Membership

Become a member & join the wider play network in Scotland.

Free membership is open to all projects and individuals in Scotland that meet our criteria. Whether you are an existing service, setting up or need some inspirational ideas on how to effectively run your play based project or play activity, we can help.

Our Members Map

Smart Play Network's members range from the Shetlands to the Borders, with diverse organisations ranging from toy libraries, parent-led groups, schools, nurseries, and national organisations. As a member of Smart Play Network you can connect and network with our growing member base of over 400 practitioners and organisations.

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A member map demonstrating the number of members within each local authority and heatmap dots indicating clustering of members

Membership Benefits

Being a member of Smart Play Network brings a host of benefits including:

Voting rights at our General Meetings and on resolutions of the organisation.
Access to support from our highly experienced team.
Access to the members' area of our website jam packed with resources including guidance, information sheets and templates.
Discount on all our training courses, workshops and networking events.
Regular e-updates, newsletters and targeted information to support your practice.
Connection with others in the wider network of play provision.
A chance to feed in to local and national policy – your needs represented.

Networking Opportunities

#PlayChat

#Playchat is our quarterly general networking meeting for all things play.
It is open to all members, and is an environment where play practitioners can ask questions or share experiences about anything play: from new project setup support, to play successes. Playchat is our space to help the play sector support one another.

Direct Networking

Smart Play Network has over 400 members across Scotland and promotes and supports play in all 32 local authorities across Scotland. If you're looking to find organisations who have the know-how to kickstart a play programme, or collaborate on a play project your area, Smart Play Network can help get you connected with like-minded organisations. You can interact directly with our wide network through our Engage Hub's online directory, which also has great resources and training opportunities available.

Membership Types

Free

This is our general membership and is for groups, organisations, and individuals that have an interest in, deliver, or support play opportunities in Scotland.

Advanced

Advanced membership is £40 annually. This membership is currently for schools or organisations that use the Play in a Pod service.

(a) Any individual over the age of 16 with an interest in the activities of Smart Play Network and has been appointed as an independent Trustee to bring specialist skills and experience to the Board. These individuals would not normally be affiliated with any group or organisation.

(b) Any organisation, group or project which wishes to be part of Smart Play Network, and whose services are aligned to Smart Play Network’s objects and activities. These groups or organisations will nominate a Primary and Secondary contact who will receive mailings and information with either able to cast a vote on the group's behalf.

(c) Any individual who has been nominated to be the representative for an unincorporated body, group or project whose services are aligned to Smart Play Network’s objects and activities and who has been accepted for membership of Smart Play Network. This membership may be appropriate for a new group starting up that does not have a structure yet or for the group or organisation in (b) above to be able to remain a member whilst they have nominated a person to represent them on the Board of Trustees.

All members have a role to play in the governance of Smart Play Network and can cast votes for the appointment of Trustees and for resolutions presented to them either at General Meetings or by electronic means. However, categories (a), (b), and (c) are not exclusive, meaning only one vote can be cast per group or organisation or any individual affiliated with them.

In addition to the benefits of Standard Membership, it includes extra support and information to help maintain the use of the PiP. The annual cost of this advanced membership is currently £40 (the first payment is included in the purchase of the PiP Programme). The school or organisation will appoint a Primary and Secondary contact, either of who are able to represent and cast a vote on the group's behalf.

This membership includes most of the benefits an Ordinary member has with additional elements including;

Access to a range of downloadable web resources including scrap guides, evaluation materials and activity cards.
£50 discount off any additional scrap deliveries throughout the year.
Invitation to join our Engage Hub Play in a Pod Group where you can share ideas and learn from others.

For Standard and Advanced (all categories), there is an application process that will be sent for approval to our Board of Trustees. Our Trustees reserve the right to refuse membership for any reason.