After a versatile and colourful multi-movement activity space designed to get the community moving opened in July 2024, PLAYCE Pompey has seen a remarkable increase in use and activity levels.
Located in Lord’s Court, Landport, the space is the first of its kind in the UK, and was a joint project between the University of Portsmouth and Portsmouth City Council. Since it’s redesign, research done by the University has seen that the number of people using the space has quadrupled – and not just with people walking through, but actually using the space.
Since the launch, people engaging in vigorous physical activity – such as jumping, sprinting, or climbing – has increased tenfold, making it successful in its mission to get people more active.
PLAYCE was based on a pioneering scientific model for movement by the Athletic Skills Model (ASM) in the Netherlands, where there are no separate play areas for different groups, as it is built to be accessible for people of all ages and skill levels, including those with disabilities.
The University and council’s Portsmouth Homes landlord service also worked with local residents to understand how to make the space welcoming and attract those living in council homes that surround the area.
PLAYCE Pompey have consistently outperformed local spaces which have not been redeveloped – seeing more users, more activity and more meaningful movement – showing that it not only looks good but is benefitting the local community.
Image: University of Portsmouth
Portsmouth is one of the first universities to develop a Civic Partnership Agreement with partners in the local community and region to meet it’s goal for education and research knowledge and skills to benefit the Portsmouth Harbour region and surrounding area. This partnership will promote inclusion and enrich economic, social and cultural life.
The play park recently won the ‘best company health and wellbeing initiative’ at the Housing Heroes awards held on Monday June 25, 2025, with judges calling it a really innovative project, which had secured a good mix of funding and buy-in and has led to demonstrable improvements in anti-social behaviour.
Cabinet Member for Housing and Tackling Homelessness, Cllr Darren Sanders, said: “People told us they wanted this area made better, and I’m delighted that has happened. To see so many more people use it is great. I know how impressed the ‘Housing Heroes’ judges were with the scheme and to see it be one of those heroes was a very proud moment for the city.”
‘Fundamental 10’ is a set of essential movements that support strength, balance, and coordination through things like hopping, crawling, and changing direction. Since opening, there has been an increase by more than four times the number of people doing this, which is especially important for physical development in children and long-term mobility in adults.
As a former Olympic athlete, competing in Taekwondo for Brazil at the Beijing games in 2008, and now in the School of Psychology, Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Portsmouth, Dr Martina Navarro, is passionate about getting people participating in purposeful movement.
She said: “I know first-hand how powerful physical activity can be – not just for fitness, but for confidence, community, and wellbeing. When I saw the success of the PLAYCE model abroad, I knew we had to bring it to Portsmouth. One year on, it’s incredible to see how it’s transformed a once-underused space into a vibrant, inclusive hub of movement for all ages. This is what happens when research, design and community come together.”
