Meynell is the director of Meynell Games, an organisation that exists “to create better opportunities for children’s play”.
He is a playworker, playwork trainer / lecturer, and playwork advocate. He has been working with children and young adults in various capacities for 50 years and has been fortunate enough to have experienced working in most kinds of settings and with groups of children in a host of countries across three continents.
A MPhil and qualifications in teaching, youth work, playwork and expertise in early years has given him a very clear understanding of the role of play and its importance in the everyday lives of children. He travels extensively across the globe to discuss play and playwork with both face-to-face workers and academics.
He likes to consider himself as a ‘practising’ playworker so as to emphasise that he continues to learn - and make mistakes!
In his current work as a frontline playworker Meynell undertakes occasional sessions turning up to support play in parks, festivals and play spaces around the country. He is also the Manager at Hastings Adventure Playground. Meynell continues to train play people around the world using his day-to-day practices as a basis for the training.
Meynell is a radical maverick, blessed with a light touch of arrogance and whilst some people find him a little ‘brusque’ or ‘argumentative’ you can be assured that whatever his manner or approach his passion about children’s play will shine through.
His role as bookseller enables him to be one of the most well-read in the sector and has given him the opportunity to engage with many of the authors and academics who write about play, children and childhoods.
Since withdrawing from drinking alcohol and playing with whisky, Meynell now likes to explore coffees from around the world and play with them!
