Adventure Playground Inspectors Association

Keeping the Adventure

APIA is a network for those who assess and inspect adventure playgrounds and other self-built and bespoke structures for children’s play.

APIA aims to ensure that playworkers and those who advise and inspect playgrounds, do so guided by the ethos of Adventure Play.

Chris Guy and Rob Wheway have over 90 years combined experience in children’s play. They have amassed a wealth of knowledge about adventure playgrounds. Together with Simon Rix and Sarah Wilson, who are both experienced adventure play practitioners, they are launching APIA.

Chris and Rob were concerned that adventure playgrounds have been pressured to restrict their adventurous activities by advisers’ incorrect use of “safety” guidance and by over-cautious advice by officials with no understanding of adventure play.

This is exacerbated by years of underfunding which has resulted in a turnover of staff meaning that a proportion of playworkers have no background in adventure play and so tend to be cautious.

Chris and Rob were also both approaching retirement and were concerned that there were few competent adventure playground inspectors who would replace them.

APIA’s aim is to bring on the next wave of adventure playground specialist health and safety inspectors and to capture, develop and disseminate crucial knowledge and practice within the sector. It will do this by developing a network of independent inspectors who have proven expertise in adventure play, who will work together to raise awareness of the industry health & safety standards.

By strengthening knowledge in the sector APIA aims to prevent adventure playgrounds from being restricted by people who do not understand the ethos and practice, and therefore support children to have the richest possible play experiences.

Keeping the adventure!

Find out more about the Founding Members

APIA’s network of independent inspectors offer services to support adventure playground staff to run exciting and challenging play spaces, where risks are balanced and managed.
To find out more about adventure playgrounds more generally, have a look at London Play’s new website full of information about adventure playgrounds. (It focuses on the London playgrounds but there are adventure playgrounds across the UK).

Our networks’ expertise in assessing bespoke and self-made structures for children’s supervised play means the inspectors listed can help wherever these kinds of structures are found.
Find out how we can support other organisations