Running holiday activity clubs

Holiday activity programmes are a great way for children and young people to try new sports, learn new things and meet new friends.

Here are our five ways to run a safe and enjoyable holiday club.

Five ways to run a safe activity club

1. Choose the right people

What values should you be looking for in your staff and volunteers? It’s not enough that they excel in their sport, but they must also value the rights of children, encourage inclusion and understand how to communicate with parents and carers.

Ways to choose the right people include:

• following safer recruitment processes 
• making sure staff and volunteers have the right training 
• having enough adults to look after the children to meet supervision ratios 

2. Listen to children and young people

An organisation that feels safe to children and young people puts their wellbeing and safety above all else. They should be able to feel free to express any concerns. This culture is created by listening to the voices of children in everyday activities and valuing what they say.

Ways to listen to children include:

• making time to understand the children and young people that take part in your sport or physical activity. Why are they at your organisation, what are their lives like and what do they want to get out of being there? This should shape how and what you offer
• encouraging all adults to listen when children speak and take any worries seriously and responding to concerns

3. Create a safer physical environment

To create a safe environment means planning and preparing for all incidents, but also making sure your communication is clear, you involve parents and carers and you take safety seriously.

Ways to create a safe environment include:

• writing a welfare plan to include planning for extreme rain, heat or cold, having enough first aid kits and first aiders, checking the venue and equipment are in good condition, planning for emergencies or cancellation and so on
• keep in touch with parents – let them know what their child has got up to and what they will be doing the next time they join. Also let them know how you will handle any changes, cancellations or injuries/emergencies
• ask for parents’ consent for children under 16 for the activity and taking photographs. Some 16 and 17-year-olds may be suitable to give their own consent, but you should still try to let their parents know out of courtesy

4. Be kind and inclusive

Part of creating a kind and inclusive environment means having the right staff and volunteers with the right values to care for children. The aim is to build a culture of always acting in the best interest of all children.

Ways to create a caring culture include:

• thinking about ways for all the children to take part, regardless of their ability, background, first language or experience, such as extra support, flexible rules or adapted equipment. Be that child's champion and ally
• holding a zero tolerance policy towards discrimination and having codes of conduct for all that encourage everyone to use kind words and respect differences

5. Share the process for dealing with a concern

All staff and volunteers should be given training or awareness of good safeguarding practice relevant to their role. Everyone should feel confident that they can recognise signs of abuse or a concern, respond in the moment to keep the child feeling safe and know who to report it to. All parents and carers should also be made aware of this process. 

Ways to deal with safeguarding concerns include:

• having a named safeguarding lead with primary responsibility for managing and reporting safeguarding concerns and for putting procedures into place that help safeguard children in your club or activity
• writing a welfare plan that sets out the steps for raising a concern or discussing any worries – for staff, parents and children include reporting procedures
• knowing how to contact your National Governing Body, Active Partnership or local statutory services in case you need to
• remembering the NSPCC Helpline is here to help, whether you have a concern or need some guidance and support 

To help promote well-run and safe holiday clubs, we've put together a poster that can be used by local authorities, leisure venues, active partnership and activity providers. These posters help parents and carers understand what they need to look out for and help them to choose the best holiday activity programmes for their child.