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Vivacity’s Club Viva: join the club!

Vivacity’s Club Viva offers a wide range of school holiday activities for children, whether it’s a club they can attend alone with expert supervision, or an event that the whole family attend together. Activities at Vivacity’s sport centres, libraries and Peterborough Museum cover everything from educational quests and arts and crafts to dressing up and sports – and for a busy parent having to work during school breaks, or in need of ideas to keep them entertained, it can be a godsend. The Moment talks to working mum Sophie Ambler, whose daughter Summer has become one of Club Viva’s biggest fans...

How and why did you choose Club Viva for Summer?
I am a full-time working mum, and as you can probably appreciate, trying to source childcare during half term and school holidays is never easy. Summer, who is six, also goes to the after-school clubs, so is already very familiar with the people who do all the sports. I did a little bit of research before she started going and all the reviews that I read were very good. I’ve also spoken to different members of staff who have always been very accommodating. On one occasion, for example, I forgot to give my daughter her lunch box when she went to one of the holiday clubs and they were more than happy for me to just drop it in. Nothing is too much trouble.

What does Summer most enjoy there?
She is majorly into arts and crafts but also loves sports – specifically football. But they do such a variety of everything, as well as being more than supportive of whatever the children themselves want to do. That’s one of the most important things as far as I’m concerned. But whenever she comes home from a day there she’s always really excited, really happy, wanting to tell me all about what she’s done. They had a dressing up day, which included all sorts of different tasks that they could do as well as choosing to dress up if they wanted to. She got to dress up as a Disney princess, which she thought was brilliant. There was one sports specific week where they were having tournaments, and she was coming home with medals that she’d won on different days and parading them in her bedroom! She was really proud of them – she did particularly well in football, but had never had a medal before, so to her that was a big deal. She was saying: ‘Mummy, look what I got! I did really well!’

Clearly she enjoys it – but do you see other benefits?
One thing with my daughter is that she doesn’t do well without routine. During the week we have strict routine that she sticks to, but if, during the school holidays, she doesn’t have a routine, her behaviour goes downhill. At Club Viva they have their routines and expectations about behaviour – sharing, being kind, all the good values that you’d expect – so she has a good, structured, safe environment that helps and supports her, rather than her normal routines going up in the air. I think with children consistency is needed, and that’s what she gets. All of her learning developments have been met and exceeded. She makes good friends there, too.

On that subject, is there a benefit to mixing with children of other ages?
She actually started doing the after school part of Club Viva from reception, and she’s now year two, so she’s been going quite a few years, but ever since she’s been going there’s been a mixed age group. She’s always excited to meet new people anyway, but is also quite developmentally advanced, so will mix with the older children and get on well with them, but also mother the younger children! So that is a win-win for her, too, having that variety of ages. She’s an only child, so this gives her a chance to interact with other children and have that ‘mothering’ sense of responsibility for the younger ones.

And how has Club Viva helped you as a parent?
If it weren’t for Club Viva, I wouldn’t be able to go to work. I don’t have immediate family around me who can offer to look after her, but the fact I have people there who I trust, who can look after her, means I can continue going to work knowing she’s happy. If I didn’t have that I have no idea what I would do! So, as far as childcare goes, it’s brilliant. The facilities are brilliant. All the snacks that they are provided with are nutritious, and they are given options of water, juice – always something that is healthy. I have no hesitation sending her there whatsoever and would recommend it to anyone. It gives me a chance to go to work, and she’s happy, she’s learning, she’s thriving… What more can you ask for?

About Club Viva
Club Viva runs after school and during school holidays for children aged 4+ and is a great opportunity for them to get involved in fun activities, make new friends and try something new. With a wide range of choice for parents and children, Club Viva also includes dropin days and activity sessions at Peterborough Museum and Vivacity Libraries, as well as weeklong programs of bookable sporting activities at Hampton, Jack Hunt and the Regional Pool – and all at a reasonable price.

Prices: ● £20 per day (8.30-5.30) ● £18 per day (10.00-4.00) ● £80 per week (8.30-5.30) ● £70 per week (10.00-4.00) ● There are also sibling discounts: £10 off per week or £2 off per day The next Club Viva for holidays will take place during the Easter holidays, during which Club Viva will also operate from Werrington Leisure Centre for the first time.

For timetables and more info, or to book visit www.vivacitypeterborough.com/clubviva

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