House Of Play + Education
Charity 1147981
www.facebook.com/playisserious
Overview
Summary
House Of Play + Education appears to be a family-facing, play-based support organisation that uses out-of-school activities as a route to both children’s recreation and wider caregiver support. Its role seems broader than a holiday activity provider: by offering stay-and-play sessions and support to carers, it may create an accessible local setting where children, including disabled children and young people, and their families can participate together. The available evidence suggests a preventative, relationship-based model, but gives little detail about scale, partnerships or outcomes.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Acocks Green
Confidence: medium
The Charity Commission identifies Acocks Green Christian Centre in Acocks Green as the charity's registered address. A recent Birmingham health-inequalities report also describes House of Play + Education as located in Acocks Green. The Charity Commission confirms that it provides services in Birmingham City, but neither source provides a current timetable or explicitly confirms that the registered address is an active delivery venue rather than a correspondence address.
- Charity Commission for England and Wales, House of Play + Education charity record (1147981), contact information
Lists the charity's address as Acocks Green Christian Centre in Acocks Green, Birmingham. - Aston University, Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Citizens UK and partners, Health inequalities in Birmingham report
States that a representative from House of Play + Education, 'located in Acocks Green', attended a community sandpit event and made connections with other organisations. - Charity Commission for England and Wales, House of Play + Education charity record (1147981), what/who/how/where
Records that the charity provides services and operates in Birmingham City; its stated activities include family stay-and-play sessions, school-holiday activities and support for carers and families.
Remaining uncertainties
- There is no accessible current service timetable, programme page or recent annual report identifying where individual sessions are delivered.
- The Acocks Green Christian Centre address is direct evidence of the charity's registered location, but available evidence does not conclusively establish it as its current delivery site.
- The Charity Commission's declaration that the charity operates in Birmingham City supports its stated Birmingham City scope, but does not demonstrate citywide delivery. The available location-specific evidence instead points to a neighbourhood-based identity centred on Acocks Green.
- The Aston University report records networking with organisations from other parts of Birmingham, but does not evidence ongoing delivery partnerships or services outside Acocks Green.
- The Charity Commission record shows zero income and expenditure for the year ended 31 March 2024 and overdue subsequent reporting, so current service activity cannot be confirmed with high confidence.
Additional evidence needed
- A current programme, session timetable or social-media posts naming delivery venues and dates.
- Confirmation from the organisation or Acocks Green Christian Centre of whether services are currently delivered there.
- The overdue trustees' annual reports or annual returns for financial years ending 31 March 2024 and 31 March 2025.
- Evidence of any active commissioned work or formal delivery partnerships that operate beyond Acocks Green.
Areas of work
- Economic/community Development/employment
- General Charitable Purposes
- Recreation
Who they help
- Children/young People
- People With Disabilities
How they help
- Provides Services
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
Play appears to be the organisation’s route into family support
The organisation may use play activities as a practical, low-barrier way to engage whole families, while also providing support to carers. This suggests that recreation is not only an end in itself but a setting for connection and informal support.
Why it matters
This distinguishes the organisation from a conventional childcare or activity provider and points to a possible role in strengthening family wellbeing and local support networks.
Show evidence
“We provide stay and play sessions for families.”
Source:Organisation“We provide support to carers and their families.”
Source:Organisation
The organisation may reduce gaps in support outside school hours
Its stated focus on school holidays and out-of-school provision suggests it may address times when school-based structure, activities and social contact are less available to children and families.
Why it matters
This helps locate its role within the local support system: it may complement schools and other child-focused services rather than duplicate their core offer.
Show evidence
“The group shall advance education through play and provide recreation for children of school age during out of school hours and school holidays.”
Source:Charity Commission“We provide activities for the whole family during the school holiday.”
Source:Organisation
Inclusion is stated as a beneficiary focus, but its practical meaning is unclear
By identifying children and young people and people with disabilities as beneficiaries, the organisation appears to position inclusion as part of its purpose. It may offer a setting where disability-related participation barriers are considered alongside family needs.
Why it matters
This raises a useful question about whether the organisation fills an accessibility gap in mainstream family and holiday activities, or serves a more targeted group.
Show evidence
“Children/young People, People With Disabilities.”
Source:Charity Commission“We provide stay and play sessions for families.”
Source:Organisation
- Whether activities are universally available, disability-specific or adapted for particular access needs.
- What form carer support takes and whether it includes advice, peer support, respite or referral.
- Which local organisations, schools or services the organisation works alongside.
Remaining uncertainties
- Service descriptions, timetables and participation data, including ages served and accessibility arrangements.
- Information on partnerships, referral routes, volunteer or staff capacity, and outcomes reported by families.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
We provide stay and play sessions for families, aswell as activities for the whole family during the school holiday. We provide support to carers and their families.
Charity objects
THE OBJECT OF THE GROUP SHALL BE TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION THROUGH PLAY AND PROVIDE FOR THE RECREATION OF CHILDREN OF SCHOOL AGE BY MAKING FACILITIES AND SERVICES AVAILABLE TO THEM DURING OUT OF SCHOOL HOURS AND SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.