It’s a bit like dance – a liberating, freeing kind of experience. To do it without feeling judged is fantastic.

I’m Kate, I’m 57, and I spend Saturday morning playing games in the park.

It’s fun, it’s good for me, and it’s an opportunity to connect with local people – from toddlers to grannies – that I haven’t experienced in 30 years living here.

ParkPlay. I think it’s the perfect place for all those people who, like me, were last to be picked for games at school to feel alive, to move and to connect. It’s a wonderful way for people of literally all shapes and sizes to be more active.

My first move

Myself and my husband have two children, but they’re grown up now. We used to connect into the Southall community through the kids, their school and their activities but as time passed, life became less about community and more about work and home and home and work.

When lockdown hit in 2020 there were some positives to regrouping and re-evaluating what’s important. But still, life got smaller and I became pretty insular. I stayed in and did virtually no exercise.

The more I lost fitness the less inclined I was to exercise. It became a cycle.

When a ParkPlay organiser told me what was happening on Saturday mornings, I was initially hesitant but I felt an obligation to my friend and, well, something inside me knew it was a good thing to do.

I’m glad I trusted my instinct.

My ParkPlay

For me, ParkPlay is now a priority. It turns out that live action Snake is much better than it was on the Nokia 3310. Frisbee, rounders, chase – I just love being able to hop, skip and jump like I did back in the playground. There’s no right or wrong way to play.

It’s a physical and a wellbeing boost, sure, but I’ve also met so many different people in my community and made some really good friends.

During lockdown I tried things like Couch to 5K but it lacked the social aspect – and that’s what ParkPlay does best: it facilitates refreshing new friendship that are based on fun. On no-strings-attached fun.

Your ParkPlay

ParkPlay – I can’t recommend it enough. Check out the listings for your nearest park and, if there isn’t one, there’s plans to grow to 80 in the coming months.

For me it has been fantastic to re-engage and I now do double-duty on a Saturday morning. My day begins with Park Run (or more accurately for me – Park Walk) in the same park an hour before ParkPlay.

But it’s ParkPlay that has me. It’s the friendships that set it apart.

And when you’ve done it once, I think you too will be hooked.

Find your local ParkPlay

Please visit our ParkPlay Parks page to find your local ParkPlay and come and join us for your ParkPlay session. We play every Saturday morning.