allotted to private company to handle the bulk spot. In 2006, the markets were fullyliberalized and the mathematical group loses its monopoly2 placement. All the licensed operators were sufficient todeliver mails to both the residential and rail line guests.Postal Service in the UK1 An Independent regulatory body set p up in the year 2000, to regulate the postal service in UK2 A dominant player in the postal service market with full assert over the market.3 http//www.royalmail.com.In spite of the increase in the communication methods like internet, email and former(a)electronic message options, battalion argon trusting on postal service for move parcel andletters and grammatical constituenticularly in elderly, disabled, and the low income groups, and the small line of products s ectors. Every week the group serves 20 one thousand thousand customers3 by means of its intercommunicate ofaround 12000 post part branches and deliver some 400 million parcels a year through and throughgeneral logistics systems and parcel persuasiveness .The frequent service and the uniform pricing are the two alpha attri providedes of the kingly turn on postal service. Based on these attributes only the Universal Service4 province (USO)was formed. As per the USO, the cost of delivering the letter is same irrespective of thelocation. To regulate the postal service in the UK, the Postal Service Act was put in placewith the Postcomm. The main task of the Postcomm includes,4Delivery any working day to every premises regardless of price and location , some exceptionalconditions permitted by UK and Europe Union law.5 Handling with customers complaints in the postal plump and monitoring the standards and qualityof the services provided by the gallant military post.. Grant li cense to some early on(a) companies.. Provisioning the uniform pricing and universal service.. Controlling proud ship pricing outline and its quality of services.. Advising the government on the development in the post services.To watch dog the Royal stake quality services, an self-supporting formation Post Watch 5 wasformed to monitor and control the quality standards.Royal Mail Group HistoryRoyal Mail was established by Henry VIII, in 1516 under a crustal plate of Post . Royal Mail wasavailable to in the public eye(predicate) in1635, with postage universe paid by the recipient. In 1660, Charles IIofficially established the command Post Office (GPO). Telegraph services was introduced in1840 by Royal Mail, and in 1912 the group started the telephone service.Post code was introduced in 1959. In 1969, the GPO became a public corporation from itsexisting government department. The post office make acquisition and union withGerman parcel, Katipos and TNT post group to ent er into international market. In 2000, thecompany reported losses and it continue for several quarters. In 2001, the post office wasrenamed Consignia. In 2002, Consignia was renamed as Royal Mail group plc.The Royal Mail Group lost its monopoly status when the 2006 liberalization was introduced.In 2007, government proposed to privatize the group but the election, change in thegovernment and the recent financial turmoil is the key computes for the hold of theproposal without any further date.Literature ReviewOver the years, it is ostensible that organic laws are considering Human ResourceManagement policies as the key factor to succeed in the business. HR department is actingas a strategic business partner within the organization to make the effectual strategicbusiness and human resource policies to achieve the organization goals and objectives, sort of than managing the employees and payroll, as was conventionally the case. Senior HRpractitioners and experts are more in demand in the today s corporate world.Through the years, in that respect is lot of organizational level studies and research crosswise thebusiness sectors manifested measured race between the effective HR executes( recruitment and selection, performance appraisal, rewards and recognitions, training anddevelopment) and business performance. According to Mark Huselid (Huselid, 1995)seminal study related the adoption of HR practices across 968 US companies with theirfinancial performance (controlling for performance in preceding(prenominal) years) .HRM authors such as Becker and Huselid (Becker and Huselid, 2006) emphasize the needfor HR outline to be clearly linked to the business strategy and for the constituent HRPractices to operate in a joined-up way, this being seen as key in club for the strategy to befocused on what matters, avoid duplication and optimize outcomes . Therefore HR functionhas full of life federal agency in mind the stakeholder s business goals, transforming t hose intocommercial business opinion and identifying the challenges and opportunities from theemployee s perspective and address them in their final approach.Combs, et al. (2006) aggregated 92 gigantic scale studies conducted at the organizational levelto produce a robust synopsis across a large sample. This research revealed that on anaverage, having a forward HR system (e.g. objective selection, training, appraisals,employee surveys, etc.) related to an average of 4% risque revenue per employee where fiveor six major HR practices were in place within an organization .Business ModelRoyal Mail Group operates through its subsidiaries Royal Mail, Post Office Limited, GeneralLogistics Systems (GLS) and component part force worldwide. Royal Mail is responsible for collectingand delivering the mail in the UK and handles around 71 millions of letters and mail boats to28 million addresses in every working day, in line with its unique Universal Service agreement(USO). Producing and Designing the stamps and, philatelic products are also taken care byRoyal Mail.The Post LimitedIt has national net work across the UK. Larger post offices in urban area were directlymanaged by the Post office limited and other branches are managed by liberty partners.General Logistic SystemsRoyal Mail acquired the General Logistic Systems in 1999 to enter into the European parcelmarket. GLS was market leader in the integrating parcel distribution and express customerservice in the European market.Parcelforce WorldwideParcelforce Worldwide is responsible for collecting and delivering the parcel and expresspackages throughout the world and in the UK for both the individual and businesscustomers.Royal Mail Competition and ChallengesRoyal mail is approach tough competition in postal market after the full liberalization act, and inparticularly express package business. Its main competitors6 in the package rescue marketare world net, Deutsche Post, TNT, UPS, and other airline which p rovide express packageservices. Most of its key competitors such as UPS, Deutsche Post, and TNT have large scaleof operations, which could put Royal Mail at a warlike disadvantage .6 http//www.datamonitor.comThough the letter market is declining due to the digital communication advancements, RoyalMail s profitability and efficiency is vital for the future of the UK postal sector and it alsoplays a major role in the UK economy and providing and safeguarding millions of jobs in therecent financial down turn, where as all other public and private sector firms are minify itswork force in large numbers.. But Royal Mail faces a lot of challenges. The group has beenreporting looses for several quarters, and its pension famine is widening Modernizationprocess is being very slow and also the tough competition from the new entrants in thedomestic and European markets are constantly increasing.The culture change is one of the biggest challenges Royal Mail has been facing from quitesome time . It required consistent high quality delivery from everyone in the company, comfortfor money. According to, Adam Crozier7, Royal Mail essential have the freedom and flexibility toset the right prices, base on real costs. If that happens, I think the new competitiveenvironment bequeath succeed. Competitors are already targeting profitable business mail. Weneed to compete with them on price as well as service if we are to defy the universalservice8 in business .Improving the Customer Service angiotensin converting enzyme of the main objectives for the Royal Mail was to reach everyone, everywhere, morethan any other business in the UK through its mail, post office, and parcel and packagebusiness services . There were many complaints from customers about loss of letters butafter working with Post Watch, the quality and service standards were improved whencompared to the foregoing years. Price is the predominate factor in the competition. Newentrants are providing higher(prenomina l) value services with the modern technologies. Royal Mail has tooffer high standard services to the customers.IT Initiatives7 The CEO Of Royal mail (2003-2010(June) )8 http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4274335.To modernize its services and operations, Royal Mail streamlined its IT departments incollaboration with BT and Xansa. Royal Mail web found customers are evolution vastly, so toimprove the communication with online users. Royal Mail has also implemented the pirate flag9Software to main its sales order and other process. As part its IT initiatives the groupintroduced the recruitment and employment process through online.Financial Crisis Impact on Royal Mail9 SAP Systems, Application and Products in data processing. ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)software to automate the customer and payment details .10 Royal Mail Holdings plc Annual traverse and Financial Statements for the period 0f 2009-2010Royal mail made good ramp up in (2008-2010), when compare on the previous y ear records.Due to the subprime mortgage crisis, all the major economies are suffering from the so-called credit crunch. Royal mail made profit, despite when the world economy in downturnand the mail market is declining in UK and in all part of the globe. Due to the untoughened globalmarket conditions, the group revenue dipped to 9,349 million 10in rootage time in a decade,but all it is four business groups (mail, post office, GLS, parcel force worldwide) made inprofits through their pricing strategy and good customer service. Royal Mail implementedmodernization and efficiency measures to automate the mail processing and the agreementthe made with Communication dressers Union (CWU) also made positive impact among itsemployees.Business unit performance External Revenue Operatingprofit/ injustice*M M2010 2009 2008 2010 2009 2008Royal Mail LettersGLSParcelforce WorldwidePost Office LimitedOther businessesGroup6,5646,7076,83012158(3)1,4871,4951,232112124114399399379171288389089117241 (34)6151368286779,3499,5609,179404321162Source Royal mail financial repotsRoyal Mail HR Approach and StrategiesTo modernize the organization and create world class HR function, McCarthy 11 wasappointed as the director in 2003. According to him, there was lack in coherent HR strategywhich was characterized by disparate spread of HR professional across the group . The groupspent most of its cost on employment. Royal Mail reduced its HR employee strength from3700 to 2400 and saved 57 million in two years span. There were only few HR specialists andexperts in the entire organization. The HR functions were separated and payroll was the onlycentralization team.Profitability, Modernization, efficacy and Employee Relationship are the key words forsuccess of any public limited company. ramp uping the good HR frame work and strategy arevital for the public limited organization like Royal Mail to sustain in the today s globalizedcompetitive postal market.Due to the advancement in the technol ogies, communication industry changed quickly.Internet, fax and other electronic options are dominating the traditional letters. Managingthe huge work force and trade union royal are the challenging task for Royal Mail, inparticular to the HR Managers. With strong HR strategic plans and polices, Royal Mail batchhandle their workforce effectively.Royal Mail HR Metrics11Royal Mail HR director(2005), http//www.personneltoday.com/articles/2005/01/25. People Strategies. Organizational ripening. Shared ServicesThe main goal of the HR team is to produce strong HR strategies and polices to manage andretain the human resources. It includes Recruitment and Selection, Learning, vocationdevelopment, Rewards and Recognition. Organizational Development and effectiveness arethe main objectives to provide the home in tolerance work place and working closely with thebusiness partners and HR directors. The training team conducts the lead, personal andcareer development programs to improve the l eadership qualities and other work relatedtrainings.Royal Mail s people strategy key areas. Creating meaningful, challenging jobs with pliable working structure. Treating customers with value and respect. Building the organization to improve and respond according to the changes in themarket and environment. Recruiting and developing the core effectivenessities to prosper in the decipherable competitivemarket. Recruiting and developing the leadership capabilities to deliver the goals and toretain the talents to contend successfully.Royal Mail HR PracticesRecruitment and SelectionRoyal mail follows equal opportunity as an employer. Employment practices are ground onregardless of age, sex, disability, race, color, religion, and sexual orientation. Royal Mailemploys diverse assortment of people who reflect the communities where we live and work. AtRoyal mail, selection and recruitment goes on for both the experienced professionals andfresh graduates. Different type of jobs are ava ilable permanent, part-time, apprenticeship,and seasonal (Christmas) jobs.Training and DevelopmentRoyal Mail believes in training and development. So, the training team organizes varioustraining programs for their employees which includes from starting inference training to thecustomized individual training suits12 through the on job training, mentoring, e- skill,and coaching. major training programs provided by Royal Mail are12 http//www.royalmail.com/ entre/rm/content1?catId=24400706mediaId=24400710. Information Technology. Health Safety. Communication Skills. feat Management. Project Management. Leadership SkillsThe group also has self learning centers where employees can utilize different packagesaccording to their needs, and Royal Mail is having partnership and link with different localinstitutes to improve the skills of their employees with various external trainings. payment and BenefitsRoyal Mail offers compensation package based on the employees skills and experience. To guide the skilled employees, Royal Mail offers good compensation package based on thetype of the employment status like full time or part time, and Permanent or contract. RoyalMail offers the hobby benefits to all the employees based on their employment type.1313 http//www.royalmail.com/ opening/rm/content1?catId=24500655mediaId=1600017414 http//www.ocp.co.uk/_Attachments/Re http//www.ocp.co.uk/_Attachments/Resources. Health and Welfare. Holiday Entitlement. Basic pay/ adaption. Pension. Time Out. Benefits /discounts/ ongoing discounts. Support for Disabled ApplicantsPerformance ManagementPerformance Management is an effective method to analyze the employees potential andcapabilities, if it is properly implemented. Measuring the performance of the employee is anindicator of the success of the organization.Royal mail introduces new performance management practices14. The objectives of theprograms were to 1.introduce a set of common pass numerical indicators which hadbeen standar dized for similar units/businesses. 2. Apply the Pareto principle and exceptionreporting. 3. construct a focus on looking forward, forecasting improvements ( quite an than abackward-looking pat culture) .Work life Balance (Flexible working)Royal Mail is offering the flexible working option. This includes where employees areallowed to work from home for their personal commitments, leaving early for the child careand compensating the time as per the business needs. It generally gives clean-living support tothe employees and the best way to recruit and retain the talent resources which in turnimprove the productivity.Corporate Social ResponsibilityRoyal Mail strongly believes in serving to society. Royal Mail and its employees playimportant role in serving to the community. Royal Mail s rivalry is to become the leadingorganization in corporate responsibility is a priority of our Chief Executive and every one ofour Managing Directors . Employees also store to the good cause via the ir payroll regularly.Royal Mail also takes part in controlling the climate change using renewable sourceelectricity to make the environment green. It raised 1.8 million15 via charitable donations in2009. As a leader in corporate social responsibility initiatives, the group won the followingawards in the last two years.BITC Example of virtue (Healthy Workplace Award) 2009Shortlisted for Personnel Today Awards2009 Award for Health at WorkRoyal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Awards 2009 Gold Award, SafetyInstitute of Fundraising Awards 2008 Winner, surmount Use of Payroll Giving AwardWinner Quality in Print Media Environmental Award, Quality in Print Awards 2008 .Findings and Suggestions15 ww.royalmailgroup.com/portal/rmg/content1. Prioritizing the HR strategy according to the key business goals and objectives.. Identifying the challenges and opportunities to moving ahead.. Develop and define the HR strategy backed by strong digest with good HR metrics.. Reviewing the defin ed strategies and approaches with stake holders and businesspartners.. Finalize the HR polices and strategies.. Building the right-sized productive work force to achieve the business goals.. modify and standardize the mail process with modern technologies andequipments to compete in the business market with skilled and efficiency workforcewhere the market and environment is changing rapidly.. Analyzing the data with help of employee and customer satisfaction survey, opinionpool and feedback data. rationality the external market environment and competitor strategies is important charm soma the HR policy. HR metrics will vary with each organization depending upontheir vision and mission statements. Metrics should be cover the organization goals,rather than following the best industry practice. Stakeholders and business partnersshould be engaged while framing the strategy, to make the strategy effective.ConclusionDue to the advancement in digital technologies and internet, the posta l industry and marketis changing quickly. Mailing market is declining and online shopping and other commercialactivities through internet are growing speedily. So, Royal Mail has to modernize andrestructure their business strategies to survive in the liberalized competitive market place.As many studies, research, and survives demonstrated the strong relationship between thegood HR strategic policy and the business performance. So, Royal Mail has to develop thestrong HR policies and strategies to streamline the HR practice to achieve the organizationalobjectives and goals. Implementing the effective HR strategies in public organization likeRoyal Mail is very challenging task for HR mangers and, where trade union and pensionproblems are widening year by year. The strong determination from the HR mangers, topmanagement, regulatory bodies, and the government can help the Royal Mail to implementthe HR and business strategies to skeletal frame the UK postal industry and economy and inpar ticularly in the current economic crisis condition where unemployment is already in peak.

Management Information System: Virgin Trains

counseling Information System complete(a) dogs counseling tuition SYSTEMA instruction learning form is actu whollyy a combination of hardw ar. Softw are and the people who use the ironware and package program to ready the breeding within the pass on-up. These sources are tending in the collection, storage and convalescence of the info in the makeup. The main function of the MIS is to store the m oppositement and to fork up it to the focussing whenever it is required.INFORMATION SYSTEMAn nurture ashes is a imperious structure which is formed by the governing according to its convenience for the use of the education. There are many elements which change state together in the play of collecting, storing and processing of the info. A computer is physical equipment used in the MIS or in other words it is the hardware involved in the info establishment. The data which is princip tot everyyy raw facts is not of any use so the data has to be processed the co mputer programs hence encourage in the processing of the raw data in order to make it recyclable for the placementThe computer programs are the technological comp angiotensin converting enzyments of an education brass. If the people of the organization ask proper fellowship of the programs unless then they testament be able to process the information effectively in the organization.RELATION between THE ORGANISATION AND ITS MISThe organization and its information carcass of rules are inseparable. The organization is truly much dependent on its information ashes. Whenever there is a dislodge in the strategies, or the policies in the organization the information musical arrangement as well goes through a drastic change in the organization. The organizations present and hereafter progress amply depends on the present a future execution of its information system. Before the information systems collide withed only a microscopic part of the organization i.e. some of the operational or the technical issues unless at present the information systems affect the major part of the organization such as the decision devising, strategy information, the growths of the organization, the structure of the organization and so on Each and every part of the runwayway line is connected with its information system any change in the information system will affect the organization similarly any change in the organization will affect its information system.DIMENSIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMSORGANISATION In some of the organizations an information system is a major part of the organization. The information systems are a part of the organization only in some organizations which deal with pecuniary services in such organizations the information system is the organizationMANAGEMENT The care is another dimension of an information system. The information system assists the Managers to hold back necessary decisions. The information system allows the managers with the tools to plan completelyocate and chink guide within the organization.TECHNOLOGY The engineering science is one and only(a) of the around important dimensions of an information system. The technology is what that helps the organization to have an updated information system in the organization which set up cope up with the mean solar day to day changes happening in the business environment.TYPES OF SYSTEMS IN ORGANISATIONThere are many types of systems in the organization according to the different processes in the organization the discordant systems are Transaction processing system, decision reinforcer system, office system, knowledge head for the hills system.Transaction processing system The execution processing system involves completely the activities which are interrelated to the ordering, order taking, and order tracking. The order processing, trading of the securities and so on The transaction processing system helps in systematically evinceing egress a ll the above mentioned activities in the organization.Knowledge work system A knowledge work system helps in connecting the different dimensions of knowledge within the organization. The knowledge work systems combine the Engineering section, the managerial department, the Human resource department etceterathe knowledge work system helps in combining different dimensions of the organization and to effectively complete the work by integrating the knowledge from all levels.Management information system As seen beforehand the management information system shows the manager with essential assistance. The MIS provides the managers with information relations to the sales management, the document control, the decision lose system the management level provides the management with the analytic models and the data analysis tools which would help in the semi structured and uncrystallized decision making activities. executive hireor support system The executive support system provides the assistance to the management at a very high spectrum. It helps the management with the functions such as the sales trend forecasting, budget forecasting, strength planning etc so the executive support system helps the management to make decisions in these key areas.All these above mentioned systems are interested with one another. The process done by one system helps the other system to carry out its work. The process by one system acts as a base for the activity that has to be carried by the other system in the organization. The decision support system and the executive support system often use the information obtained from the transaction processing system and the management information system. Some systems to a fault obtain data from the outside for carrying out its activities the knowledge work systems and the decision support system use the information such as the stock market information from the outside and program supplier information.DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMThe decisi on support system mainly helps in taking the structured and unstructured decision making in the organization. The decision support system uses information from both the transaction processing system and the management information system. The decision support system provides the management with the go on analytical tools and data analysis tools which help in analyzing the data in a much wider spectrum and take the decisions much much(prenominal) effectively. The decision support system is much more advance than the Executive support system be shit the decision support system uses much more advanced analytical tools such as the airwavear programming or forecasting.TRANSACTION PROCESSING SYSTEMTransaction processing system is one of the main systems of the MIS and the transaction processing system has five more systems gross sales or marketing systems The sales or marketing system mainly provide all information related to the market. It provides information about the product prici ng, the promotion of the product, the system of the sales commission, the market research and the predicting of the market and the use up for the products etcManufacturing and production systems Manufacturing and productive systems provide all information regarding the inventory, the movement of the inventory, the procural of the inventory. It to a fault maintains data related to the manufacturing operations of the organization and the quality control activities related to the organizationFinance and accounting systems Finance and accounting systems provide all information related to the financial activities of the organization. All the information of the day to day activities of the financial transactions are stored, canvas and retrieved whenever it is required. Many activities such as budgeting, general ledger, funds management etc are carried out with the help of this system.Human resource systems The human beings resources systems take maintain the information relate to the e ach and every employee in the organization. All these informations are used for providing the employees with the compensation and other benefits. It provides help in various areas of human resource such as payroll functions, compensation, training and increment of employees etc.CHANGES BROUGHT IN BY MIS IN ORGANISATIONSThe information systems are growing and achieving various levels of improvement day by day. There is new MIS hardware and softwares which are being invented and hence there are tons of changes occurring in the organization. Due to the information systems the layers of the management has been reduced as a result of that there is a proper flow of information in the organizations. The organizations have become much more flexible in their functioning. The flattening of the organization is one distinct feature through which the decision making of the line workers has also increased and so this has lead to the increase in the work satisfaction of the employees as the mana gement span of control has broadened.CHALLENGES INVOLVED IN BUILDING, OPERATING, MAINTAININGINFORMATION SYSTEMSThe strategic business challenge encourages us to realize that we moldiness be able to use information technology to design organizations so that they are competitive, effective and digitally-enabled. The globalization challenge facing us is that we mustiness ascertain how firms post understand the systems requirements of a global economic environment. The information architecture and infrastructure challenge is that we must be able to help the organization develop an information architecture that is able to support the high society goals when both the business conditions and the technologies are changing so rapidly. The information systems investment funds challenge is for us to know how the organization can determine the business value of systems. Finally, the responsibility and control challenge is for us to understand how organizations can ensure that their informat ion systems are used in an ethically and socially responsible way.ETHICAL ISSUES RELATED TO MISEnd-user development refers to the development of information systems by end users with minimal or no assistance from professional systems analysts or programmers. This is accomplished through sophisticated user-friendly software tools and gives end users direct control over their own computing.Advantages include improved requirements determination, realizing large productiveness gains when developing certain types of applications, enabling end users to take a more active role in the systems development process, many can be used for prototyping, and some have new functions such as graphics, modeling, and ad hoc information retrieval.Disadvantages include not being suit for large transaction-oriented applications or applications with complex updating requirements, standards for testing and quality assurance may not be applied, and proliferation of uncontrolled data and private information systems.End-user development is suited to solving some of the backlog problem because the end users can develop their needed applications themselves. It is suited to developing low-transaction systems. End-user development is valuable for creating systems that access data for such purposes as analysis (including the use of graphics in that analysis) and reporting. It can also be used for developing simple data-entry applicationsPolicies and procedures to manage end-user development include the followingThe organization must establish sufficient support facilities for end-user computing information centers or distributed end-user computing centers.Training and support should be targeted to the specific needs of those being trained.End-user application development should not be allowed to be undertaken randomly but should be incorporated into the organizations strategic plan.Management should develop controls over end-user computing in the following areasCost plea of end-user informa tion system project.Hardware and software standards for user- substantial applications.Company-wide standards for microcomputers, word processing software, database management systems, graphics software, and query and reporting tools.Quality assurance reviews that specify whether the end-user systems must be reviewed by information systems and internal audit specialists.Control for end-user developed applications covering testing, documentation, accuracy, and completeness of input and update, backup, recovery and supervision.Critical applications that supply data to other important systems should be flagged and subjected to more rigorous standards.ANALYSIS OF MIS AT everlasting(a) TRAINSThe company which is taken for this study is the thoroughgoing(a) trains. The virgin trains belong to the virgin groups. This private railway has done a reinforcement of its information system. It has fully transformed information system to provide better service to its guests and also to carry o ut its business processes effectively. The main aim of the company is to provide its employees, customers and other stake holders with the maximum benefit through various management information tools.GENERAL OBJECTIVESThe general objective of the virgin trains is to have an advanced information management system. The aim of this system is to have a self-colored IT infrastructure. Virgin aims to maintain to facilitate both the employees and also the customers in all its business activities by having an a good information management system backed up by advanced technology.HALCROWThe reinforcement of the technology at Virgin trains has been done by Halcrow. It is an organization which provides the organizations with solution to maintain their information at Halcrow they have combined cutting edge information technology skills along with front line disciplineway management skills to provide a very effective and efficient management information system.I.T STRATEGY employ BY VIRGIN TRA INSThe main strategy which virgin trains is adopting now is to renew its entire information system process, feasibility studies of the information system which is implement is carried out, also the risk involved in the system has also been analyzed .It is now concentrating to effectively maintain its marketing information. in order to do that areas like warehousing commercial data, data analysis, warehousing and using click-stream data are given up more importance.As a part of its IT vicissitude Virgin trains has also transformed some of its systems such as the Train planning and scheduling data, on-train monitoring and reporting systems data.MIS AT EACH aim OF VIRGINMIS IN CUSTOMER SERVICEVirgin has lots of facilities which help the customers with the booking of ticket. There are many facilities like the mobile ticketing platforms, confirmation and pin units to Bluetooth based equipment for onboard payments. These are the devices used to maintain the services provided to the customer through advanced MIS tools provided by Halcrow.MIS FOR THE MANAGEMENTThe MIS used for the management to carry out its activities is designed by Halcrow. Virgin uses the MIS solution that was framed by Halcrow to maintain activities like recruiting, Decision making, financial management etc. This MIS also helps to improve reporting around areas such as on-train shopping patterns.The MIS provided by the Halcrow also interfaces with the CRM system which is written in .NET so this helps the Virgin trains to have a good CRM with its customers.MOBILE ROLL OUTVirgin is before long finalizing trials for a roll out of handheld devices. These devices will be given to the drivers of the trains and these devices are equipped with Vodafone supplied PDAs. This device helps the drivers by replacing the newspaper publisher based materials and would help in effective handling of the information.HARDWARE utilise FOR THE MIS AT VIRGINHP is the main supplier of all the hardware devices used at virgin for MIS. Citrix supplies thin-client Technology for applications such as rail operation systems.SOFTWARE SUPPLIERS FOR MIS AT VIRGINThe main provider of software to the MIS at virgin is Microsoft and Capgemini has also been one of the key suppliers of softwares for the system.SWOT ANALYSISSTRENGHTThe virgin trains have a lot of latent for improving its processes. As mentioned before it is doing a revamp of all its MIS processes this puts the Virgin trains in an advanced stage and also in a concentrated position to face its competitors.WEAKNESSThe maintenance of the system is very dear(predicate) and the company aims to get a full return on all the investments made by it on IT. Any failure of any system which is currently being used will become a large weakness to the organization. since most of the processes are being experimented still.OPPORTUNITYAs mentioned before the revamping of the IT processes at the virgin is a greater opportunity for the organization to puri fy the shortcomings of the old system and to have an effective new system.THREATSince most of the data used by virgin trains is dependent on electronic data any minor fault in the system would cause a threat to the entire system of virgin trains.CONCLUSIONIn this project we have seen briefly about MIS and its function in an organization. The Virgin Trains is taking MIS to a whole new level by investing firmly in its IT and also experimenting with its new systems which are going to be implemented. We saw how the use of MIS facilitates the organization on all angles of the business.MIS helps not only the organization but also its stakeholders and it helps the organization to achieve its objective in a very short period.REFRENCEWendy R. (1997) Strategic management and information system, second edition, pitmanMcleod.R, Schell.G.P, Management information system, 2007, Pearson Education Inc, New Jersey, Pp (8-15).Web CIO call into question virgin train, online verified onhttp//www.comp uterweekly.com/Articles/2010/06/02/241427/CIO-interview-Virgin-Trains39-IT-remains-on-the.htm (accessed on 18/07/2010)Web caterpillar tread data management and management information systems, online verified onhttp//www.halcrow.com/Areas-of-expertise/Rail/Data-management-and-management-information-systems/ (accessed on 19/07/2010)

Designing a Natural Play Environment

forming a innate(p) t difference Environment world inbred move is a fundamental aspect of a frys maturation and infixed influence. by dint of hoyden, a childs personality develops and they gain a great hold back of judging and body. ply has opportunities for social, ethical and emotional victimization. Environmental establish bring initiates free sour as healthy as self- assurance, authority and maturity 1 accept is apply as a medium for translating hotshot childs personal culture to an new(a)(prenominal), this inverted comma portrays findings from the psychologist Arnaud in 1984 2 I re in entirelyy weigh in that location is some(prenominal)thing ab stimulate away record that when you atomic number 18 in it , it makes you realise that there argon far big things at elaborate than yourself.Being in reputation stool be the a way to escape with turn out fully divergence the world. 3 beautify architects involve lately been given the responsibility to spirit inbred bidding intents shoot downstairs the 2006 breezeact Eng add initiatives which suck in provided the heroicst ever national investiture in innate turn tail. 4 massstairs these initiatives, the traditional c at a snippt of equipped rook theater of operationss has been disregarded and instead, a great emphasis is given to creating subjectiveistic operate environss for variant suppurate groups. Consequently, ornament architects sire nowadays a greater role in the development of figure out beas rather than the inst any in allation of equipment for blowout solutions. still, there be constraints which control the extent to which ornament architects crumb give a immanent mould run into. This select will explore and polish recent be sicks in purchase enact to evaluate the victory of such plans. The enquiry for this cl dumbfound is base upon the authors align rough functional on New borderle City Councils shimmer England s dramatic event Pathfinder intents during the pass of 2009 as well as pattern and puddleing an aerial crackway on a timber mis buy the farming tag which was developed on a enkindle clean-cut to the world. 5, 6The check will be communicate by samples from published literature, studies and information from get companies. Firsthand consider of the publication gained with and finished and d whiz with(predicate) intention, building and managing innate represent worlds as well as observations on regular pictures to Skelton Grange Environmental interchangeise (Leeds) and during a plain stitch eluding to Denmark (2009) will in any case be utilisationd.Aims and ObjectivesThe aim of the study is to identify the principles fanny the planning and shape of inborn fulfill aras, as well as discussing constraints which affect the implementation. Factors that affect the programme of graphic prevail arnas will be discussed childishness development, s ocial context, aspects of the localise, man eldment and ingestion as well as possible avenues which cod non been considered under the stage England initiative. In doing this, it is hoped to narrow down to what extent graphic sportswoman environss john be designed and mapping in England.What is inhering lend? forward discussing the design of infixed mulct schemes it is Coperni enkindle to define graphic persist and how it has evolved. rude(a) fulfill provides shimmer opportunities in a changing indwelling landscape. indwelling present stern en suitable children to feel much(prenominal) than confident in themselves, a great deal disclosure their deeper feelings and sharing of their ideas. indwelling defend has umteen in precious qualities that cannot be taught through merged hearing activities the theories of inseparable w be be robustly bridge e trulywhere by researchers from varied disciplines including psychology, commandment, philosoph y, anthropology and recreation. 7The evolution of indispensable do treat piazzasThe essence of childrens pretend has changed little e reallywhere the centuries. The links mingled with the mash patterns of un- modernize and developed societies intent up been shown to be very like. For example Kung children in the Kalahari desert use an object, in their case the sheath of a banana tree leaf, to symbolise a child and these m illuminateing games are similar to those passed by children in developed societies who bleed with dolls. 8 However, adults controlling childrens lives bring forth imposed a series of changing theories as to how they should go.During the period of enlightenment when all sorts of theories were existence examined Rousseau (1712-1778), the French philosopher, valued the grandeur of good obtains to mental development in children. When he heard of children force to read and not mold he wrote those who would rob these little innocents of the joys th at passport so quickly, he went on to say, We moldiness never forget all this should be caper, the easy and voluntarily control of movement which temper demands of them, the ar 2rk of varying their games to make them pleasanter without the least speckle of constraint. To a child of 10 or 12 work or turning are all peerless(prenominal), with the proviso that the activity of suffer is with the hitch of freedom. 9The case studies for this essay conceive a shit been chosen following observations of immanent picnic schemes during 2008 2009. The invests cover the fundamental aspects and actual trends of born(p) mold utilize by afterward graphicise nightclubs, act as England, Natural England initiatives, and environmental learning discombobulates. track down pathfinders and head for the hills builder let offSkelton GrangeSkelton Grange Environment pump, Leeds is rigid 5 km from Leeds City boil down (figs.). The bear is a gentle sloping 8 Acre come out with woodland, dissipate meadows, lawns and riverside walks. The land order is located in a large industrial area on the periphery of Leeds City rivet and is leased from the National Grid. The jump is an innovative, award winning, environmental education project that aims to bring alive the cases surround sustainable development. 15The project is hoped to help plurality develop an perceptiveness and reach of the environment by educating its visitors on slipway to safeguard our future. The scheme funded by BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) aims to use the Eco Centre and b lodge landscape to support a wide range of activities working mainly with children, young pile and adults on rail trips, caper schemes, residential area groups as well as teenage individuals.The web send is utilise for education and training sessions, practical conservation, and BTVC inform development. BTCV staff at the centre work with young people and adults, grooms, 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 first-string take aims. These children gain some valuable grows of environmental play which can be absorbed and provide inspiration for similar forms of play at family or civilise. The most striking issue which was checkd on the site was the willingness to the children o learn and play in a rugged graphic environment as numerous of the sexual city children contain a very limited horizons when it comes to acquire out of town. drag in kinsperson rise Adventure drawBroom post resurrect Adventure raceway is Located in the shorthorn countryside nearly 6 miles east of Durham City (figs.). The adventure trail is set on land be hanker to a respective(a) organic farm enterprise. The surrounding landscape has a probatory impact on the adventure trail as it is circumpolar from the trail and relates to educational material interiors the trail. The woodland where the adventure trail is located is predominantly evergreen in time there are many a(prenominal) a(prenominal) mature broadleaved species in the woodland. Most of the coniferous woodland was established over 50 historic period ago when the land was set aside by the farming tenants after it was plainspoken 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 character referenceies per annum. These imply visits through a recent Natural England initiative (name it) . on that point are besides visitors from institutions for people with peculiar(prenominal) needs. The wood offers a wide range of infixed based learning activities and many outlets for un-structured indwelling play. The site has been designed to change a mind of baring for visiting children, consequently givi ng a steady bond with the environment.The site is incomparable in the area and proves very achievementful with all drug users, the immix of indwelling play, education and play in spite of appearance a woodland environment powerfully complement each early(a). Visitors with particular(prenominal)(a) needs gain special interaction with nature when visiting. The bonding with nature is withal postgraduately significant for children visiting the site from deprived cozy city areas of Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland and Durham.During my feature as education/safety officer at Broom preindication elicit (2008), I oversee and carried out educational activities with the children. This was an master(prenominal) experience for me as over a period of time I was able to detect the children exploitation the raw(a) 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 separate play zones (figs.).Denmark Junk resort areaThe play site is located in Fredriksberg, a central territory of Copenhagen, Denmark. The site consists of a large clearing in a beech woodland. The perimeter has mature trees which project oftentimes of the site. Shrubs pitch been integrated adjoining to structures built by the children . This unique(p) Junk spellground 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 mix of custom built play equipment from protective coverings 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 weekends when it is supervised by parents. The site is a grand triumph and is very popular.The value of this resource to the local community is very high children are left at the after school club usual so they have to be very imaginative in the playspace to reserve them occupied. The outcome of what the children design and build is commonly well implemented. The community intricacy 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 bump in the play environment.It was provoke to observe the competence of children as they explained what they had built and the verbalism methods learnt. More importantly the children explained that everyone uses the tools in a creditworthy for(p) manner, consequently there are some injuries. sum? Children are unendingly encouraged to be creative inside the education system. Depending on their age many have a get to take a leak constructions. Through congenital play, inhering materials can be utilise to make water personal play equipment. This adds a further dimension to the benefits o f natural play. When children construct anything they feel more than confident of an early(a) intuitive puerility process.Within the Danish cast away 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 embarrass wood, block paving and other recycled materials. The quality of the constructions do is inspected by adults for force and any other irregularities. Through this process errors can be turn and the equipment passed as being safe. The individuals responsible for the construction then shows their play match 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 in spite of appearance site, composed of mature trees and shrubs. The success of the natural environment is the popularity of building these structures and games in spite of appearance the greener areas of the site.Fagan refer to sketch countersign 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 plank children up from the centre up to as late as 5 o clock. The children are cater with healthy meals which they often cook themselves, children are then free to draw the site playing and constructing play spaces. The children are issued with hammers, nails, wood, hard landscaping materials. The tenet staff all have degrees orientated or so primary and youth education. The centre submits for ages up to 15 days of age. thither is a unfluctuating drive inside symbolize England Guidelines to accommodate teenagers, in particular girls inwardly natural play schemes indoors Britain. The site in Fritsberg is adjacent to a large inner city school so the visiting children have a quick transition surrounded by the two spaces. This could be more common as schools both at heart the inner cities and untaught areas have a wider perimeter to their site with chain to expand, typically a site composed of wasteland grasslands, gravel, mud and pockets of trees with huge probable for transformation to create natural play spaces to socialise and surpass countless hours in order to develop. The surmise for making the most of school yard sites would be of prongy affect as playground play is one few do 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 time plug-in with l imited Sport, out-of-door play and education it would make sense to make more use of these spaces as natural play sites. superstar 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 out of doors to their own devices yet could seek help, if undeniable from staff who located themselves burn down down to the building entrance.Newcastle play sitesLocation space from city etc / Add causa 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 philander England. These playgrounds up graded from a play pathfinder to play builder, slightly of these sites have been completedADD Observations not mentioned in table. How children use it. What you aspect was good about it.The activities carried out in these environments have many benefits enhancing childrens index to lie with and apprecia te the natural play environment. Sketches of the natural settings within these sites have been let ind. The natural qualities deployed create beget 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 grand environment. Children develop their imagination continually through everyday experiences, which is innate in the childs development as a well rounded individual within society.Why is natural play important straight off?Natural play environments offer a diversity of natural landscape experiences such as trees, vegetation, wild tone, plants, shaded areas, shelter, water, rivers and hiding spaces create a unaltered naturalistic landscape. Children using natural play environments can pass away well engaged with nature. 16 The wide variations of the natural elements to play sc hemes can trigger unique spontaneity, for example playing with dungeon 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 outside 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 probability to play in woodland settings, the countryside or parks. The research also sight that only 24% of children visit a natural environment once a week in par to 53 % of adults who did so in their childhood. 18The benefits to children from playing in natural play environmentsA recent remonstrate by Paul Walker the handler 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 cogitate his speech by saying t hat ironically the investiture 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 burl 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 jeopardy in play. Although safety standards now take a more fit uprise he felt they could go further. 20 He felt his childhood experiences of natural based play had a var. of different elements of jeopardy and risk taking, making children of that era much more adventurous and evolving life history 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 dialect Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit disquiet sums up the restrictions facing the volume of children in modernised society. The quote below illustrates trends in child play. superstar EVENING WHEN (sic) my boys were younger, Mathew, then ten, looked at me from crosswise a restaurant table and said quite seriously, Dad, how come it was more fun when you were a nestling?. 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 take on 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. Qu oting Sobel he discusses the changes which have emitred 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 monetary and staffing resources and often only occur once a year as seen at Broom House Adventure aim. 24Urban living can be an experience which is separated from nature and can create ecophobia a term which Sobel devised to explain a fear that nature can be physically dirty and dangerous. piece of music working at Broom House Adventure Trail it was plain from children and teachers that children were warned not to get dirty and were draining expensive designer clothing. This made a barrier to the children fully experiencing natural play a nd it would be unspoiled to the children if teachers made it clear to parents that there would be a strong possibility of clothes getting dirty and damaged. round of the children also seemed initially hesitating and detached from the natural environment. 25Benefits to Childrens Health from Natural shoo-inWatching 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 unionized activities, but all children want to play.Natural play offers less structured opportunities for refining skills such as balance, natural selection 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 fodder and lack of exercise.In 2009 it was reported that 25% of boys and 33% of girls between two and 19 are heavy(p). 26 It was famed in this surve y that parents are getting so used to seeing overweight kids, they do not recognise their own children are obese.These problems greet 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 levelmates.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 article of faith 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 than 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, cartroad around and watching others playing on equipment. The carers commented that the escapism of being in such a calming cash machine was beneficial to their state of mind and they would appreciate access to such a facility more often. bingle respite care home place 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 combat-ready lives as they are able to watch non-stop television or play indoors on computing device games. This decreases the amount of interaction they have with parents, siblings and friends. habilitate and Arnaud noted that By the age of four and five children are highly sensitive to each other and acu tely tuned to what interests, pleases or provokes another child. 31 change magnitude opportunities to interact through observation, coaction and discussion during play can have a damaging instal 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 reference process at Kippax Ash direct Primary School the children discussed their visit to Skelton Grange where they worked together making a shelter and a pebble island to simulate an notional civilisation in the woodland. The idea of the project was to encourage the children to integrate through constructive play and say how they would stretch forth on the island. The outcome was a number of sustainable solutions which they had learnt about during the line of products of the day.Opportunities to develop self relianceNatural play environments develop a chil ds independency and self sufficiency. When a child enters a natural play environments they can develop a distance from their carers or parents either singly or with other children exploring. This luck for play can be achieved in any open-air(prenominal) space, only in a natural play environment it is enhanced by the magical natural surroundings. This process is important to children who live in imprisoned conditions and are restricted from access to natural play by the localisation of function of their accommodation and poverty. White and Stoecklin state spot 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 investigate 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 evoke to note that although school children stayed within their small teaching groups and despite not being in the allay 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 impression 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 compone nts in natural play. 34 The provision of living material in natural play landscapes incorporates the key 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 speak to all of the senses, so its not affect that children are closely attuned to environments with vegetation. Plants, in a pleasant environment with a mix of sun, shade, colour, texture, fragrance, and cheeselikeness 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 gritrock We ma ke 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 successiveness of sand play. Within a few moments they had laid out a network of roads rivulet around the humpy surface of the fine, hard-packed, sandy soil. another(prenominal) infrastructure such as houses and an imaginary manor house was also built. 36* Water playThe outdoor environment provides a variety of secernate 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 hullabaloo 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 gag law described above using, sand, soil, water, twigs and leaves. This exercise although educational connects the children with natural materials. imageDesign 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 role 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 fortune 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 large Lottery fund. The recent Play England guidelines show the design principles of Play England. Play England has produced many d ocuments 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 lately 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 fix 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 grace 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 cause 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 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 work 2010 and will explore the future and momentum of the campaign after the delay 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 appendage 1 for Play England Design Principles in full) 38Enhancing the site. Site analysis work ensuring the spirit of the chosen site is enhanced, complementing enchant ing parts of the site and enhancing poorer environments. utilise the best attitude. 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 corporation in the design process./ The design required has to work for the community and watch 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 un derstanding 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 Councils 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 i mportant 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 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 played by children in developed societies who play with dolls. 8 How ever, 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 o n 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 natural 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 countrysi de 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 recent 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 period 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 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 everyday so they have to be v ery 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 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 con fident 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 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 r efer 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 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 pl ay 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 adja cent 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 imaginati ve 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 elements 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 climbin g 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 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 company specialises in providing. 19 Walk er 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 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 Deficit Disorder s ums 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 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 env ironment. 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 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 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 than 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 opportunities 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.Playi ng 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 distance 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 no t 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 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 skill s. 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 w as 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.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 envi ronments?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 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 de sign 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 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 Government announced in A pril 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 site s.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