Marc Armitage is an independent consultant and researcher in children's play and the wider social world of children and young people. He began his professional career as a playworker in the early 1980s with Hull Community Playschemes Association and since then has worked as a field playworker, a double decker play bus worker, and a local authority play development officer. He has represented the play sector on many committees and representative groups and was for many years the Chair of the Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Play Association. Marc became freelance in 1989 and is now regularly contracted by departments of central and local government, universities and research groups, schools, play organisations and individual settings to deliver a variety of projects including independent evaluations, research and development work.

Rachel Murray is a freelance play consultant providing a range of services including play training, organisational development for play projects and development of play focussed work in and out of the play sector. She is advocate for play being a primary driver for positive child development alongside the usually identified factors such as access to high quality housing, education and health care. Rachel’s previous incarnations have included the Director of Play Association Tower Hamlets, Play Development Officer for Southwark Play Network, a long stint at the Scouts developing new groups and recruiting both adults and children and spreading the idea of environmental play as a Countryside Ranger. Her first experience of playwork was at 14 when she ran drama opportunities on a local play scheme.