A look back at our 2024 Holiday Club activities
Our 2024 Holiday Clubs were a huge success, bringing joy to children and families in Essex throughout the school holidays. Thanks to our amazing team, sponsors and volunteers, we offered a wide range of fun and engaging activities for kids.
What is Holiday Club?
Our Holiday Clubs run weekly during most school holidays at our Essex office in Great Baddow. They offer children ages 6-11 the chance to join in fun, engaging activities, make new friends, and enjoy a provided lunch.
Generous donations from our corporate supporters mean these clubs are free, with priority given to lower-income families to help ease the financial pressures of school holidays. Our team carefully plans each session in partnership with local organisations to ensure a variety of activities. Holiday Club provides children with a safe space to socialise, try new things, and give parents and carers a well-deserved break.
Who is involved?
Our Holiday Club is a real collaboration involving all teams at Kids Inspire. Here’s a look at each of their roles:
Fundraising – secures sponsorships to fund our Holiday Clubs
Business Team – manages sign-ups, risk assessments, and coordination
Community Engagement – plans and leads activities
Volunteer Manager – organises our volunteers
Communications – promotes Holiday Club and shares highlights on our socials
It’s a true team effort, and we love every moment!
Recap of our 2024 Holiday Clubs
Our activities
In 2024, we hosted eight fun-filled Holiday Clubs, each offering something a bit different. Here’s a look back at some of our favourite moments:
February Half Term
We kicked off the year with a Circus Skills club, where Circus Allstars taught exciting tricks like feather balancing, spinning plates, and tightrope walking. After lunch, the children relaxed with a screening of Inside Out and board games.Easter Holidays
We had two Holiday Clubs over Easter. The first was an Alice in Wonderland Tea Party, where Jenny’s School of Baking guided children in decorating cakes and biscuits. The second, Bricks 4 Kidz led a LEGO Party where kids built a theme park complete with moving rides! Check out the reel we posted on our Instagram.Summer Holidays
Our summer activities included outdoor adventures, team-building, and hands-on learning. We were lucky enough to have Essex Outdoors with us twice: once for a Forest School activity where we built fires and dens, and another time for problem-solving challenges and races.
Even on the hottest Holiday Club of the summer, we kept cool with quizzes and LEGO challenges indoors. The grand finale was a Wonderstruck Science Extravaganza, featuring rocket launches and fan-powered cars.October Half Term – Our final Holiday Club of the year!
For our Halloween special, Essex Therapy Dogs brought five adorable dogs for a morning of learning all about these furry companions. This one was a favourite for both children and adults. The afternoon featured spooky biscuit decorating and a screening of Hotel Transylvania.
What did children think of this year’s Holiday Clubs?
As adults we know the value Holiday Club can bring, but don’t just take it from us. The children’s words say it all. When asked what the best part of the day they wrote:
‘everything’
‘trying something new’
‘making friends’
Other kids said:
‘Today was the first time doing forest schools and it was brilliant’
‘The day was fantastic’
‘One of the best clubs ever’
Thank you to our corporate sponsors and volunteers
Holiday Clubs wouldn’t be possible without the generous support and sponsorship of our corporate supporters. This year, generous financial donations from local and national businesses meant over 170 children could attend our Holiday Clubs.
Some corporate supporters also volunteered their time alongside our in-house Kids Inspire volunteers, giving them a firsthand experience of the positive impact their support has.
One corporate volunteer shared:
“We had a really inspired day. Being surrounded by the energies and optimism of youth was a great experience, and knowing we helped - even just a little - was a great feeling.”
Thank you to our 2024 sponsors:
We can't wait to do it all over again! Look out on the holiday club page for updates on 2025 clubs.