Club Central

Do you want to have your voice heard about recruitment in the childcare sector? Love Childcare Recruitment have just launched their annual survey. It captures the views of the sector workforce to help identify and understand the challenges. Share with your teams and contribute to the most comprehensive workforce review in wraparound.

If you know Julia Harris from the Club Central Conference then you will know that she is knowledgeable and passionate about brains, behaviour and neurodiversity and she is offering discounted places on her forthcoming course for wraparound providers. I have attended Julia's course and it is highly practical with lots of hints, tips, ideas and learning. Details below...

We had the wonderful Vie Portland (she/her) talk at the conference (which is somehow almost a month ago!). We have had incredible feedback about Vie's session and her books. And this book is now available for sale. Vie is continuing to receive wonderful feedback. So, please do check it out. Well done Vie for creating something so valuable!

Almost two weeks ago, we gathered at the Club Central Conference and Out-of-School Club Awards in London, bringing together near 200 out-of-school and wraparound childcare sector professionals. And what a day it was!!! Thank you to everyone that supported this year's event and contributed to its theme of Creating Sustainable Futures. We hope everyone took away actionable ideas they can implement in their organisations. Delegates highlighted how useful it was to have the Department for Education and Ofsted in the same room, engaging with providers. We also had an inspiring video address from Stephen Morgan, Minister for Early Education. This year's keynote speakers shared their sector knowledge and expertise generously, and we also had the opportunity to hear from speakers in and outside of our sector on topics of playwork, diversity and inclusion, leadership, recruitment and much more. Amongst all that learning we also got to play, with group games and practical demonstrations in the exhibitor hall, as well as during roundtable discussions. The OSCAs ceremony was just the celebration we needed after a day of connecting and learning (with a Cherry Bomb on top!). And the evening highlight was the moment that Rebekah Jackson Reece received the 2024 Outstanding Achievement award for all that she has done to support the sector in the past 12 months. Thank you to all involved! Until next time 🤩

Club Central 2024... where do I start? What a day. What an evening. What an incredible group of people. I love organising this conference and it is hard to know where to begin with my reflection. There are so many individuals and businesses who combine to make it the unique event it is. Here's my top 10 moments (and if last year was anything to go by, expect a few extra to be added on!) 1. Having Department for Education and Ofsted in the same room in listening mode and really engaging with providers. So many delegates told me they had had a good conversation with them - this communication channel is exactly what I wanted to achieve when I set up the conference. 2. Being on stage with some incredible keynote speakers who shared their knowledge and expertise so generously James Hempsall OBE MBACP FSET Rebekah Jackson Reece Mo Kanjilal Dr Shelly Newstead James McDonald Steve Brennan and Sam Thomson. 3. Bringing in speakers from outside of the sector Jemma F. (who I met at a women in leadership event School of Business and Law, University of Brighton), Peter Wortley (who was a tutor on the ILM Level 7 Coaching and Mentoring course), Vie Portland (she/her) (a fellow member of the 2024 f:enterpreneur cohort), Julia Harris who is such a conference regular it maybe I should consider her to be within the sector! Jodie Seddon who is another person who is starting to look like a sector regular and Majda Ledden who is rapidly becoming the sector expert in marketing. 4. Bringing the brightest and the best from within the sector Helen Stephenson is one of my 100%-ers, Alison Featherbe ~ Early Years Consultant has found a new home in wraparound, Matt Ogle who seems to impress everyone he meets with his approach to inclusion, Wendy Russell who I have been trying to get at the conference since year one and who did not disappoint, and Lucy Lewin who brings so much knowledge and energy. 5. Hearing from Diane Koplewsky just how much receiving the OSCAs outstanding contribution award had had such a positive impact on her and opened so many doors. I did now know quite how impactful it had been and was stunned! This was the skin tingling moment of 2024! 6. Being able to give the 2024 outstanding contribution award to Rebekah Jackson Reece for all that she has done to support the sector in the past 12 months 7. My helpers - they come back year after year. They either volunteer or don't get paid much and they really help make the day. I am grateful to them all! 8. My team. @sam thomson and Majda Ledden have been an incredible support, the conference would not have been half as good without their input. 9. Cherry Bomb - just wow! 10. Delegates telling me how much they are loving the conference. I love it when someone is chasing me down the hall to make sure I hear their thoughts - it is genuinely appreciated!

Outstanding Achievement 🏆 Out-of-School Club Awards 2024 WINNER 👏👏👏 Rebekah Jackson Reece This award is Tanya's choice. It is given to someone who has made a remarkable contribution to the sector. It might be someone who did not fit into the award categories or someone whose entry really stood out as being extraordinary. For those of your who have been at the conference today, you will know that out of school is a sector on the move. Where it was once forgotten, it now has an investment of £289 million. And there is one person who has represented the sector from the front. She is clear that she does not lobby. But what she does is use her counsel and influence wisely. If you know her, you can see her good work running through the National Wraparound Childcare Programme. She is absolutely passionate about making the sector stronger. She fights the corner not just for her members, but for the sector as a whole. She is, to be fair, a very good friend of the Club Central Conference, but quite aside from that, she is the person who has mostly greatly impacted the sector for the benefit of all.

🏆 Out of School Club of the Year - Single Site 🏆 Out-of-School Club Awards 2024 WINNER 👏👏👏 Roboodles Highly Commended 👏 Sedgefield Out of School Fun Club Shortlisted: Handworth Out of School Club Roboodles Sedgefield Out of School Fun Club The winner received a staggering nomination from 12 parents and one teacher just for this award. The strength of parent admiration for the club shone through. It is evident that this club is at the heart of its community. One of those parents said: "my son loves going to this club. He begged me to go. Half the time I struggle to get him to leave as he just doesn't want to come home. Highly recommended."  Winner for second consecutive year!

🏆 Out of School Club of the Year - Group 🏆 Out-of-School Club Awards 2024 WINNER 👏👏👏 Football Fun Factory Highly Commended 👏 House of Fun Shortlisted: Football Fun Factory Fun Fest House of Fun Thank you to Morton Michel Insurance for sponsoring this year's OSCA for Out of School Club of the Year - Group. At Football Fun Factory (our winner) the unwavering dedication of the team has left no one behind. Passion translates into inclusive action. And children are not just noticed, but valued and heard. Community connections are made to really support children especially those who require a bit more support.

🏆 Best HAF Provision 🏆 Out-of-School Club Awards 2024 WINNER 👏👏👏 Holy Family Larks and Owls Club Highly Commended 👏 Brilliant Play CIC Shortlisted: Brilliant Play CIC Happy Holidays Holy Family Larks and Owls Club This category was very highly contested. We had 31 entries. The standard was extremely high. Is evident that the people who provide HAF (Holiday Activities and Food) are a passionate group of people who all really care about the wellbeing of not only children, but also their families. It was a hard one to judge.  Our winner was selected because we felt they showed us most clearly how they had gone above and beyond what might be expected of them... and the instance that really resonated was the setting up of a second-hand children's clothes rail, engaging use of food to encourage healthy eating at home and using the club's washing machine to launder the clothes of a family living in temporary accommodation.  

🏆 Team of the Year 🏆 Out-of-School Club Awards 2024 WINNER 👏👏👏 The Gap Club Highly Commended 👏 PopSoc Shortlisted: Kids Collective @ Bollin PopSoc The Gap Club Thank you to PARS Playwork for sponsoring this year's OSCA for Team of the Year. This team was nominated by their manager. And we loved the final sentence that she wrote about them: When I think of my team, images of a strong malleable (bendable but not broken) deep rooted tree like the Mallee tree in Australia come to mind encapsulating the best of their characteristics; respectful adaptability, challenge and strength, and deep-rooted passion for their career and the company – sustained excellence.