It seems like a fond, distant memory now but we had an amazing summer & as this is the first blog we’ve put out since then we just wanted to touch on some highlights & indulge in some shoutouts.
During January, we got back into the swing of things after the Christmas break. It was great to see our existing children back enjoying gymnastics, football, swimming & Fun4All, and great to welcome some new faces too.
New Year, Back to School…
January saw us going back to school, with our usual curriculum sessions, lunchtime & after school clubs. As well as our regular schools, we were also asked to support the curriculum PE sessions at Orchard Academy in Milton Keynes. Our team delivered a wide range of sports during the PE lessons, including dance, lacrosse & hockey. A big well done to Sam, Jack, Chloe & Emilia for stepping up at very short notice & doing a brilliant job.
We also had another new school customer for the new year: Marston Vale Middle. This school were looking for an active alternative to the more traditional sports, to provide a wider range in their curriculum. Chloe has been going in to run some of our team building challenges every Thursday, which have been hugely successful at getting the kids active, thinking & having fun.
Birthdays…!
Our weekend Birthday Party bookings are busier than ever! Since so many children had lockdown birthdays last year, they are certainly making up for that now! We have a massive range of choices to suit all ages & tastes so there really is something for everyone. We’ve even had some parents have a go, although their energy levels don’t seem to quite match the kids’!
We recently hosted an inflatable party for one of our youngest customers & this was the feedback from her parents:
“Thank you for arranging such an amazing party for Mair’s 3rd birthday! Everything from the set up, the invitations, the planning was brilliant and the party itself was perfect. Ella was a true credit to you, she was great with both the kids and the parents… Mair had the BEST time and all of our guests had a brilliant time with many commenting on what a great set up it was.”
We LOVE sharing your special celebrations. If you’ve had a party with us recently, please tag us in photos on social media or send us your feedback. Making a child’s birthday special has always been one of our most important goals & seeing those smiling faces keeps us smiling too!
Staff Training…
We are committed to providing the best standard of care & delivery here at SSG so ongoing staff training & planning is so important for this. It’s been brilliant to be able to run various sport specific staff meetings over the past month, allowing the opportunity for the delivery teams to share ideas, discuss the programmes & brush up on their skills. Everyone is encouraged to discuss their experiences of things that have worked well, as well as things that don’t. Recently, we have had meetings for the gymnastics, football & Fun4All teams, as well as one for those involved in our curriculum PE provision & lunchtime or after school clubs. It’s brilliant being able to get everyone together in one room, inspiring, encouraging & learning.
In the lead up to half term, we also hosted a planning meeting for those staff involved in these programmes. There were a lot of us! Each staff member is allocated to a particular site for the week, so it’s great for the teams to get together in advance to discuss plans for half term. All sessions are planned in advance by the management team & allocated to staff according to their skills & interests. This planning meeting was the perfect opportunity for the activity leaders to add their own twist to their sessions & for assistant leaders to familiarise themselves with the activity.
Of course, we also never miss the chance to brush up on safeguarding & first aid skills while we have everyone together in one room so we know our provision is as safe as possible. It was great to see the enthusiasm of this amazing group of people & can’t wait to see their plans in action during half term.
Meet the Team!
Every month we like to introduce you to a member of the team, this month it’s Jack!
Jack Vase
Job Role:
Activities Instructor
What’s your favourite thing about working for SSG?
Seeing the progression of the children from week to week and having great people to work with!
What was your first job?
SSG Football Birthday Parties when I was 14
Do you have any pets?
No pets unfortunately!
What is your favourite season?
Football Season (and Summer)
Any hidden talents?
I’m FA Qualified Level 6 Referee!
What would you choose to give up forever if you had to pick between crisps or chocolate?
Chocolate
Have you ever met anyone famous?
I met Andy Murray at the London Marathon
What is your karaoke song?
Stand By Me or Dancing Queen by Abba!
Looking Forward…
By the time this blog goes live, we will have delivered our extensive half term programmes so we look forward to sharing those with you in next month’s blog. With hundreds of children over several different venues, we will be covering a wide range of activities, from arts & crafts, sports & inflatable play to team challenges, camp cookery & swimming. Look out for lots of photos, stories & quotes!
