Marketing Implementation

Good marketing strategies, marketing skills, and innovativeness are essential components in implementing a marketing plan. In essence, marketing is a social activity that incorporates the satisfaction of customer needs and wants, and is a wholesome activity with organizational outlook, focusing on future and anticipated needs. Marketing incorporates issues such as corporate social responsibility, which determines the way businesses evaluate the impact of their activities on the society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Implementation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In view of all these, effective Marketing implementation calls upon an effective marketing plan. Philip, Armstrong, Wong and Saunders (2008) define marketing as â€Å"an integrated process through which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships in order to capture value from customers in return†. In a ddition, â€Å"Marketing is the process by which companies determine what products or services may be of interest to customers and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development† (Philip, Armstrong, Wong and Saunders ,2008). By incorporating an effective marketing plan, the management team of coco bongo has to draw up a marketing strategy including clear identification of the actual activities to undertake to achieve their objectives as determined by (Nichols 1993). Thus, the marketing process To effectively implement the marketing plan for coco bongo, the marketers have to draw up a marketing plan incorporating the actual actions to be undertaken by the marketing team to achieve the objectives of the coco bongo nightclub. The marketing process and marketing mix could play key roles. Marketing organization The planned implementation envisaged a marketing organization. This was the framework for organized marketing activities, the business organization a nd its core management structures and the relationship between the management and its employees. There were effective communication channels within the organization and best business practices were core in the organization. Activities The core objectives of the coco bongo club included profit generation, a wider customer base, customer royalty, market penetration, brand royalty, and gaining a completive edge on other entertainment joints in the London market. The brand name of the club was synonymous with customer satisfaction.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The main product for this club is entertainment. However, as a new venture, the management of the club had to embark on promotional activities, as a marketing strategy to impress upon the customers its existence and the services it had to offer. Coco bongo is unique in the kind of product offerings. Thus, it was of impo rtance for the club to embed promotional activities to impress upon the mind of the market on the value derived from its activities. Inclusive in the marketing and promotional activities lots of sideshows to attract customers as promotional offers, acrobatic shows, and dancing incorporating professional dancers. Nichols (1993) concludes that the marketing concept of direct selling has a host of benefits. This will help the marketers identify customer needs on the level of entertainment; evaluate customer base and customer satisfaction. In addition, other activities could incorporate pricing. Pricing is an important concept in marketing and forms one of the 4p’s in marketing, i.e., product, price, promotion, and place (Nichols 1993). These marketing activities serve to inform the customers about the club, identify their customers, collect views about the club, and device ways of gaining a competitive edge in a competitive environment. The marketing concept and market planning are essential components in customer retention, realization of higher profit margins, and customer loyalty. Promotional activities should incorporate customer demographics and tailor making products for that market, customer oriented products, and envisage the 4p’s in marketing. The products here imply the type or form of entertainment. Other promotional activities important in implementing the marketing plan include direct marketing strategies (Nichols 1993). According to the case study, direct marketing includes professional dancing and many shows among other marketing mix activities. Importantly, critically focusing on the best customers leads to profit maximization. Response The survival of a business enterprise depends on its customer base, type of customers, customer loyalty, and product rating. A thorough analysis of these characteristics from the customer depends on information collected from the customers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Market ing Implementation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, the management of bongo club devised methods for collecting customer response to enable management make vital decisions related to product improvement, innovation while constantly revising on its marketing strategies. Such method included collecting customer response by administering questionnaires, observations, and conducting other quantitative surveys and analysis of the responses. Timetable One of the indicators of a successful business is a timely implementation of its plans and strategies. By effectively addressing all these, the management of the club, in consultation with advertising agencies, hosting venues and other stakeholders drew up a timetable that addressed the needs of all stakeholders and an efficient implementation plan. Emotional needs of the customers were also addressed in the planned Implementation. According to the timeline for implementation, the busine ss was to be lounged in three weeks. Competitive Evaluation and Control Performance A business enterprise needs competitive evaluation to ascertain if it meets its objectives, such as customer loyalty, attitude of the customers to the presented products, customer needs and wants, the profitability of the business, and management expectations. This done, the management of the club undertook to define performance measures which acted as benchmark for evaluating the activities of the business in line with its objectives and goals. The objectives, as spelt by the business enterprise could remain both short term and long term. The performance standards included a survey of customers’ satisfaction, the impact of the business on the environment, profit generation, and evaluation of customer needs and wants. Customer satisfaction remains vital in determining the performance of the business. Standards Standards envisaged quality control measures, legal requirements, ethical and corpor ate issues. The commitment and efficient utilization of the human resources served as a basis for formulating standards for the club. Setting standards also called upon management to defined exactly what they wanted done and how. In addition, Megan (2007) asserts that standards applied on a range of issues including customer satisfaction, a wide customer base, retention customers, and profit maximization. Management expectations played a key role in identifying and setting standards. Other drivers to benchmarking included active member participations, innovativeness, collaboration between the management and team members, legal and political environment, and a monitoring criteria. Megan (2007) found out that hosts of benefits accrue because of setting performance standards. Neely (2002) adds that standard measures include the quality of entertainment, timeliness in starting and ending entertainment, and cost effectiveness of the business venture.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Monitoring Controls Business enterprises with good quality implementation strategies ought to envisage in their marketing and implementation strategies monitoring controls. Monitoring controls envisage a guideline on business performance evaluation. The management of the bongo club must embed in its managerial strategies issues such as weekly reviews of employees and management actions, there should be schedules on implementing and carrying out duties in the organization, continuous performance evaluation remains key on both employee and management levels. Meetings form an important component in decision-making and conflict resolutions. Meetings also form part of the way employees express their satisfaction or dissatisfactions over management actions. There should be frequent updates on the club’s activities and concerns. Varieties of benefits could result from the business when monitoring control measures remain effectively embedded in the system. These includes, energizing employees, inspiring them, resolving conflicts, increased employee activeness and productivity, enhanced communication within the business setting, and improved group dynamics. Target Market The target market forms an essential component in effective marketing. This target market identification enabled management and the whole business enterprise tailors its products to suit the market and remain competitive, profitable, and retains a wider customer base coupled with customer loyalty, asserts Baker (2008). Data on the demographic nature of the population obtained and studied well enabled the team to develop a marketing mix with appropriate marketing strategies for the appropriate market. This involved, analyzing similar business ventures to identify who their customers were, the occupation of new customers and how the timing could influence their activities, the location of the business, income levels of the groups, and essentially their entertainment needs. SWOT SWOT implies the st rengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats a business faces. The key strengths of the bongo club were its uniqueness in the market, the hosting venue in central London, providing easy accessibility to the venue from all quarters. In addition, the club’s financial health remained good with superior advertising methods used. Weaknesses identified included a new business environment, new cultural settings, time of entertainment and fear from customers over the new entertainment modalities. However, the scene unfolds issues where varieties of opportiunities abound. These include the uniqueness of the new venture, better administrative abilities, experienced employees, highly motivated workers assert Nichols (1993). The threats stemmed from other competitors and entrepreneurs who may innovatively use the idea to come up with a similar businesses, current business competitors, high prices, and environmental regulations. Works Cited Baker. Michael, The Strategic Marketing Plan Audit: University of Strathclyde, 2008 Neely. Andy, Business Performance Measurement–Theory and Practice, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000. Nichols, Jan Welborn-. â€Å"Marketing Basics† 1993. Web. Kotler, Philip, Armstrong, Gary, Wong, Veronica, and Saunders,. Principles of Marketing 5th ed. Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008. Megan, Tough. Setting Job Performance Standards. (2007). 6th March 2010. Publishing http://www.sideroad.com/Management/performance-standard.html This essay on Marketing Implementation was written and submitted by user MajorMapleleaf to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Riordan Manufacturing

Riordan Manufacturing Riordan PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 1Riordan ManufacturingJ.Enriquez, R.Graves, and G.SweattMGT/3603/15/11Vicki BauerAbstractThis paper will summarize objectives, targets, and programs identified as important for Riordan Manufacturing to improve its sustainability practices. Relevant technologies, strategies, products, and practices will be identified. Then, a cost benefit analysis will be performed on the proposed solutions. Finally, the three best practices that Riordan Manufacturing should implement will be identified.Riordan ManufacturingRiordan Manufacturing would like to employ sustainability initiatives. Because finances are important to the success of not just the company, but the durability of each initiative, it is important to consider the cost of the implementation against the potential rewards. There are several strategies that will allow Riordan to reduce energy dependency, more properly dispose of waste, and lessen their overall detrimental impact on the environment while sav ing money in the process.Objectives and ProgramsRiordan Manufacturing would benefit heavily from implementing sustainability initiatives.Riordan Mansion, FlagstaffThis was created to answer the service request logged by Hugh McCauley, COO of Riordan. The directives of this service request were further detailed by Maria Trinh, CIO of Riordan. In a memo dated September 10, 2004, she stated:The primary goals of the project are:* Document current environment* Forecast of business technology needs in next five years* Recommendations on systems integration, acquisitions and consolidationsBased on these goals, the Operations department has identified areas of Riordan's business that will yield a significant cost advantage if altered and improved:* Not enough information being shared between customers, sales, finance, manufacturing, and management.* Customers cannot place orders direct without human interaction at Riordan's offices. Customers cannot order during non-business hours at this t ime.* No real-time inventory system. No visibility into finished product and raw material inventory...

Final Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Final Exam - Essay Example Angela’s Ashes and The Glass Castle are typical examples of memoir. A good memoir must contain a catchy title, a good introduction, plot, a complication to be resolved, striking details, and a major theme. Wang Ping’s (War book) had a particularly impression on me. The book is about forbidden books. Ping tells about his memoir on reading forbidden books with a girl he met one morning. On their first encounter, as Ping reads Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, tears linger in his eyes. Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, must have had contained emotional content to drive both Ping and the girl into tears; this fascinates me. A proposal is a problem-solving task where the writer helps reader understands about a give issue. The effects and causes of a give problem are outlined and suggestions on viable solutions discussed. There are four types of proposals namely, internal, external, grant, and solicited. An internal proposal involves problems facing a give organizat ion or company and solutions to tackle these issues. External proposal involve providing solutions to problem affecting another organization. Grants are same as internal or external proposals only that they are used by nonprofit organizations for obtaining funding. Solicited proposals originate from request of proposals. A proposal contains the introduction where the problem to be solved in introduced. After the introduction, we have the body where the problem is analyzed and a plan on how to solve the problem detailed. Benefits of the solution given are then outlined and a conclusion drawn. An argument, based on Johnson-Sheehan and Paine is defined as a pattern where both sides of a controversial issue are explored and explained in fair fashion. Same sex marriage, gun control, death penalty, or assisted suicide can provide fertile grounds for arguments. Three aspects are fundamental in any argument. First, there must be a statement to be argued about; this is where the writer will advance her thesis statement. The next aspect is exploring the issue and convincing the reader on their point of view while reputing the views of their opponents. Below is an argument on same sex marriage. Marriage has been defined as the basic unit of a family. There are many discussions on marriage, transgendered persons, moral issues, and on whether same sex marriage is right or wrong. Personally, I believe on the tenets of freedom, equality and justice. That said, I think that same sex marriage is not only wrong, it undermines the family unit of father, mother and children. Those who advocate for same sex marriage typically do not have the idea of an ideal society in mind. Though anyone should love whoever they like, when it come to marriage marrying a person of your own sex is plain wrong. The basis of marriage is to continue a person lineage and thus survival of human kind. If a good portion of the population marries people of their own sexes, chances are that after an extende d period, the human race will be extinct. Some, may argue that they could adapt or procurer artificial insemination. Well both of these techniques are unnatural and often quite expensive and may not be viable for everyone. Also, when God created man, he intended him to get married to a woman. By marrying a person of their own, a person commits sin. This is virtually the case for almost all major religions. That said, I think that clergymen conducting same sex marriages are misleading their congregation. Same sex

Tool mark Examination Physical Criminalistics Lab Report

Tool mark Examination Physical Criminalistics - Lab Report Example Tools can include the usual instruments such as screwdrivers, drill bits, hummer, pry bars and punch or other substances such as rocks. Different tools will create different impressions or marks but each tool creates an impression that is unique to itself. Tools and their impressions are largely defined by the manufacturing process that was used in production and thus lab scientists should be familiar with the various manufacturing processes including casting, forging, extrusion, machining and others. Also certain manufacturing process produce marks that change with time due to wearing of the cutting tool when in contact with the work piece (Monturo, 2010, p 8). Ductile materials may also develop built up edges during machining when the material cold welds onto the tool cutting edge due to high pressures resulting from the process. As more pressure is applied, the built up edge breaks off and the new material replaces the edge and thus the change in the cutting surface is used to examine the manufactured tools and their marks. The main types of marks that are created by different tools including impressed marks such as hammer strikes and striated marks such as the marks made when a screwdriver slides over a soft surface (Association of Firearms and Tool Mark Examiners, 2007).The toolmarks are further classified according to their class and subclass properties. Tools also have individual characteristics including random imperfections resulting from the manufacturing process, corrosion or damage (Association of Firearms and Tool Mark Examiners, 2007). Class characteristic features are defined before the manufacture of the tool and include its shape and size and the type of impression that is imparted by the tool including shearing, slicing, compression and crimping (Association of Firearms and Tool Mark Examiners, 2007, p 8). Subclass properties are in most situations confused with the individual characteristics. They are the

Letter of Complaint Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Letter of Complaint - Assignment Example I was put on hold for more than ten minutes. I waited patiently listening to boring adverts while the attendant at the airport looked on. When a Ms. Ann picked the phone eventually, she sounded disinterested and kept shouting at me to repeat myself. We did not have any constructive communication and I heard her curse rudely as she banged the receiver. I had to make other arrangements in order to book the flight. I have been a customer of the bank for the past seven years and I have never witnessed such inefficiencies. Money is important and any delays such as the one I experienced results in the loss of business. Kindly act on my concern in order to prevent similar occurrences in future. I could be voicing the concerns of several other customers who may not have the time and resources to communicate with you. Among the features of your customer service that I want you to address include the fact that you call system is clumsy making customers wait for as long as twenty minutes or more. Kindly note that money and related transactions are important issues that influence the lives of your customers directly. Five minutes or less is adequate for someone to lose his money to swindlers. It therefore surprised me when I had to wait for close to fifteen minutes just for someone to pick the phone. The other issue is the attitude of your customer relation officers especially those working on the call centers. This was a portrayal of poor attitude and disregard to work ethics because I do not believe that a call center agent can ever behave as she did.

Designing a Natural Play Environment

Designing a Natural Play Environment Introduction ‘Natural Play is a fundamental aspect of a childs development and physical exercise. Through play, a childs personality develops and they gain a greater control of mind and body. Play has opportunities for social, ethical and emotional development. Environmental based play initiates instinctive play as well as self-reliance, confidence and maturity [1] Play is used as a medium for translating one childs personal culture to another, this quote portrays findings from the psychologist Arnaud in 1984 [2] ‘ I really believe there is something about nature that when you are in it , it makes you realise that there are far larger things at work than yourself.Being in nature can be the a way to escape without fully leaving the world. [3] Landscape architects have recently been given the responsibility to design ‘natural play schemes under the 2006 Play England initiatives which have provided the largest ever national investment in natural play. [4] Under these initiatives, the traditional concept of equipped play areas has been disregarded and instead, a greater emphasis is given to creating ‘naturalistic play environments for different age groups. Consequently, landscape architects have now a greater role in the development of play areas rather than the installation of equipment for play solutions. However, there are constraints which determine the extent to which landscape architects can give a ‘natural play experience. This study will explore and review recent projects in order to evaluate the success of such schemes. The research for this study is based upon the authors experience working on Newcastle City Councils Play Englands Play Pathfinder schemes during the summer of 2009 as well as design ing and building an aerial walkway on a woodland adventure trail which was developed on a farm open to the public. [5], [6] The study will be informed by examples from published literature, studies and information from play companies. Firsthand experience of the subject gained through designing, building and managing natural play areas as well as observations on regular visits to Skelton Grange Environmental Centre (Leeds) and during a field trip to Denmark (2009) will also be used. Aims and Objectives The aim of the study is to identify the principles behind the planning and design of natural play areas, as well as discussing constraints which affect the implementation. Factors that affect the design of natural play areas will be discussed; childhood development, social context, aspects of the site, management and expenditure as well as possible avenues which have not been considered under the Play England initiative. In doing this, it is hoped to determine to what extent ‘natural play environments can be designed and implemented in England. What is ‘natural play? Before discussing the design of ‘natural play schemes it is important to define ‘natural play and how it has evolved. Natural play provides play opportunities in a changing natural landscape. Natural play can enable children to feel more confident in themselves, often revealing their deeper feelings and sharing of their ideas. Natural play has many invaluable qualities that cannot be taught through structured learning activities; the theories of natural play are robustly supported by researchers from varied disciplines including psychology, education, philosophy, anthropology and recreation. [7] The evolution of natural play spaces The essence of childrens play has changed little over the centuries. The links between the play patterns of un-modernised and developed societies have been shown to be very similar. For example ‘!Kung children in the Kalahari desert use an object, in their case the sheath of a banana leaf, to symbolise a baby and these mothering games are similar to those played by children in developed societies who play with dolls. [8] However, adults controlling childrens lives have imposed a series of changing theories as to how they should play. During the age of enlightenment when all sorts of theories were being examined Rousseau (1712-1778), the French philosopher, valued the importance of good experiences to mental development in children. When he heard of children forced to read and not play he wrote â€Å"those who would rob these little innocents of the joys that pass so quickly, he went on to say, ‘We must never forget all this should be play, the easy and voluntarily control of movement which nature demands of them, the art of varying their games to make them pleasanter without the least bit of constraint. To a child of 10 or 12 work or play are all one, with the proviso that the activity of play is ‘with the charm of freedom. [9] The case studies for this essay have been chosen following observations of natural play schemes during 2008 2009. The sites cover the fundamental aspects and current trends of natural play used by after school clubs, Play England, Natural England initiatives, and environmental learning projects. Play pathfinders and play builder explain Skelton Grange Skelton Grange Environment Centre, Leeds is located 5 km from Leeds City Centre (figs.). The site is a gentle sloping 8 Acre site with woodland, open meadows, lawns and riverside walks. The site is located in a large industrial area on the periphery of Leeds City Centre and is leased from the National Grid. The project is an innovative, award winning, environmental education project that aims to bring alive the issues surrounding sustainable development. [15]The project is hoped to help people develop an understanding and appreciation of the environment by educating its visitors on ways to safeguard our future. The scheme funded by BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) aims to use the Eco Centre and surrounding landscape to support a wide range of activities working mainly with children, young people and adults on school trips, play schemes, community groups as well as teenage individuals. The site is used for education and training sessions, practical conservation, and BTVC volunteer development. BTCV staff at the centre work with young people and adults, schools, play schemes, community groups and individuals on developing an understanding appreciation of their environment, and their role in safeguarding its future. The children who visit annually are from inner city West Yorkshire primary schools. These children gain many valuable experiences of environmental play which can be absorbed and provide inspiration for similar forms of play at home or school. The most striking issue which was observed on the site was the willingness to the children o learn and play in a rugged natural environment as many of the inner city children have a very limited horizons when it comes to getting out of town. Broom House Farm ‘Adventure trail Broom House Farm ‘Adventure Trail is Located in the Durham countryside approximately 6 miles east of Durham City (figs.). The adventure trail is set on land belonging to a diverse ‘organic farm enterprise. The surrounding landscape has a significant impact on the adventure trail as it is visible from the trail and relates to educational material within the trail. The woodland where the adventure trail is located is predominantly coniferous however there are many mature broadleaved species in the woodland. Most of the coniferous woodland was established over 50 years ago when the land was set aside by the farming tenants after it was open cast for coal. The woodland is very diverse in flora and fauna. The trail is open to the public and has approximately 4,000 public visitors, 60 school parties per annum. These include visits through a recent Natural England initiative (name it) . There are also visitors from institutions for people with special needs. The wood offers a wi de range of natural based learning activities and many outlets for un-structured natural play. The site has been designed to enable a sense of discovery for visiting children, consequently giving a strong bond with the environment. The site is unique in the area and proves very successful with all users, the blend of natural play, education and playing within a woodland environment strongly complement each other. Visitors with special needs gain special interaction with nature when visiting. The bonding with nature is also highly significant for children visiting the site from deprived inner city areas of Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland and Durham. During my experience as education/safety officer at Broom House Farm (2008), I supervised and carried out educational activities with the children. This was an important experience for me as over a period of time I was able to observe the children using the natural play setting. During the summer of 2009 I designed and helped build new additions to the adventure trail including a 100m raised board walk and other play zones (figs.). Denmark Junk Playground The play site is located in Fredriksberg, a central district of Copenhagen, Denmark. The site consists of a large clearing in a Beech woodland. The perimeter has mature trees which overhang much of the site. Shrubs have been integrated next to structures built by the children . This unique ‘Junk Playground also caters as an after school club for the adjoining school. The site offers a safe environment for children to be supervised from a distance, allowing them to construct a variety of custom built play equipment from shelters to play structures. This resource is run by adults employed by the council and funding from parents, all staff have a degree in some form of child development or education. The facility is also open at weekends when it is supervised by parents. The site is a huge success and is very popular. The value of this resource to the local community is very high; children are left at the after school club everyday so they have to be very imaginative in the playspace to keep them occupied. The outcome of what the children design and build is usually well implemented. The community involvement of many parents also helps safeguard the success of the site on weekends. The site has an importance policy which allows children to construct play equipment, this is a good example of allowing risk in the play environment. It was interesting to observe the competence of children as they explained what they had built and the construction methods learnt. More importantly the children explained that everyone uses the tools in a responsible manner, consequently there are few injuries. ADD? Children are constantly encouraged to be creative within the education system. Depending on their age many have a drive to create constructions. Through natural play, natural materials can be used to create personal play equipment. This adds a further dimension to the benefits of natural play. When children construct anything they feel more confident of another intuitive childhood process. Within the Danish junk playground, children are issued with and allowed to bring their own construction tools such as hammers, nails, saws and other materials to construct play equipment from the abundance of materials provided. These materials include wood, block paving and other recycled materials. The quality of the constructions made is inspected by adults for strength and any other irregularities. Through this process errors can be corrected and the equipment passed as being safe. The individuals responsible for the construction then shows their play mates and they share their special creations with each other and revise there constructions and equipment with a greater knowledge of construction. The constructions are often nestled and integrated within site, composed of mature trees and shrubs. The success of the natural environment is the popularity of building these structures and games within the greener areas of the site. Fagan refer to sketch book for his opinions and feelings about the thriving site from a childs perspective? Skrammellegepladsen A scheme in place in Fredriksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark were by children build natural play environments adding a different dimension to natural play, combining out of school care and natural play recreation. The results of this scheme is of huge significance to my study and is very popular on the streets of Copenhagen. Parents pick children up from the centre up to as late as 5 o clock. The children are fed with healthy meals which they often cook themselves, children are then free to roam the site playing and constructing play spaces. The children are issued with hammers, nails, wood, hard landscaping materials. The teaching staff all have degrees orientated around primary and youth education. The centre accommodates for ages up to 15 Years of age. There is a strong drive within Play England Guidelines to accommodate teenagers, in particular girls within natural play schemes within Britain. The site in Fritsberg is adjacent to a large inner city school so the visiting children have a quick transition between the two spaces. This could be more common as schools both within the inner cities and rural areas have a wider perimeter to their site with scope to expand, typically a site composed of wasteland grasslands, gravel, mud and pockets of trees with huge potential for transformation to create natural play spaces to socialise and spend countless hours in order to develop. The possibility for making the most of school yard sites would be of double affect as playground play is one few occasions children get to play in a safe environment. If developed playgrounds were open to the community more and not as segregated. As much of the school site in un used within the school timetable with limited Sport, Outdoor play and education it would make sense to make more use of these spaces as natural play sites. One of the biggest bonuss to the scheme adjacent to the school in Fritsberg is the lack of Adult intervention. The children when playing are left outside to their o wn devices yet could seek help, if needed from staff who located themselves near to the building entrance. Newcastle play sites Location Distance from city etc / Add type of landscape, fields, water, woodland and surrounding area flat, hills etc? These play sites have been identified by the council to be improved, using funding from Play England. These playgrounds up graded from a play pathfinder to play builder, Some of these sites have been completed ADD Observations not mentioned in table. How children use it. What you thought was good about it. The activities carried out in these environments have many benefits enhancing childrens ability to recognise and appreciate the natural play environment. Sketches of the natural settings within these sites have been included. The natural qualities deployed create stimulating surroundings with opportunities for more imaginative play and wonder. Adults may view nature as a surrounding for the childs activities. However children seem to view a natural play space as a sensory experience and a place where they can interact within a fantastical environment. Children develop their imagination continually through everyday experiences, which is essential in the childs development as a well rounded individual within society. Why is natural play important today? Natural play environments offer a diversity of natural landscape experiences such as trees, vegetation, wildlife, plants, shaded areas, shelter, water, rivers and hiding spaces create a timeless naturalistic landscape. Children using natural play environments can become thoroughly engaged with nature. [16] The wide variations of the natural elements to play schemes can trigger unique spontaneity, for example playing with living creatures such as insects, building dens with natural materials or setting physical challenges within the environment such as climbing trees. [17] Children seem to have a natural affinity with nature and love for the natural outdoors but today opportunites for this can be limited. Natural England carried out a survey in 2009 which identified that less than 10% of children have the opportunity to play in woodland settings, the countryside or parks. The research also discovered that only 24% of children visit a natural environment once a week in comparison to 53 % of adults who did so in their childhood. [18] The benefits to children from playing in natural play environments A recent lecture by Paul Walker the Director of Timbercare (designers and builders of natural play landscapes, mainly manufacturing wooden play units) highlighted his personal opinions of many elements of natural play. He concluded his speech by saying that ironically the investment within the surrounding landscape of a play area was more valuable to children than a collection of individual equipment which the company specialises in providing. [19] Walker felt strongly about his childhood experiences of natural play, he told many stories of his freedom one of which was how by the age of 11 he had a 6 Mile radius to roam within central Sheffield. The complexity of his different play spaces were therefore hugely diverse including post industrial landscapes, derelict buildings, woodland areas, canals and streets. Walkers primary concern for his industry today is the necessity for low risk in play. Although safety standards now take a more balanced approach he felt they could go further. [20] He felt his childhood experiences of natural based play had a variety of different elements of danger and risk taking, making children of that era much more adventurous and evolving life skills in the changing environment around Sheffield. Another professional who believes that children should have similar opportunities to Paul Walker is an American journalist Richard Louv whose revolutionary phrase ‘Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder sums up the restrictions facing the majority of children in modernised society. The quote below illustrates trends in child play. ‘ONE EVENING WHEN (sic) my boys were younger, Mathew, then ten, looked at me from across a restaurant table and said quite seriously, â€Å"Dad, how come it was more fun when you were a kid?†. Within the space of a few decades, the way children understand and experience nature has changed radically. The polarity of the relationship had been reversed. Today, kids are aware of the global threats to the environment but their physical contact, their intimacy with nature, is fading. Thats the exact opposite of how it was when I was a child. [21] Louv feels that our affinity to nature is innate and in jeopardy across the modernised world. Quoting Sobel he discusses the changes which have occurred in the experience of obtaining food suggesting that food has become almost abstract now being a product in a supermarket which has little connection with the field or farm it came from. Children are now having to learn where food comes from through schemes such as Natural Englands ‘Learning Outside initiative.[22], [23] School trips to farms in England are limited as they take up considerable financial and staffing resources and often only occur once a year as seen at Broom House Adventure Trail. [24] Urban living can be an experience which is disconnected from nature and can create â€Å"ecophobia† a term which Sobel devised to explain a fear that nature can be physically dirty and dangerous. While working at Broom House Adventure Trail it was apparent from children and teachers that children were warned not to get dirty and were wearing expensive designer clothing. This made a barrier to the children fully experiencing natural play and it would be beneficial to the children if teachers made it clear to parents that there would be a strong possibility of clothes getting dirty and damaged. Some of the children also seemed initially hesitant and detached from the natural environment. [25] Benefits to Childrens Health from Natural Play Watching children using the play sites described in this study it is obvious they expend a great deal of energy and burn many calories. Not all children prefer sport and some do not like organised activities, but all children want to play. Natural play offers less structured opportunities for refining skills such as balance, endurance and confidence and provides a valuable solution for steering children away from childhood obesity. Many children are at risk from health problems caused by their life styles which include poor diet and lack of exercise. In 2009 it was reported that ‘25% of boys and 33% of girls between two and 19 are overweight. [26] It was noted in this survey that â€Å"parents are getting so used to seeing overweight kids, they do not recognise their own children are obese†. These problems cost the National Health over  £2 billion annually. County Durham is one of the worst areas in England for childhood obesity. [27] At Broom House Farm Adventure Trail it was noted that the obese children had less self confidence, were more negative in their approach to playing on the equipment and were teased by classmates. Benefits to Childrens Mental Health from Natural Play The BMJ group estimate that 2 children in every class of 30 schoolchildren will have ADHD. [28] There is a strong belief that children with behaviour and learning difficulties, such as ADHD, are thought to be deprived from the experience of natural play. [29] Louv reports that parents of children with these problems are being taken to natural play environments in order for them to experience situations which require intense concentration, the children are compelled to observe what is around them and become part of the environment rather than separate from it. [30] Children with special needs at Broom House Adventure Trail were seen to greatly enjoy the sensory experience of being close to vegetation, running around and watching others playing on equipment. The carers commented that the escapism of being in such a calming atmosphere was beneficial to their state of mind and they would appreciate access to such a facility more often. One respite care home arranged for their children to attend the adventure trail weekly in conjunction with their other activities. Benefits to Children from interaction with playmates Today many children in England lead less active lives as they are able to watch non-stop television or play indoors on computer games. This decreases the amount of interaction they have with parents, siblings and friends. Curry and Arnaud noted that ‘By the age of four and five children are extremely sensitive to each other and acutely tuned to what interests, pleases or provokes another child. [31] Decreased opportunities to interact through observation, collaboration and discussion during play can have a damaging effect on the confidence of a child and their ability to interact in play environments and in their future lives. Playing with others give children the chance to learn about equality and become integrated within wider cultures. During a consultation process at Kippax Ash Tree Primary School the children discussed their visit to Skelton Grange where they worked together making a shelter and a ‘pebble island to simulate an imaginary civilisation in the woodland. The idea of the project was to encourage the children to integrate through constructive play and say how they would survive on the island. The outcome was a number of sustainable solutions which they had learnt about during the course of the day. Opportunities to develop self reliance Natural play environments develop a childs independence and self sufficiency. When a child enters a natural play environments they can develop a distance from their carers or parents either individually or with other children exploring. This opportunity for play can be achieved in any outdoor space, however in a natural play environment it is enhanced by the magical natural surroundings. This process is important to children who live in confined conditions and are restricted from access to natural play by the location of their accommodation and poverty. White and Stoecklin state ‘While the development of greater independence from toddlerhood to middle childhood can happen within the confines of indoor spaces, safe space outdoors greatly adds to the ability of children to naturally experiment with independence and separation, and the adults willingness to trust the childs competence which is essential for separation to happen. [32] When children accompanied by parents played in the woodland at Broom House they were often heavily restricted by parents who would not allow them to explore the zoned play spaces alone. This was seen on many occasions and created a barrier to the full potential of the natural play experience for their children. It was interesting to note that although school children stayed within their small teaching groups and despite not being in the comfort of their friendship groups, they were sufficiently stimulated to play together. It was also interesting to observe that the children moved quickly from the natural based play equipment to evolve new imaginative games, making maximum use of the woodland. It was also observed that the paths were used as catalyst for exploring the site within a time limit. [33] Opportunities for exposure to nature Our interactions with nature can be hugely diverse depending upon the environment which a child lives in or is exposed to. The experience of different materials, changing seasons and making connections to nature are important components in natural play. [34] The provision of living material in natural play landscapes incorporates the underlying processes of nature and therefore gives a strong understanding of nature gained through physical interaction and watching seasonal changes in the landscape. ‘Plants and vegetation as a medium within play spaces develop interactive skills. Plants stimulate discovery, dramatic pretend play, and imagination. Plants speak to all of the senses, so its not surprising that children are closely attuned to environments with vegetation. Plants, in a pleasant environment with a mix of sun, shade, colour, texture, fragrance, and softness of enclosure also encourage a sense of peacefulness†[35]. When children experience nature, it can be in a v ariety of sensory experiences its value is precious and can be remembered for a long time. Children appreciate the natural layers of the earth no matter how small the play space. Moore recorded a conversation with girls about playing in sand ‘We make streams in the sand when it rains and comes down the hill the girls said. The got down on their hands and knees and embarked on a sequence of sand play. Within a few moments they had laid out a network of â€Å"roads† running around the humpy surface of the fine, hard-packed, sandy soil. Other infrastructure such as houses and an imaginary manor house was also built. [36] * Water play The outdoor environment provides a variety of contrasting surfaces with different textures and play qualities. Recent heavy snowfall in England (2009) triggered instinctive responses to an element which acted as a catalyst for all ages to enjoy excitement and freedom without hesitation or social barriers. Natural materials are used to enhance environmental play for deprived inner city schools of Leeds such as Skelton Grange Environmental Centre in Leeds (West Yorkshire). One of the many natural based activities completed by school visitors is to construct components of the imaginary settlement described above using, sand, soil, water, twigs and leaves. This exercise although educational connects the children with natural materials. Design Design of Natural play environments can produce a range of natural play experiences rather than a single type as per traditional equipped play area†¦ DISCUSS HOW How can a landscape architect in the UK create ‘natural play environments? The previous section outlined an understanding of what natural play is, case studies and the benefits of designing natural play areas. Play England have given landscape architects the opportunity to design natural play areas in many parts of England what considerations need to be taken into account when designing them? New Initiatives of Play England between the years 2006 2009 Play England began working for the childrens play programme in 2006 and 2007, with funding gained from ‘The Big Lottery fund. The recent Play England guidelines show the design principles of Play England. Play England has produced many documents summarising the commitments announced for the Play Strategy of England. The two most relevant one to this study include the ‘Play Strategy and ‘Design for Play. [37] ‘Weve recently moved over to assessing the tenders on play value much more and this has forced the quality standards up, with suppliers now trying to outdo each other for natural play as well as good design and sheer quantity of features †¦ we score each activity and feature for points and use this information to guide us in consideration of the tenders. In the end though it still comes down to us trying to decide which will offer the best play opportunities for the next 15 years or more. Play England have worked in tune with a range of professionals to ensure the best possible guidelines for Landscape Architects to work towards during implementation of the national Play Strategy in their work. Play England is supporting local authority Playbuilders and Play Pathfinders (focusing on 8-13 yrs olds). Their purpose is to deliver the governments  £235m investment in play and natural play in order to create innovative and adventurous play spaces across the UK. This level of investment has not been made before in England. The Play Pathfinder scheme is intended to provide free play opportunities for children and young people in the country over the next 10 years. The Government announced in April 2009 that the overall success of the schemes would be reviewed by children in their local areas. A conference is planned in March 2010 and will explore the future and momentum of the campaign after the last four years. Play England Guidelines Since 2006 Landscape Architects have been required by Play England to adopt design principles which take into consideration the summarised guidelines below for new and refurbished natural play schemes (please see appendix 1 for Play England Design Principles in full); [38] Enhancing the site. Site analysis work ensuring the spirit of the chosen site is enhanced, complementing attractive parts of the site and enhancing poorer environments. Using the best location. A balance in defining the exact location of the proposed park, between safety of the child user and seclusion. Enhancing natural features of the site as well as adding new features./Adding a variety of new soft landscape material and natural landscape features in urban and rural play sites. Providing opportunities for diverse play./This includes accommodating natural play for all age ranges including devising social spaces for parents and carers onsite. Provide the opportunity for children of all abilities and needs to mix./ There should be no barriers for people with special needs which may include carers or parents. Encourage community participation in the design process./ The design required has to work for the community and captivate preferences of the neighbours of the site. Ensure the play space can be used by all ages./ The play site must incorporate many aspects of risk for its users to develop an understanding of risk. Design to develop childrens experiences of taking r Designing a Natural Play Environment Designing a Natural Play Environment Introduction ‘Natural Play is a fundamental aspect of a childs development and physical exercise. Through play, a childs personality develops and they gain a greater control of mind and body. Play has opportunities for social, ethical and emotional development. Environmental based play initiates instinctive play as well as self-reliance, confidence and maturity [1] Play is used as a medium for translating one childs personal culture to another, this quote portrays findings from the psychologist Arnaud in 1984 [2] ‘ I really believe there is something about nature that when you are in it , it makes you realise that there are far larger things at work than yourself.Being in nature can be the a way to escape without fully leaving the world. [3] Landscape architects have recently been given the responsibility to design ‘natural play schemes under the 2006 Play England initiatives which have provided the largest ever national investment in natural play. [4] Under these initiatives, the traditional concept of equipped play areas has been disregarded and instead, a greater emphasis is given to creating ‘naturalistic play environments for different age groups. Consequently, landscape architects have now a greater role in the development of play areas rather than the installation of equipment for play solutions. However, there are constraints which determine the extent to which landscape architects can give a ‘natural play experience. This study will explore and review recent projects in order to evaluate the success of such schemes. The research for this study is based upon the authors experience working on Newcastle City Councils Play Englands Play Pathfinder schemes during the summer of 2009 as well as design ing and building an aerial walkway on a woodland adventure trail which was developed on a farm open to the public. [5], [6] The study will be informed by examples from published literature, studies and information from play companies. Firsthand experience of the subject gained through designing, building and managing natural play areas as well as observations on regular visits to Skelton Grange Environmental Centre (Leeds) and during a field trip to Denmark (2009) will also be used. Aims and Objectives The aim of the study is to identify the principles behind the planning and design of natural play areas, as well as discussing constraints which affect the implementation. Factors that affect the design of natural play areas will be discussed; childhood development, social context, aspects of the site, management and expenditure as well as possible avenues which have not been considered under the Play England initiative. In doing this, it is hoped to determine to what extent ‘natural play environments can be designed and implemented in England. What is ‘natural play? Before discussing the design of ‘natural play schemes it is important to define ‘natural play and how it has evolved. Natural play provides play opportunities in a changing natural landscape. Natural play can enable children to feel more confident in themselves, often revealing their deeper feelings and sharing of their ideas. Natural play has many invaluable qualities that cannot be taught through structured learning activities; the theories of natural play are robustly supported by researchers from varied disciplines including psychology, education, philosophy, anthropology and recreation. [7] The evolution of natural play spaces The essence of childrens play has changed little over the centuries. The links between the play patterns of un-modernised and developed societies have been shown to be very similar. For example ‘!Kung children in the Kalahari desert use an object, in their case the sheath of a banana leaf, to symbolise a baby and these mothering games are similar to those played by children in developed societies who play with dolls. [8] However, adults controlling childrens lives have imposed a series of changing theories as to how they should play. During the age of enlightenment when all sorts of theories were being examined Rousseau (1712-1778), the French philosopher, valued the importance of good experiences to mental development in children. When he heard of children forced to read and not play he wrote â€Å"those who would rob these little innocents of the joys that pass so quickly, he went on to say, ‘We must never forget all this should be play, the easy and voluntarily control of movement which nature demands of them, the art of varying their games to make them pleasanter without the least bit of constraint. To a child of 10 or 12 work or play are all one, with the proviso that the activity of play is ‘with the charm of freedom. [9] The case studies for this essay have been chosen following observations of natural play schemes during 2008 2009. The sites cover the fundamental aspects and current trends of natural play used by after school clubs, Play England, Natural England initiatives, and environmental learning projects. Play pathfinders and play builder explain Skelton Grange Skelton Grange Environment Centre, Leeds is located 5 km from Leeds City Centre (figs.). The site is a gentle sloping 8 Acre site with woodland, open meadows, lawns and riverside walks. The site is located in a large industrial area on the periphery of Leeds City Centre and is leased from the National Grid. The project is an innovative, award winning, environmental education project that aims to bring alive the issues surrounding sustainable development. [15]The project is hoped to help people develop an understanding and appreciation of the environment by educating its visitors on ways to safeguard our future. The scheme funded by BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) aims to use the Eco Centre and surrounding landscape to support a wide range of activities working mainly with children, young people and adults on school trips, play schemes, community groups as well as teenage individuals. The site is used for education and training sessions, practical conservation, and BTVC volunteer development. BTCV staff at the centre work with young people and adults, schools, play schemes, community groups and individuals on developing an understanding appreciation of their environment, and their role in safeguarding its future. The children who visit annually are from inner city West Yorkshire primary schools. These children gain many valuable experiences of environmental play which can be absorbed and provide inspiration for similar forms of play at home or school. The most striking issue which was observed on the site was the willingness to the children o learn and play in a rugged natural environment as many of the inner city children have a very limited horizons when it comes to getting out of town. Broom House Farm ‘Adventure trail Broom House Farm ‘Adventure Trail is Located in the Durham countryside approximately 6 miles east of Durham City (figs.). The adventure trail is set on land belonging to a diverse ‘organic farm enterprise. The surrounding landscape has a significant impact on the adventure trail as it is visible from the trail and relates to educational material within the trail. The woodland where the adventure trail is located is predominantly coniferous however there are many mature broadleaved species in the woodland. Most of the coniferous woodland was established over 50 years ago when the land was set aside by the farming tenants after it was open cast for coal. The woodland is very diverse in flora and fauna. The trail is open to the public and has approximately 4,000 public visitors, 60 school parties per annum. These include visits through a recent Natural England initiative (name it) . There are also visitors from institutions for people with special needs. The wood offers a wi de range of natural based learning activities and many outlets for un-structured natural play. The site has been designed to enable a sense of discovery for visiting children, consequently giving a strong bond with the environment. The site is unique in the area and proves very successful with all users, the blend of natural play, education and playing within a woodland environment strongly complement each other. Visitors with special needs gain special interaction with nature when visiting. The bonding with nature is also highly significant for children visiting the site from deprived inner city areas of Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland and Durham. During my experience as education/safety officer at Broom House Farm (2008), I supervised and carried out educational activities with the children. This was an important experience for me as over a period of time I was able to observe the children using the natural play setting. During the summer of 2009 I designed and helped build new additions to the adventure trail including a 100m raised board walk and other play zones (figs.). Denmark Junk Playground The play site is located in Fredriksberg, a central district of Copenhagen, Denmark. The site consists of a large clearing in a Beech woodland. The perimeter has mature trees which overhang much of the site. Shrubs have been integrated next to structures built by the children . This unique ‘Junk Playground also caters as an after school club for the adjoining school. The site offers a safe environment for children to be supervised from a distance, allowing them to construct a variety of custom built play equipment from shelters to play structures. This resource is run by adults employed by the council and funding from parents, all staff have a degree in some form of child development or education. The facility is also open at weekends when it is supervised by parents. The site is a huge success and is very popular. The value of this resource to the local community is very high; children are left at the after school club everyday so they have to be very imaginative in the playspace to keep them occupied. The outcome of what the children design and build is usually well implemented. The community involvement of many parents also helps safeguard the success of the site on weekends. The site has an importance policy which allows children to construct play equipment, this is a good example of allowing risk in the play environment. It was interesting to observe the competence of children as they explained what they had built and the construction methods learnt. More importantly the children explained that everyone uses the tools in a responsible manner, consequently there are few injuries. ADD? Children are constantly encouraged to be creative within the education system. Depending on their age many have a drive to create constructions. Through natural play, natural materials can be used to create personal play equipment. This adds a further dimension to the benefits of natural play. When children construct anything they feel more confident of another intuitive childhood process. Within the Danish junk playground, children are issued with and allowed to bring their own construction tools such as hammers, nails, saws and other materials to construct play equipment from the abundance of materials provided. These materials include wood, block paving and other recycled materials. The quality of the constructions made is inspected by adults for strength and any other irregularities. Through this process errors can be corrected and the equipment passed as being safe. The individuals responsible for the construction then shows their play mates and they share their special creations with each other and revise there constructions and equipment with a greater knowledge of construction. The constructions are often nestled and integrated within site, composed of mature trees and shrubs. The success of the natural environment is the popularity of building these structures and games within the greener areas of the site. Fagan refer to sketch book for his opinions and feelings about the thriving site from a childs perspective? Skrammellegepladsen A scheme in place in Fredriksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark were by children build natural play environments adding a different dimension to natural play, combining out of school care and natural play recreation. The results of this scheme is of huge significance to my study and is very popular on the streets of Copenhagen. Parents pick children up from the centre up to as late as 5 o clock. The children are fed with healthy meals which they often cook themselves, children are then free to roam the site playing and constructing play spaces. The children are issued with hammers, nails, wood, hard landscaping materials. The teaching staff all have degrees orientated around primary and youth education. The centre accommodates for ages up to 15 Years of age. There is a strong drive within Play England Guidelines to accommodate teenagers, in particular girls within natural play schemes within Britain. The site in Fritsberg is adjacent to a large inner city school so the visiting children have a quick transition between the two spaces. This could be more common as schools both within the inner cities and rural areas have a wider perimeter to their site with scope to expand, typically a site composed of wasteland grasslands, gravel, mud and pockets of trees with huge potential for transformation to create natural play spaces to socialise and spend countless hours in order to develop. The possibility for making the most of school yard sites would be of double affect as playground play is one few occasions children get to play in a safe environment. If developed playgrounds were open to the community more and not as segregated. As much of the school site in un used within the school timetable with limited Sport, Outdoor play and education it would make sense to make more use of these spaces as natural play sites. One of the biggest bonuss to the scheme adjacent to the school in Fritsberg is the lack of Adult intervention. The children when playing are left outside to their o wn devices yet could seek help, if needed from staff who located themselves near to the building entrance. Newcastle play sites Location Distance from city etc / Add type of landscape, fields, water, woodland and surrounding area flat, hills etc? These play sites have been identified by the council to be improved, using funding from Play England. These playgrounds up graded from a play pathfinder to play builder, Some of these sites have been completed ADD Observations not mentioned in table. How children use it. What you thought was good about it. The activities carried out in these environments have many benefits enhancing childrens ability to recognise and appreciate the natural play environment. Sketches of the natural settings within these sites have been included. The natural qualities deployed create stimulating surroundings with opportunities for more imaginative play and wonder. Adults may view nature as a surrounding for the childs activities. However children seem to view a natural play space as a sensory experience and a place where they can interact within a fantastical environment. Children develop their imagination continually through everyday experiences, which is essential in the childs development as a well rounded individual within society. Why is natural play important today? Natural play environments offer a diversity of natural landscape experiences such as trees, vegetation, wildlife, plants, shaded areas, shelter, water, rivers and hiding spaces create a timeless naturalistic landscape. Children using natural play environments can become thoroughly engaged with nature. [16] The wide variations of the natural elements to play schemes can trigger unique spontaneity, for example playing with living creatures such as insects, building dens with natural materials or setting physical challenges within the environment such as climbing trees. [17] Children seem to have a natural affinity with nature and love for the natural outdoors but today opportunites for this can be limited. Natural England carried out a survey in 2009 which identified that less than 10% of children have the opportunity to play in woodland settings, the countryside or parks. The research also discovered that only 24% of children visit a natural environment once a week in comparison to 53 % of adults who did so in their childhood. [18] The benefits to children from playing in natural play environments A recent lecture by Paul Walker the Director of Timbercare (designers and builders of natural play landscapes, mainly manufacturing wooden play units) highlighted his personal opinions of many elements of natural play. He concluded his speech by saying that ironically the investment within the surrounding landscape of a play area was more valuable to children than a collection of individual equipment which the company specialises in providing. [19] Walker felt strongly about his childhood experiences of natural play, he told many stories of his freedom one of which was how by the age of 11 he had a 6 Mile radius to roam within central Sheffield. The complexity of his different play spaces were therefore hugely diverse including post industrial landscapes, derelict buildings, woodland areas, canals and streets. Walkers primary concern for his industry today is the necessity for low risk in play. Although safety standards now take a more balanced approach he felt they could go further. [20] He felt his childhood experiences of natural based play had a variety of different elements of danger and risk taking, making children of that era much more adventurous and evolving life skills in the changing environment around Sheffield. Another professional who believes that children should have similar opportunities to Paul Walker is an American journalist Richard Louv whose revolutionary phrase ‘Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder sums up the restrictions facing the majority of children in modernised society. The quote below illustrates trends in child play. ‘ONE EVENING WHEN (sic) my boys were younger, Mathew, then ten, looked at me from across a restaurant table and said quite seriously, â€Å"Dad, how come it was more fun when you were a kid?†. Within the space of a few decades, the way children understand and experience nature has changed radically. The polarity of the relationship had been reversed. Today, kids are aware of the global threats to the environment but their physical contact, their intimacy with nature, is fading. Thats the exact opposite of how it was when I was a child. [21] Louv feels that our affinity to nature is innate and in jeopardy across the modernised world. Quoting Sobel he discusses the changes which have occurred in the experience of obtaining food suggesting that food has become almost abstract now being a product in a supermarket which has little connection with the field or farm it came from. Children are now having to learn where food comes from through schemes such as Natural Englands ‘Learning Outside initiative.[22], [23] School trips to farms in England are limited as they take up considerable financial and staffing resources and often only occur once a year as seen at Broom House Adventure Trail. [24] Urban living can be an experience which is disconnected from nature and can create â€Å"ecophobia† a term which Sobel devised to explain a fear that nature can be physically dirty and dangerous. While working at Broom House Adventure Trail it was apparent from children and teachers that children were warned not to get dirty and were wearing expensive designer clothing. This made a barrier to the children fully experiencing natural play and it would be beneficial to the children if teachers made it clear to parents that there would be a strong possibility of clothes getting dirty and damaged. Some of the children also seemed initially hesitant and detached from the natural environment. [25] Benefits to Childrens Health from Natural Play Watching children using the play sites described in this study it is obvious they expend a great deal of energy and burn many calories. Not all children prefer sport and some do not like organised activities, but all children want to play. Natural play offers less structured opportunities for refining skills such as balance, endurance and confidence and provides a valuable solution for steering children away from childhood obesity. Many children are at risk from health problems caused by their life styles which include poor diet and lack of exercise. In 2009 it was reported that ‘25% of boys and 33% of girls between two and 19 are overweight. [26] It was noted in this survey that â€Å"parents are getting so used to seeing overweight kids, they do not recognise their own children are obese†. These problems cost the National Health over  £2 billion annually. County Durham is one of the worst areas in England for childhood obesity. [27] At Broom House Farm Adventure Trail it was noted that the obese children had less self confidence, were more negative in their approach to playing on the equipment and were teased by classmates. Benefits to Childrens Mental Health from Natural Play The BMJ group estimate that 2 children in every class of 30 schoolchildren will have ADHD. [28] There is a strong belief that children with behaviour and learning difficulties, such as ADHD, are thought to be deprived from the experience of natural play. [29] Louv reports that parents of children with these problems are being taken to natural play environments in order for them to experience situations which require intense concentration, the children are compelled to observe what is around them and become part of the environment rather than separate from it. [30] Children with special needs at Broom House Adventure Trail were seen to greatly enjoy the sensory experience of being close to vegetation, running around and watching others playing on equipment. The carers commented that the escapism of being in such a calming atmosphere was beneficial to their state of mind and they would appreciate access to such a facility more often. One respite care home arranged for their children to attend the adventure trail weekly in conjunction with their other activities. Benefits to Children from interaction with playmates Today many children in England lead less active lives as they are able to watch non-stop television or play indoors on computer games. This decreases the amount of interaction they have with parents, siblings and friends. Curry and Arnaud noted that ‘By the age of four and five children are extremely sensitive to each other and acutely tuned to what interests, pleases or provokes another child. [31] Decreased opportunities to interact through observation, collaboration and discussion during play can have a damaging effect on the confidence of a child and their ability to interact in play environments and in their future lives. Playing with others give children the chance to learn about equality and become integrated within wider cultures. During a consultation process at Kippax Ash Tree Primary School the children discussed their visit to Skelton Grange where they worked together making a shelter and a ‘pebble island to simulate an imaginary civilisation in the woodland. The idea of the project was to encourage the children to integrate through constructive play and say how they would survive on the island. The outcome was a number of sustainable solutions which they had learnt about during the course of the day. Opportunities to develop self reliance Natural play environments develop a childs independence and self sufficiency. When a child enters a natural play environments they can develop a distance from their carers or parents either individually or with other children exploring. This opportunity for play can be achieved in any outdoor space, however in a natural play environment it is enhanced by the magical natural surroundings. This process is important to children who live in confined conditions and are restricted from access to natural play by the location of their accommodation and poverty. White and Stoecklin state ‘While the development of greater independence from toddlerhood to middle childhood can happen within the confines of indoor spaces, safe space outdoors greatly adds to the ability of children to naturally experiment with independence and separation, and the adults willingness to trust the childs competence which is essential for separation to happen. [32] When children accompanied by parents played in the woodland at Broom House they were often heavily restricted by parents who would not allow them to explore the zoned play spaces alone. This was seen on many occasions and created a barrier to the full potential of the natural play experience for their children. It was interesting to note that although school children stayed within their small teaching groups and despite not being in the comfort of their friendship groups, they were sufficiently stimulated to play together. It was also interesting to observe that the children moved quickly from the natural based play equipment to evolve new imaginative games, making maximum use of the woodland. It was also observed that the paths were used as catalyst for exploring the site within a time limit. [33] Opportunities for exposure to nature Our interactions with nature can be hugely diverse depending upon the environment which a child lives in or is exposed to. The experience of different materials, changing seasons and making connections to nature are important components in natural play. [34] The provision of living material in natural play landscapes incorporates the underlying processes of nature and therefore gives a strong understanding of nature gained through physical interaction and watching seasonal changes in the landscape. ‘Plants and vegetation as a medium within play spaces develop interactive skills. Plants stimulate discovery, dramatic pretend play, and imagination. Plants speak to all of the senses, so its not surprising that children are closely attuned to environments with vegetation. Plants, in a pleasant environment with a mix of sun, shade, colour, texture, fragrance, and softness of enclosure also encourage a sense of peacefulness†[35]. When children experience nature, it can be in a v ariety of sensory experiences its value is precious and can be remembered for a long time. Children appreciate the natural layers of the earth no matter how small the play space. Moore recorded a conversation with girls about playing in sand ‘We make streams in the sand when it rains and comes down the hill the girls said. The got down on their hands and knees and embarked on a sequence of sand play. Within a few moments they had laid out a network of â€Å"roads† running around the humpy surface of the fine, hard-packed, sandy soil. Other infrastructure such as houses and an imaginary manor house was also built. [36] * Water play The outdoor environment provides a variety of contrasting surfaces with different textures and play qualities. Recent heavy snowfall in England (2009) triggered instinctive responses to an element which acted as a catalyst for all ages to enjoy excitement and freedom without hesitation or social barriers. Natural materials are used to enhance environmental play for deprived inner city schools of Leeds such as Skelton Grange Environmental Centre in Leeds (West Yorkshire). One of the many natural based activities completed by school visitors is to construct components of the imaginary settlement described above using, sand, soil, water, twigs and leaves. This exercise although educational connects the children with natural materials. Design Design of Natural play environments can produce a range of natural play experiences rather than a single type as per traditional equipped play area†¦ DISCUSS HOW How can a landscape architect in the UK create ‘natural play environments? The previous section outlined an understanding of what natural play is, case studies and the benefits of designing natural play areas. Play England have given landscape architects the opportunity to design natural play areas in many parts of England what considerations need to be taken into account when designing them? New Initiatives of Play England between the years 2006 2009 Play England began working for the childrens play programme in 2006 and 2007, with funding gained from ‘The Big Lottery fund. The recent Play England guidelines show the design principles of Play England. Play England has produced many documents summarising the commitments announced for the Play Strategy of England. The two most relevant one to this study include the ‘Play Strategy and ‘Design for Play. [37] ‘Weve recently moved over to assessing the tenders on play value much more and this has forced the quality standards up, with suppliers now trying to outdo each other for natural play as well as good design and sheer quantity of features †¦ we score each activity and feature for points and use this information to guide us in consideration of the tenders. In the end though it still comes down to us trying to decide which will offer the best play opportunities for the next 15 years or more. Play England have worked in tune with a range of professionals to ensure the best possible guidelines for Landscape Architects to work towards during implementation of the national Play Strategy in their work. Play England is supporting local authority Playbuilders and Play Pathfinders (focusing on 8-13 yrs olds). Their purpose is to deliver the governments  £235m investment in play and natural play in order to create innovative and adventurous play spaces across the UK. This level of investment has not been made before in England. The Play Pathfinder scheme is intended to provide free play opportunities for children and young people in the country over the next 10 years. The Government announced in April 2009 that the overall success of the schemes would be reviewed by children in their local areas. A conference is planned in March 2010 and will explore the future and momentum of the campaign after the last four years. Play England Guidelines Since 2006 Landscape Architects have been required by Play England to adopt design principles which take into consideration the summarised guidelines below for new and refurbished natural play schemes (please see appendix 1 for Play England Design Principles in full); [38] Enhancing the site. Site analysis work ensuring the spirit of the chosen site is enhanced, complementing attractive parts of the site and enhancing poorer environments. Using the best location. A balance in defining the exact location of the proposed park, between safety of the child user and seclusion. Enhancing natural features of the site as well as adding new features./Adding a variety of new soft landscape material and natural landscape features in urban and rural play sites. Providing opportunities for diverse play./This includes accommodating natural play for all age ranges including devising social spaces for parents and carers onsite. Provide the opportunity for children of all abilities and needs to mix./ There should be no barriers for people with special needs which may include carers or parents. Encourage community participation in the design process./ The design required has to work for the community and captivate preferences of the neighbours of the site. Ensure the play space can be used by all ages./ The play site must incorporate many aspects of risk for its users to develop an understanding of risk. Design to develop childrens experiences of taking r

White Noise Essay -- Literary Analysis, Don DeLillo

In Don DeLillo’s eighth novel: White Noise, warmly accepted by critiques, the author exposes, that the money gained colossal meaning during our time, plunging down other values like freedom of customer choice and respect for shoppers. In his work of fiction he illustrates how current world of commerce impacts our minds by manipulating our decisions, and also he indicates that a human nature demonstrates immense vulnerability for such attack. Moreover the ubiquitous commercials lead us to desire of having things we never tried before, to see things not worth seeing, to buy stuff we really do not need. The novelist tries to open our eyes to identify and understand how works this commercial destructive mechanism. There are plenty of commerce techniques, which lead customers to make a certain selection, to convince them to buy a product. Sometimes those techniques are so forceful that may radically change our opinion. One of the very first scenes shows us a picture of the family eating lunch. DeLillo focuses our attention on how packaged is the food on the table: â€Å"open cartons, crumpled tinfoil, shiny bags of potato chips, bowls of past substances covered with plastic wrap, flip-top rings and twist ties†(7). There are a lot of things, but I would say: lack of food. From Babette, current Jack’s wife, who prepared the meal, we hear, that the matter of fact, she wanted them to eat something totally different. Farther she is critiqued by her teenager daughters: Denise and Steffie for her bad taste: †She keeps buying that [food]. But she never eats it† (7). How is it, that Babette, who picks the food, makes so horrific purchases? She is the brightest example of someon e, who stopped to think independently, and got attracted to shiny packa... ...ldings with zillion products we can select from. There must be a place where we can get the goods, it is fantastic that we also can relax, listen music, meet a friend, and enjoy ourselves there. However we, the clients must be aware of the fact, that those places are gigantic, war arenas where our minds are under siege, where our brains may be attacked by subconscious contents, that those palaces are really full of hidden suggestion traps. This is the full package. Don DeLillo in his novel states, that we easily become victims of massive number of commercials, and salesmen, whose job is to guide us â€Å"to endless well-being† (83). From the well-trained specialist we hear: what we want to wear, eat, listen, read, and this is the time when we truthfully die. We die as a separate, unique, valuable unit, in order to become subscriber to the â€Å"noises from the tiers† (84).

Marketing Audit Hotel

The purpose of this report is to evaluate The Felbridge Park Hotel’s marketing capabilities. This family owned business based in Sussex belongs to the UK Hotel Industry. Elements of Hotel Catering are also included in discussion due to the hotel’s restaurant. The recession is the main economic factor affecting this industry. 2009 has been tougher than 2008, ‘although there has been an increase in the number of consumers taking UK breaks in 2009 , it is the cheaper end of the accommodation market that has seen the most benefit from this, eg budget hotels and the likes of Butlins. (Mintel 2009) (See Appendix Figure 1).The strongest macro-economic factors affecting hotels are political/legal and economic. Nonetheless environmental, socio-cultural and technological are also regarded. External Analysis Macro-Environment PEST Analysis Political/Legal: Licences to operate interfere and they can change with political times. Tort of negligence and discrimination laws are o ther factors affecting Fekbridge Park Hotel as the swimming pool can be a hazard and staff can be accused of negligence. Overbooking is liable to tort of negligence.All these can financially affect the hotel; in addition they might ruin its reputation. There are laws regarding eviction, reasons must be clearly stated. The restaurant is taken separately, having its own legal and political factors, although they are similar to the ones mentioned above. The industry is facing an increased amount of bureaucracy with the ban on smoking in public areas and increasing concerns about binge-drinking. This comes, of course, on top of the existing costs of complying with Health and Safety Legislation.Economical: ‘The hotel market generally has been one of the worst affected by the recession in the field of hospitality, with high levels of insolvencies and redundancies rife as a way of controlling costs. (Mintel 2009) ’ This affects the disposable income, consumers putting a greate r focus on value for money. Another economic factor is pound power, a consequence of the Credit Crunch, which declined against the euro and dollar (Appendix, Figure 10). This is favourable to abroad visitors that might be attracted by the exchange rates.High prices not only on hotel services, but customers see hotel restaurants overpriced as well. ‘Mintel found that 16m people think this. ’ Environmental: Concerning both the hotel and its restaurant is consumer behaviour, which can incline favourable to organic products and environmental friendly services and products. Socio-cultural: A trend of cuisine fusion is rising as people want to enjoy different cuisines. ‘Consumers are increasingly demanding to new styles of food and drink from different parts of the world (e. . French, Italian, Portuguese, Indian, Japanese, Thai, Malaysian and Middle Eastern) and restaurants serving these styles are continually springing up. ’ (Case study) ‘Both the hotel an d hotel catering markets are expected to receive a significant boost from major sporting events being held in the UK in the coming years: the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics and the 2015 Rugby World Cup. ’ (Mintel 2010) These cultural events will attract large numbers of visitors, mainly in London which is close to Sussex.On the other hand European Tour Operators Associations argues that the Olympics can harm England as no country has been able to correctly predict demand. They are warning accommodation owners to not increase prices. (Mintel 2010) Technological factors do not have an influential impact on the hotel industry. Micro-environment Markets The Total Revenue of the Hotel Market in 2010 is estimated to 11,516, an increase from 10,968 in 2009. (Mintel 2010) Recession has crushed demand and people started looking for alternatives.‘Camping and caravanning are negatively affecting the hotel market. (Mintel 2009) ‘The proportion of revenue per room in the UK der ived from Food & Beverage (F&B) has declined by 2% between 2006 and 2008: the average F&B revenue received per room for the UK in 2008 was  £9,522, continuing recent declines. ’ (Mintel 2009) Customers Market statistics show a focus on corporate and conferences, followed by leisure. The first, main segment has been drastically affected by credit crunch whereas the second segment increased during recession and after. This proves the importance tourists have for hotel industry and Felbridge Park Hotel adapted fast to this change.Moreover customers choose to stay in UK rather than abroad in 2009. (Mintel 2010) The hotel’s segmentation comprises two consumer segments: business ‘companies from London’ and UK based tourists which are attracted by traditional food and location (between London and South Coast). Regarding the restaurant ‘almost 13m people like the convenience of eating where they’re staying: these consumers tend to be third agers, wh o are generally attracted to menus with simple, traditional dishes. ’ (Mintel 2009) this aspect is favourable to the hotel.The gap in the restaurant hotel market is with ‘11m consumers’ that believe hotel restaurants are mainly for their own guests. (Mintel 2009) Restaurants do not satisfactorily encourage this segment. Competitors Direct competitors are locally based, for both the restaurant and hotel. (Case study) There are also substitutes-competitors, further discussion on the topic later in the report. Porters Five Forces Framework Barriers to entry: High costs and unfavourable economic times, as it is a recovering market. Established hotels including Felbridge Park Hotel whose reputation and fame is growing.High investments in creating a reputation and name are needed. Bargaining power of buyers: Buyers have a high power as they are creating the demand and due to the recession they have emphasised value for money. Their requirements are various and they are affected by many factors in the decision-making process of choosing a hotel and/or hotel-restaurant. Threat of new substitutes is sizeable due to cheap alternatives consumers are searching. It was more powerful in 2009 but decreased in 2010 as the economy is stabilizing.Consumers could have chosen camping, weekend spa treatments or just a backyard barbeque as ways of relaxation instead of scheduled vacations. Threat of industry competitors: Selsdon Park Hotel through its own golf field. Felbridge Park Hotel has a more strategical location in comparison to Selsdon Park Hotel, but it does not own a golf court. Gatwick Hilton is a main competitor. Especially because a significant part of Felbridge Park’s business customers are staying here for easier access to the airport. Bargaining power of suppliers is low as most hotels have the same suppliers; the same for a hotel restaurant.Internal Analysis Profitability The development suffered by the hotel in the last 20 years with not iceable enlargements in number of rooms and additional features, can only suggest that there is a cash flow, hence the hotel is being profitable. Also the increasing reputation of the restaurant is attracting locals, which leads to an assumption that is being productive. Marketing metrics such as customer satisfaction ratings are positive: food is popular with businessmen, good custom from guests; nonetheless there have been complaints with serving times. On a long term it can lead to a negative reputation.Capabilities: Assets and Competencies An asset is the owner’s reputation which increases brand awareness and has been applying to the restaurant as well as the hotel. Permanent staff (assets: people and internal communication) is reliable therefore building customer relationships. Attracting local customers is an asset as it creates consistency and also brand awareness. The swimming pool is an asset. ‘Hotel guests are most willing to pay a premium for a swimming pool or a quality restaurant. ’(Mintel 2009) The culture is represented through ‘a family business’ label which customers might appreciate.Sandra’s background is an effective marketing tool as it created alertness and a name for the hotel. It is still applying today. Strategy As segmentation is concerned they focused primarily on businessmen segment and later on the tourists market. Families are a third segment that has not proved productive. The approach adopted is to offer cut priced services. They have been attracting only UK tourists although their position is optimum for receiving abroad guests. Data interpretation: the present strategy does not completely, effectively and efficiently connect the hotel’s assets and capabilities to the market opportunities.The owner family is not exploiting their marketing tool (Sandra’s reputation); they do not tailor service packages according to their segmented markets. The restaurant opening times can be s een inconvenient by customers. The Marketing Mix – The 7 P’s The hotel’s products are: a swimming pool, 60 standard bedrooms, 20 ‘affluent’ suites and 20 family suites; conference room, bar, bistro and a restaurant. The 60 bedrooms are in their matury stage of PLC (were purchased in 1990, part of the hotel).Assuming the bar, bistro and restaurant aren’t new developments they are as well in their maturity stage. This means sales growth will or are slowing down and competition increases. The swimming pool, 40 bedrooms and conference rooms are in the growth stage of PLC because they are later developments and ‘proved to be attractions in market’. In this stage sales should start increasing. Relating the products to Henderson’s BCG therefore judging from market share and growth, the 20 family bedrooms are question marks as until now they have not proved themselves to generate cash flow.All the others are stars as they have pro ven able to obtain market share (they are all attracting and appealing to consumers) but they are not market leaders to become cash cows. Price: the current strategy has included a price reduction, proved ‘moderately successful’ but on the long term it can affect the business (only 10% of consumer buy on price). Place: the location of the hotel is strategically and can be effective as a marketing tool. It facilitates International tourist activity and International business. For UK tourists and businessmen the hotel is located between London and the South, another plus.Surrounding attractions in combination with Sandra’s reputation are great marketing tools for tourists that want to enjoy golf. Forms of promotion where made through public relations due to the owner’s name and resulted in a widely present recognition. The case study does not provide any other information regarding advertising or any other promotions. Processes regarding restaurant services: only evening service and standardized times do not offer flexibility for the businessmen segment nor variety for the tourist segment.People: complaints about temporary staff can mean not enough training and not shared values as they are not fully integrated in the team. Permanent staff on the other hand is an asset as they create customer relationships. The main physical evidence is related to the restaurant and consists in the English traditional menu which is appreciated by the local market, but questionable for the International market. As trends in the industry show an inclination towards fusion cuisine this present feature might affect the hotel.

Health and Vitamins essays

Health and Vitamins essays Vitamins are everything and nothing. One all the high-pressure advertising and Farfetched claims and stripped away, vitamins emerge as what they really are: everyday Chemicals found in minuscule amounts in almost everything you eat. Vitamins are so Common that it is almost impossible to get them out of food. The closest anyone has come so far to vitamins-free dishes in white flour, white rice, white cornmeal, white sugar, and all the other are to much of a process for food. Even more important, if you keep up all the vitamins you need each day in a pile, that pile would be smaller then period at the end of this sentence. To look at it another way, divide an 1000 parts: your maximum vitamins requirement is a mere 7 of those parts every 24 hours. You could store all the vitamins you need each year in a thimble-and still Everybody really needs vitamins. They play an indispensable role in millions of everyday chemical reaction that occur in the body. Every important event, from digestion to reproduction to ready to walking, requires one vitamin or another. If you were to eat a diet totally lacking in vitamins, your life expectancy would be measured in weeks, if not Back in 1940 when the German Luftwaffe was destroying London by relentless and methodical bombing, the Royal Air Force suddenly got the upper hand, particularly in high air battle. The rigidly censored British newspaper gleefully revealed to all the world that the British advantage was the result of feeding carrots supposedly rich in vitamin A to the fighter pilots to prevent night blindness. From that moment on, a generation of American youngsters were conscientiously overdosed with raw carrots to protect them from night blindness, a disease that has not been a serious threat since the year 1349, when an epidemic occurred in Holland. Even more important, the newspaper ...