About OPA

Oxfordshire Play Association (OPA) was established as a charity in 1974. Since then, OPA has been one of the lead organisations in Oxfordshire promoting high quality play opportunities across the county for all children and young people aged 0–16 years.

Mission
OPA’s mission is to champion and support the rights of all children and young people to have access to high quality inclusive play opportunities.

Purpose and Values
In support of OPA’s mission, emphasis is placed on:
~ Promoting the importance of play in the lives of children and young people
~ Promoting an understanding of play and playwork values
~ Identifying the needs of children and young people in play environments and working positively towards fulfilling these needs
~ Acting as a voice for play leaders and playworkers
~ Promoting and supporting the need for a qualified playwork workforce
~ Providing a range of services to support the creation of high quality, inclusive playwork settings
~ Support policy makers in making decisions that impact positively on play
~ Provide representation on partnerships and agencies that influence play.