Chris Martin

Chris is both a practising playworker at Tiverton Adventure Playground and Senior Youth Support Worker with Devon County Council, where he is successfully (and subversively) introducing playwork practices into the year 6 & 7 sessions he runs. He is Playwork Convenor on UNITE the Union’s Community and Youth Worker’s National Committee, on their National Industrial Sector Committee, and a postgraduate student at the University of Gloucestershire – possibly even graduating by the time you’re reading this! He has researched and written extensively about the impact of cuts on the playwork sector both in his union role and independently.

Until 2010 he worked for SkillsActive as Senior National Programme Manager for policy in England and was the main writer of the UK Play and Playwork Education and Training Strategy 2011 - 2016. Chris facilitated the All Party Parliamentary Group on Play, was an active member of Play England’s Strategic Advisory Board, Children’s Play Policy Forum and Play Safety Forum, and has written and contributed to numerous professional publications and guidance documents.

In his spare time he plays guitar and sings with postpunk electro-noise band the Swamp Gods, as well as working towards his second degree black belt in Taekwondo.

www.cywu.org.uk

Sessions Being Delivered