Why one Corby activity camp company is making a real difference to the lives of local children

'This is a place your child can get away from the pandemic and have fun'
There are a huge range of activities on offer at CSDThere are a huge range of activities on offer at CSD
There are a huge range of activities on offer at CSD

"It's a total joy. We can really see the difference we are making to these children's lives."

Rosemary Saunders, has been running one of the county's longest standing holiday childcare and after-school club firms for the past decade.

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But Corby-based Rosemary sees her job as much more than minding kids while their parents have to work. Her company - CSD Activity Camps - looked after around 1,500 children from across north Northamptonshire and beyond last year.

The firm served around 1,500 children during the past yearThe firm served around 1,500 children during the past year
The firm served around 1,500 children during the past year

"It's a place to keep your child's mental health and well-being in a good place," she says.

"This is a place your child can get away from the pandemic and have fun doing whatever they want to do that day. We even feed them breakfast and and if they stay past 4pm they get fed again."

Rosemary started her firm as Corby Sport Dimensions eleven years ago with some local volunteers. She was working at Oundle School during term time but had free time in the holidays."It was just a little voluntary group really to try to make a bit of a difference," she said.

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"My own children said they weren't going to go to any groups in the holidays but I didn't just want them sitting around on their laptops all day.

"We started off doing the school holidays and I think what made children want to come along was that they could choose their own activities. We offer all kinds of things including crafting, cooking, lego, and a huge range of sports. We also offer flexible booking which made it easier for parents.

"And really importantly, we make sure the kids are learning good values. We have a clear reward system and a behaviour management system and it really works."

CSD offers weekly trophies to children who have behaved well during the activities and once children reach year seven, they are eligible for the coveted young leaders' blue t-shirt.

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"They aspire to get these blue t-shirts which means that they behave. In year five and six we let them be helper young leaders which really helps with making sure they're on track," said Rosemary.

"It's quite a simple system but they respond really positively to it."

Several of those children who have gone through the CSD scheme have since gone on to seek formal qualifications in the field and are now managing groups.

"Tara came to us aged 12 from Brooke Weston and was our best netballer at the time. She was a young leader and and then an assistant leader and then she went off to a degree and came back to be a camp manager looking after some of our challenging children.

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"Many of our staff came to us in their late teens or 20s and now they're managing things. It's fantastic to see them grow."

Dedicated staff have even dipped into their own pockets to provide free school-lunch bags in Cottingham during the half-term holidays after the government voted down a motion to ensure all kids had meals on offer.

CSD usually offers after-school clubs at schools across north Northants including Studfall, Cranford, Mears Ashby and Ringstead but many schools have had to suspend their programmes during the Covid pandemic.

They stepped in at Danesholme and Studfall schools to offer care for children who needed to be in school during lockdown, and provided four camps for six weeks during the summer.

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"We managed to not have a single Covid case," said Rosemary.

"We are really experienced now in dealing with this and following the guidance strictly. We have a really robust cleaning schedule."

"People are working from home so they don't think they need childcare because they can work it around their job but children still need to keep active for their mental health and their well-being.

"So many community groups and classes have had to stop because of Covid so kids aren't taking part in a lot of their regular activities. They aren't always getting the after school clubs they would have before Covid. We hope we can fill this gap."

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Such is the success of CSD that Rosemary has now been able to give up her day job to run her business full-time.

"It's only recently I've finally been able to do it full time and it's an absolute joy," she said.

- CSD has classes running at Cottingham Primary School and at Kettering Scout Hut this half term. Children that want to will be designing and making their own costumes for a Halloween party on Friday. You can find out more on their website.

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