The University of Cambridge’s holiday playscheme was a finalist last night in a national award scheme that recognises outstanding achievement in the workplace.

Nearly half the University’s 8,500 staff are women and many have childcare responsibilities. The playscheme provides high quality, affordable childcare, enabling staff to work effectively during the school holidays. Now in its 10th year, the scheme covers all school holidays, excluding Christmas and bank holidays.

The playscheme is aimed at children from four to 14, is staffed by a dedicated team of play workers and caters for individual special needs and is fully accessible to wheelchair users.

The scheme features an innovative approach to working with teenagers. The childcare co-ordinator organises a bank of play workers recruited from a diverse range of people. Children are encouraged to become ‘trainee volunteers’ at 11 and volunteer play workers at 14.At 16 they can be employed as trainees, qualifying as play workers from age 17.

This encourages older children to continue attendance at the playscheme and creates a continuous supply of experienced play workers, working towards play working training qualifications. Many stay in the worker bank until they graduate from university.

The scheme is evaluated each holiday and to date has received extremely positive results from both parents and children. Some parents say that it has transformed their lives, enabling them to work during school holidays without worrying about their children (including their older children). Because the scheme is subsidised it is also affordable, a significant factor for many parents. Around 1,000 families and their children have benefited over its lifetime and cite the scheme as evidence of the University as a good employer.

The awards are run by ‘Opportunity Now’, a business-led campaign that works with employers to realise the economic potential and business benefits that women at all levels contribute to the workforce. By inspiring employers to challenge complacency and tackle barriers to women's progress, we encourage an inclusive culture in the workplace.

The Opportunity Now Annual Awards dinner which recognises outstanding achievement in the field of gender equality/diversity in the workplace took place at the London Hilton on Park Lane last night (28 April) with Baroness Hogg delivering the keynote speech.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alison Richard said of the playscheme: “Cambridge is justifiably proud of its innovative playscheme and we are all looking forward to the 10th birthday party later this year. The scheme provides high quality childcare and peace of mind for staff - contributing to the overall success of the University. We are delighted that the excellence of the scheme has been recognised with the award from Opportunity Now and will be congratulating all our playworkers who have contributed to our success.”

The Universities Holiday Playscheme is a joint operation between the University of Cambridge and Anglia Polytechnic University, under the care of the Childcare Co-ordinator, Julie Bailey.

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