School clubs & summer camps

Young crowd
Our school clubs and summer camps provide care for children before or after school, and during school holidays.  
Great staff, fun activities… we couldn’t ask for any more.

Our clubs include breakfast clubs where staff take children to school, allowing parents to leave early for work. Others are for older children who need a safe place to go after school to do homework.

The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse after-school club in Southsea is a registered childcare service for children aged between four and 11, and can accommodate up to 30 children per session, with healthy snacks provided on arrival and at tea time. The club believes all children deserve a happy, positive and caring environment in which to spend their free time.

They aim to provide this by:

  • Helping your child in their social and personal development
  • Providing low-cost, high quality childcare to parents/carers
  • Providing stimulating activities
  • Encouraging free-thinking; forward ideas for the club
  • Valuing all club members

Summer camps

The Salvation Army runs summer camps in Devon and Somerset for around 60 children and young people from a range of backgrounds. The camps help give children a holiday their parents may otherwise have not been able to afford.

In the South West, The Salvation Army helps towards the cost of all children who want to go on its summer camp.

From its early days, The Salvation Army has worked to address the needs of children and families. We believe that intervention where needed at the beginning of family life will prevent serious problems later on. The camps offer children an opportunity to rest from the strains of sometimes difficult home lives. They offer a safe environment where children can develop their confidence, self-awareness and a bit of independence, as they learn to do things for themselves.

One of those who has benefited is 11-year-old Ashley-Rose from Bristol. She said: 'This is the third year I’ve gone. I enjoy all the activities and getting stuck in.

'There’s me and a few girls in my street who go. It is exciting. I love going on the climbing wall and the zip wire. It's great fun.'

Her mother, Natasha, a support worker for the elderly, said: 'It's a nice opportunity that the children can get involved in. They do lots of activities. It helps with child care as it’s a week taken care of in the summer holidays and they have good friends who go.'

Summers of Fun, activities and days out for all the family at Fitton Hill.

For the last five years we have had a great time with over 200 people attending our summer trips and activities. We have been to Chester Zoon, Smith Hills Petting farm, bowling, Lased Quest and for a BBQ on the beach, and in addition to this we do yet more youth clubs which are open longer. We also help local people run a funday on their street and this year we taught a load of people to cook.

Our summer activities are not just about young people, we organise things for the whole family to do together. Although we ask people to contribute we raise the funds to make these affordable to all. From six months to 60, this is one of the most popular and busy times of our year.