Tenth anniversary party for University staff holiday playscheme

Dr Kate Pretty, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Special Projects, University of Cambridge, will be a guest speaker and there will be lots of activities during the day for the children on the playscheme.

Many of the University of Cambridge’s staff have childcare responsibilities. The playscheme provides high quality, affordable childcare, enabling staff to work effectively during the school holidays. Open to both University of Cambridge and Anglia Polytechnic University staff, for children aged between 4 and 16, the playscheme runs during all school holidays except Christmas.

This year, over 150 children are enjoying the playscheme, which is operating at Ascham School and Fawcett School. The activities include bike rides, T-shirt painting, visits to museums and lots of other sports, games, arts and crafts.

On August 10, all parents, children, and current and past playworkers have been invited to a celebration for the tenth anniversary. Around 200 children and adults are expected at the fun day, when archery, a water slide and a football competition will be on offer.

"The playscheme has been staffed by 290 playworkers in the last ten years and looked after over 1,000 children," said Julie Bailey, Childcare Co-ordinator, University of Cambridge. "Many of the children attending the playscheme are re-united with friends from the University Nursery. An innovative feature of the playscheme is that it involves children and young people until they reach 16 years of age and then trains and employs some young people to work as playworkers until they finish further education."