The Pension Playpen, an online community for pensions professionals, is to be relaunched by industry veterans Steve Goddard and Henry Tapper on 1^st July.

Originally founded by Tapper as a networking group in 2013, the revamped platform will offer a place for employers and practitioners to establish professional contacts, access expert insights via a range of events and online materials, and pitch in for new business tenders and job vacancies.

The Pension Playpen will feature exclusive content from a series of “All Star” pensions commentators, including former pensions minister Baroness Altmann, pensions and personal finance writer and broadcaster, Iona Bain, and Chief Executive of the Pensions Scams Industry Group Margaret Snowdon OBE.

Membership will be free to those who want to access to basic content, with standard and premium options available for additional functionality.

Steve Goddard, Chief Executive of The Pension Playpen, commented:

“The pensions industry is all about people and its success is based on the strength of relationships within it. Last year the COVID-19 crisis disrupted not only our businesses, but the collaborative atmosphere that drives everything we do. This is our contribution to building back better.”

The long-term aspiration is to develop a consumer facing arm to help more people better understand their pension and navigate their journey to retirement.

“We eventually want The Pension Playpen to be a one stop shop where people can access top-of-the-range, independent guidance on their pension in plain English. As an industry, we have a responsibility to help those struggling to find their way through all the noise generated about savings and investment across all forms of media, and we believe our platform presents a key way to achieve this.”

Tapper will remain involved as a commentator and Chairman. He added:

“Online networking channels for the pensions industry have tended to be rather exclusive and cliquey, which is what first led me to launch The Pension Playpen. In this next phase, we want it to become a truly diverse and inclusive space for pensions professionals, employers and members alike to be part of the conversation on how we can make our industry as fruitful as it can be for all involved.”