Could you run a club?

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Interested in running your own out of school club? These pages offer an introduction to the different types of clubs and what's involved in running a club effectively.

Out of school clubs (sometimes called kids clubs) can open before and after school or all day long during school holidays, giving 3 to 14 year-olds (and up to 16 for children with special needs) a safe and enjoyable place to play, meet and sometimes catch up on homework.

Holiday play schemes are often run by voluntary organisations, local authorities or charities, in local parks, community centres, leisure centres or schools. They are not only a great place for youngsters to meet their friends, they also offer a wide range of activities to keep them busy, such as sports or drama, arts and crafts or music.

Many clubs are run by a voluntary management committee, made up of local parents or other interested individuals. The management committee is responsible for management decisions, keeping tabs on finance, legal and quality issues and usually carry legal responsibility for the club. To find out more about forming or serving on a management committee please click here.

A club co-ordinator works with the management committee, organising the day to day running of the club according to their decisions. The co-ordinator works directly with the children, planning activities and interacting with parents with the support of a team of qualified playworkers. The co-ordinator's role includes:

• organising and running or helping with anything from a breakfast club before school to a football team or holiday play scheme;
• preparing play activities;
• taking part in day-to-day administration, record keeping and buying and ordering materials;
• providing full care for children, such as delivering to school, collecting from school and delivering them safely to their parents or carers, possibly providing refreshments;
• administering first aid;
• encouraging parental involvement.

Entry qualifications
No formal qualifications are necessary, although a short entry course gives a good grounding. Trainees can take NVQ Level 2 Certificate in Playwork to become an assistant. NVQ Level 3 in Playwork or CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Playwork can lead to a supervisory role and there's also NVQ Level 4 in Early Years Care & Education and the Management Charter Initiative NVQ Levels 4 & 5 (also useful in other early years and childcare work).

Sheffield Out of School Network offers a range of training in childcare and playwork including the city's leading NVQ programme. Contact the Training Team for details on 0114 249 4941 or e-mail info@osn.org.uk.

Partly reproduced from the Sure Start Web Site - Crown Copyright 2005.