For more than a decade, facilities across the Sevenoaks district have been serving up a mixed programme of events and activities designed to engage youngsters, inspire a possible new interest, help them develop interpersonal skills and friendships and, let’s not forget, have plenty of fun along the way.
And it isn’t just about the long-embedded leisure centre offerings such as swimming and sports hall activities. Those charged with programming the NRGize school holiday programmes at the Sencio Community Leisure (SCL) facilities have been adept at reacting to the ever-changing and diverse influences that inspire today’s youngsters.
Lara Whitfield, programme manager at White Oak Leisure Centre in Swanley, admits it can be a challenge keeping up with what young people want from their recreational activities:
“Traditionally, summer holidays and local leisure centres meant a pretty uninspired offering usually based around the pool or sports hall.
“But things have definitely changed with the diversity of the media and the impact of, for example, television talent competitions, the newly-found popularity of things like cookery and baking and, of course, the current crop of music mega-stars from Lady Gaga to Justin Bieber, and performing arts phenomenon like High School Musical, Glee and Smash.
“The challenge for us is to reflect that breadth of influence in our diary of events, so we still offer traditional sports and physical activity but bring in strong elements reflecting the creative, the arts world and things as diverse as natural history and archery.”
Another important element in the creating of a school holiday activity programme is recognising the pressures on working parents, as Edenbridge Leisure Centre’s Becky Shields, explains:
“One element of our school holiday programmes that has remained successful over the years has been our Day Camps. We are an OFTSED-registered facility and this means parents can sign-up children for a full day, or days, of activities that span the whole NRGize programme on offer.
“This gives parents an ability to plan child care alongside professional and other family commitments and, in return, youngsters have a chance to enjoy an extended stay in-centre, trying many new things and, hopefully, making friends along the way.”
SCL has also established strong links with local providers who work with young people, whether it is through something Charlton Athletics’ respected football in the community programme, a local tennis academy or fencing club, or specialists in anything from pottery and arts and crafts to wildlife and go-karting.
And with its own golf course at Lullingstone Park - complete with driving range, pitch and putt and junior coaching programme – SCL is also doing its bit to encourage the next generation of golfers.
Mike Radford, manager at Sevenoaks Leisure Centre, also sees a serious point in getting young people into our leisure facilities:
“We know we have a huge problem in this country when it comes to levels of childhood obesity. It’s one that is getting worse and which, potentially, has huge health, financial and social implications in the years ahead.
“We believe local leisure centres have a hugely important role in helping government and the medical profession address this. We know not every young person will become a county-level swimmer, tennis player or junior professional footballer. That’s not what it’s about.
“But we do know that when a youngster finds a sport or a recreation that inspires and engages them the potential in terms of personal development and confidence can be enormous. As local leisure providers, it is our job to deliver the opportunities, to show young people – and their parents – what’s on offer and, crucially, to facilitate, inspire and encourage them.”
The summer 2012 NRGize programme, which runs from July 23rd to August 31st, is out now. Copies are available from all Sencio Community Leisure facilities or can be downloaded at www.sencio.org.uk