Funded Holiday Clubs
Our fully funded holiday club sessions run in stunning locations across the North East of England for children and young people aged 5 – 12.
Make a bookingAbout these sessions
We are proud to be part of the Holiday Activities Fund (HAF). The HAF programme was set up in 2018 to provide free holiday provision, including healthy food and enriching activities to those children and young people across the country who need it the most.
Our fully-funded holiday clubs are funded by our partners at Street Games, Leading Link, Fun and Food, Brighten the Day, and many more.
Our BEECH holiday club at Gateshead Riverside Park has received some funding as part of the Tyne Derwent Way. Therefore, payment for this club is optional and operates on a pay-what-you-can basis.
Our Holiday Clubs are located at Gateshead, Northumberland, Newcastle and Durham.
Times: Usually between 9 and 3 pm but please check the individual booking links.
Ages: For children and young people aged 5 to 12 years.
Food: Hot lunch and snacks are included for every child/young person throughout the day.
All of our holiday clubs are delivered by expert forest school practitioners in beautiful outdoor spaces across the North East of England. We have high staff ratios of 1 practitioner to every 6 children. Our Holiday Clubs support children to explore the outdoors, manage their own risks, lead their own discovery and build relationships with their peers whilst making new friends through play and curiosity.
Access to child-led experiences in nature is proven to support good mental health and well-being. Children who attend will take part in a range of outdoor adventures such as fire lighting, whittling, games, crafts, foraging, navigating, swinging in hammocks, relaxing under the fantastic canopy of trees, and so much more.
You will require a password for these bookings. This is a requirement of our funders. If you do not have a password please read our FAQs below.
Make a booking
Our Locations
“Just a thank you for allowing Fatima to be who she is. In other settings she masks all day and struggles with this but at forest school she comes out of her shell more and I believe it will be better not just that day, but in the longer term, to help her learn how to unmask“
Benwell parent, Summer 23
Meet the Holiday Clubs Team
FAQs
The HAF fund was set up in 2018 by the government as research showed that the school holidays were putting more and more financial pressure on families across the country. Some children relied on being fed at school via the free school meal scheme and so in the holidays could experience holiday hunger. Low-income families could also struggle to get to activities due to transport costs, the need for packed lunches or a paid admission fee causing children and young people to miss out on group activities which in turn increases social isolation and missed childhood experiences.
The HAF fund looks to close that gap, it was set up to support children and young people to gain access to multiple spaces over the school holidays, providing hot food, new experiences, social inclusion and joy.
We are super proud to be part of it. Stomping Grounds believes that access to the outdoors is not a luxury but a necessity and it should be available to all, regardless of financial status.
If you would like to pay for a space at a holiday club please follow this link which will take you to our fee payers and childcare vouchers holiday club page.
If you aren’t able to afford the full price of a session but would still like to make a contribution please head to our donate page here.
Our funding for holiday clubs comes from many different places and we want to try and reach as many families as possible. What we usually do is send the invite along with the password about 4 to 5 weeks prior to a holiday club to all the local schools, they then pass that information to the families that need it the most.
One week prior to holiday clubs, if there are still spaces, the password will be removed from the sign-up page.
Yes, if this activity is going to benefit you and your child/young person then please email admin@stomping-grounds.org with the heading ‘’Password – ‘insert name of location’’.
We will then send you the password for your chosen club.
There is an option on the right-hand side of the screen that states ‘JOIN WAITING LIST’. Please click here and add your email address.
If there is a cancellation an email will be automatically sent to those on the waiting list. If the space is not taken within 15 minutes it will automatically be sent to the next person on the list.
Lunch and snacks are provided for these sessions. Children are involved in the preparation and cooking of the food.
If you think your child/young person would benefit from bringing their own food, please send them with a packed lunch.
No. Children under 5 cannot attend our holiday clubs as we are not on the Early Years register at these locations.
Please call 0191 5402680 or email admin@stomping-grounds.org before making a booking
1:6. There will always be 1 practitioner for every 6 children at holiday clubs.
No. Many of our term-time practitioners take their holidays during school holidays so you may see new faces in the woods working alongside your child/young person. We have a whole team of holiday workers that appear only in the holidays, bringing with them new activities and exciting
Please chat to us first. Call 0191 5402680 or email admin@stomping-grounds.org and someone will get back to you.
Usually, we ask the adults to drop off the child/young person, however, every child is unique, and we are happy to discuss a bespoke transition with you.
Please call 0191 4502680 or email admin@stomping-grounds.org to discuss
Children will need to bring:
- Drinking water
- Snacks if you want
- Waterproofs
Children will need to wear:
- Long-sleeved trousers and top
- Wellies, walking boots or sturdy trainers
- Spare pair of socks and trousers
- Insect repellent
- Sun screen when the sun is out
Ticks – please follow this guidance and check for them when you collect.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jtFEA7vw9XXfwzxyf59QRgUVAd7eyeJz
Finally, please have a quick read through our policies and procedures here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iIX_A2R6YkyoIoa_ZZ-sgWw3cuC3b0J-/view?usp=sharing
You can send us feedback on Holiday Clubs by filling in this form: https://forms.gle/1NRrvLnqS6Ya6owg8
We will endeavour to get back to you regarding your feedback if you leave your name and number when prompted.
Yes, we love donations! Please click here to visit our donation page.
Your donation will be used to support one of our ongoing projects across Stomping Grounds this year. If you have a specific project you would like to donate to please let us know at admin@stomping-grounds.org
Further Information
If you have any questions please email admin@stomping-grounds.org or call 07719 067239
