AM Sports: Building partnerships with local schools

AM Sports run four HAF programmes in the borough of Erewash, based in Sawley, Sandiacre, Draycott and West Hallam, offering 20-30 spaces at every club book up quickly, usually with a waiting list. The children are primary school-aged with a mixture of girls and boys. The clubs are sports/games-based with additional arts and crafts. AM Sports offer a wide range of activities each day to cater for all children who attend such as football, cricket, dodgeball, gymnastics, dance, zumba and outdoor and adventurous activities (OAA) to name a few. They also encourage children to try sports they would not ordinarily have access to, such as boccia, new age kurling and archery.

These programmes have greatly impacted families in these areas who would usually have to pay for childcare during the holidays or rely on relatives to help. AM Sports offer a safe and fun environment for these children who also receive a snack, drink and lunch. The club caters for children with additional needs as best they can by offering smaller group activities instead of potentially being overwhelmed with big groups of children. Children learn many skills such as, how to communicate well, learning new sports and how to socialise. This is evident when participants all have lunch at tables together.

AM Sports partnerships with local schools play a vital role in the programmes being so successful. All the venues the clubs operate in are also where AM Sports deliver their day-to-day services of PE Sport and Physical activity. During term time staff are building relationships each day with the children as well as parents during after-school pick-ups. This helps immensely if children are nervous about coming to a holiday club when they arrive and see a familiar face welcoming them in every morning.

The schools AM Sports operate in are all very supportive of the programme, promoting the clubs on websites, newsletters, emails and text messages, targeting certain families who need support and signposting families to the ‘its about me’ website. This helps ensure that the clubs are always full and senior leaders at school are at ease during the holiday knowing that they are safe at the clubs.

AM Sports report back to schools or any information they feel schools would need. Such as any targeted families attended, how many children from their school came as well as any necessary safeguarding.

AM Sports relationship with schools and the community play a pivotal role in the success of their programmes.