Sport UNE Vacation Care a vital service to local area

April 17, 2007

These school holidays, Sport UNE has experienced unprecedented demand for its vacation care program. Sport UNE, Vacation Care Manager, David Schmude has described the demand for vacation care services in the Armidale area as extremely high. “We are the largest vacation care provider in Armidale and we're booked out a month in advance. We normally have had 30 spots available here. Just over the Christmas break we increased that to 45 and those places are full on most days,” he said.

Sport UNE has long been celebrated for the high standard of facilities it contributes to the local region. Now, parents and children from the Armidale area are increasingly taking advantage of what is on offer.

“Parents are keen to see their children enjoying being active. It is great to be able to provide that to the local community through the resources available here at the University of New England. This morning, we had the kids running around on our great playing fields and this afternoon, it will be craft in one of the fitness rooms,” continued Mr. Schmude.

Sport UNE hosts Vacation Care during all school holiday periods, from 8:15am to 5:15pm for primary school aged children.

In a spin-off benefit, staffing levels are temporarily increased by six to eight to meet the demand. The extra staff are senior UNE education students, who gain much from the paid work experience, such as Rachael Watkins and Catherine Norton who are pictured in the above-right photo with David Schmude.

While taking advantage of the resources at Sport UNE, Mr. Schmude said the vacation care program involves so much more. “There is an emphasis on educational and developmental programs including art, craft, excursions and even dancing,” he said. “The kids have just finished making models of the solar system and posters about themselves.”

“The Sport UNE facilities do offer a world of fun for kids. We've got everything from painting to climbing wall, supervised activities in the pool with a fun inflatable to huge range of indoor games,” added Mr. Schmude.

As an authorised Childcare provider, Sport UNE Vacation Care is subsidised by the Child Care benefit.

“The Vacation Care service provided to the local community by Sport UNE is extremely important. It helps out some of the working parents in the area, and gives the kids something to do that is good for them over the school break,” said Mr. Schmude. “The attraction for the kids is simple, we keep it fun.”

For further information, please contact David Schmude: 0418 436 267

Posted by Jim Scanlan at April 17, 2007 12:05 PM