Whitecraig pupils invited to Parliament following community project
Children from Whitecraig Primary School who took part in a Queen Margaret University research project were invited to attend the Scottish Parliament to share their thoughts on ‘play-friendly communities.’
The research project titled ‘Creating a Play-Friendly Community with Children in Whitecraig’ aims to generate practices and policies about play and drive transformational improvement.
The study was carried out by Silvia Veiga-Seijo, a PhD student in occupational science at Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh.
Children organised community events as part of the project, both in their local village and at Queen Margaret University, which policy-makers were invited to attend. Subsequently, Silvia and the children were asked along to the Parliament.
The aim of the visit was to advocate for their right to play in their local village and have their voices heard in this space where decisions are taken about children’s rights in Scotland.
The children were taken on a tour of the Scottish Parliament, led by MSP Colin Beattie and Jenny Gray, Office Manager. Children could hear interesting stories about the Parliament while walking around the space.
After, the children were invited to a Q&A session with Colin Beattie. Children asked important questions, such as “What are the current plans for Whitecraig?” and “Who has the responsibility to make changes in Whitecraig?”
The children also talked about their personal experiences and the importance of the play project.
During the conversation, a future action was confirmed, with Colin Beattie making plans to visit the community and the school so the children could explain to him what play looks like in their village for taking actions forward.
The children had lunch in the Parliament and after, the Participation and Communities Team organised a workshop with them to explore how the children felt during their visit to find out how to make the experience even more child-friendly.
Notes to Editor
For further media information contact Emma Reekie, Media Relations and Content Officer, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh on E: ereekie@qmu.ac.uk, (please also copy to E: pressoffice@qmu.ac.uk).
