With a wide variety of activities each day, supervised by qualified staff and a mixture of outdoor and indoor fun, the holiday club caters for all tastes. Your child can relax in our cool chill-out zone with books, computer activities or DVDs, go wild outside in our extensive, secure garden area or get creative with arts materials, cookery or dance.

Every holiday features a different programme of events and topics. This summer will see a mixture of outdoor, sporty games such as beach volleyball, football challenges and giant garden games and indoor fashion shows, make-overs, model and jewellery-making as well as a beach party, picnic and talent contest. In addition this summer sees the return of the very popular drama workshops and also a visit from the really wild Rainforest Adventurers as well as trips out and about.

The club is in a great purpose-designed building adjoining Charlwood House Day Nursery. We give kids breakfast if required and a hot, healthy lunch is available too.

Kids love our club and parents love the flexibility and great hourly rate we offer. To find out more or to book your child’s place, call Nicky on 01293 565544.

Importantly, we have to be careful as we should all know the risks by now through good parenting, public awareness campaigns and the younger generation being more savvy about major issues such as being environmentally green. Overexposure to the sun can cause short-term health effects such as sunburn and skin pigmentation changes. Long-term exposure can cause permanent health effects including premature skin ageing, skin cancer and eye damage.

To protect yourself and your family it is essential to take adequate protective measures early on in life. There is a wealth of information, both regional and national, that gives good advice as to how to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful UVB and UVA rays. In a nutshell the key rules are:

Avoid midday sun (between 11am and 3pm)

Seek natural shade or shelter

Use clothing and sunscreen including T-shirts, long-sleeved shirts and hats

Use a broad spectrum sunscreen with a minimum Sun Protection Factor 15 (for UVB protection) and additional UVA rating

The body’s skin protects itself by producing a tan in response to UV damage. The damage to the skin is also cumulative and cannot be reversed. UV radiation is not felt as heat as we feel the warmth (infra red rays) from the sun so we are often caught out when there is a breeze or during hazy days.

Children’s skin is thin and particularly vulnerable and adults need to be sensible too. The incidence of skin cancer is rapidly rising according to the latest figures released by Cancer Research UK recently and has received national media interest. Overexposure and sunburn for under-15s is a major cancer risk factor for the younger generation as indicated by increasing scientific evidence.

So what else should we know?

Keep babies and infants out of the sun altogether.

Cover up. Use hats and clothes preferably those made with a high ultraviolet protection factor, UPF, fabric.

Use sunscreen but remember that sunscreen is the last line of defence – sunscreen does not offer 100% protection. Apply before going outside and apply generously – sunscreen wears off – most people use far too little – for example an adult should use about 10mL (2tsp) of product to cover the head, arms and neck. Re-apply sunscreen. Remember you can still get burned whilst under water – UV rays penetrate the water – at half a metre depth UV radiation is still about half as intense as at the surface. Also, UV radiation is reflected off surfaces – you do not have to be in direct sunlight.

Know your skin type – there are six types which have varying susceptibility to sunburn. Take extra care if you have very pale skin, moles or freckles.

Be model parents and avoid sunbathing (and sunbeds). Teach good sun habits to your children

Remember to watch and listen to the weather forecast on TV, radio or online for the ultraviolet index, UVI. Just as we understand the temperature and pollen levels we should understand UVI. This is an internationally recognised measure of UV intensity. As a rough guide if the UVI is above 3 then you should take precautionary measures.

Wear UV protective sunglasses conforming to the current British Standard (EN 1836:2005).

There is a lot of information to take on board when considering sun protection and we know how difficult it is to get the kids to comply with wearing clothing and using sunscreen. Be sensible and enjoy your summer safely both at home and abroad. Don’t forget it’s Sun Awareness week in schools in June an ideal time for kids to understand the issues. Remember you can do your bit and teach your children safe sun habits too.

SunIQ provides a range of UV sun protective clothing, UV sunscreens and UV personal monitors. You will also find links to other factual web sites. Sun IQ is happy to offer sun protection advice and get involved in promoting sun awareness in your area. SunIQ is offering Crawley and Horsham Grapevine parents free delivery on items purchased at the website with this code FGR101 during June 2010. Visit www.sunIQ.co.uk Keep your kids protected with SunIQ’s help.

Main Schools  (6-18 years)

Classes run for three hours a week, on Saturdays during term time and classes are limited to just 15 students, a small enough number to allow personal attention. The students attend an hour each of acting, singing and drama. The classes are led by experienced professionals who know just how to motivate and encourage, especially the self-doubters. Teamed with like minded friends the students feel safe to stretch themselves. The work builds their confidence and they can sense the fun, excitement and drama surrounding the performing arts – we let them taste it! These skills, learned while students are enjoying themselves, don’t disappear when they come off stage.  They are skills for life.

Early Stages (4-6 years)

Stagecoach Crawley also offers Early Stages for younger children. The weekly classes consist of a 90 minute session where children are taught elementary skills in dance, drama and singing. Early Stages focuses on allowing the children to express themselves whilst building up confidence, poise and self-esteem. As with the main schools, class sizes are limited to just 15 students. Early Stages students are trained by very experienced teachers who know just how to fire the imaginations of the very young child.

Summer Holiday Workshops Now Booking!

Stagecoach Schools Crawley and Horsham are taking bookings now for their popular Summer Holiday Workshops. Five days of singing, drama and dance with a free performance at the end of the week for family and friends to enjoy. The workshops are open to all children aged between 6 and 18 years. You do not have to be an existing Stagecoach student to join in the fun, in fact, it’s an ideal opportunity to come along and experience all that Stagecoach has to offer.

Book early as places are limited and the workshops are popular!

Stagecoach Crawley Summer Holiday Workshop runs 26^th July – 30^th July 2010

Stagecoach Horsham Summer Holiday Workshop runs 16th – 20th August 2010

Stagecoach classes run on Saturdays, both mornings and afternoons, during usual school terms.

Please visit our website / call or email your nearest school for more information or to apply for a place.

Stagecoach Crawley call Jo Weeks on 01403 259132         email: crawley@stagecoach.co.uk

Stagecoach Horsham call Beth McLean on 01293 823282  email: horsham@stagecoach.co.uk

Websites: www.stagecoach.co.uk/crawley www.stagecoach.co.uk/horsham

The costumes were beautifully created by a dedicated team of great helpers, the choreography was extraordinary and full of vitality, and the make up team should be applauded on their ability to recreate such fantastic faces time after time!

There are 69 cast members in all, too many to list individually, but they were all absolutely wonderful, fully deserving of the tremendous applause given by all including myself!

Act One Beginners is a part-time drama school which currently runs classes in Copthorne and Felbridge. Since 2003, the school has grown and now runs 10 drama classes with around 200 pupils between the ages 4-19. Through a combination of weekly classes, LAMDA training, festivals and production, the children are encouraged to discover and develop their own talents and self-confidence in a fun and exciting way. Principal, Beverly Hewitt, must be highly commended. For more information on the school, go to www.actonebeginners.co.uk I am very much looking forward to being in the audience for the next performance.

In my research for this article I happened to take a look at Mumsnet.com which only went to confirm my suspicions that once the Yummy Mummy Set have done with their worries over faulty buggies, volcanic ash free holidays and where to educate their children they put their minds to food. To emphasise the point there was an entire blog discussion on what to serve up on Election Night – brown toast, Eton mess, and bananas & custard were the key dishes on the menu – and all being freshly prepared with not an E number in sight!

Let’s face it, over the years we’ve all got a bit lazy. The dinner party circuit died off. We became too tired, too busy to cook for friends. Easier to eat out or grab a Takeaway on Saturday night. On the odd occasion that we did entertain it was easier to pick it up somewhere than make it ourselves. Does this all sound familiar or am I just speaking for myself! Well the recession has put paid to all that.  ‘Staying in’ is now very much the new ‘going out’ and sales of top name cookery books have gone through the roof as have the sale of speciality ingredients.  Icecream makers, magimixes and breadmakers are flying off the shelves as we prepare to recreate Michelin star restaurant standard food in the comfort of our own homes and at a fraction of the price. The bar has been well and truly raised.

Trying not to sound too much like a Domestic Goddess, I can say that after much trial and error I have now mastered the art of ice cream making, can bake the odd cake without major incident and have impressed myself with the quality of my curries which historically would have come in packet form.

This top class food showcase is by no means just a female thing. You may be lucky enough to have a partner who knows his scallops from his jellied eels and can take control in the kitchen whenever there’s an opportunity to show off his masterchefing abilities. And I know quite a few big boys who would easily give Delia a run for her money. This of course leaves the hostess free to look ravishing and entertain her guests without the worry of her cheese soufflОs collapsing in the oven. These talented Adonis’s do however seem to be rather few and far between.  My Darling Beloved is much more interested in the eating side of things than the mechanics of how on earth it found its way on to the plate.

And the rivalry doesn’t stop at the food. The lengths people are going to in an attempt to out do each other in the entertaining stakes is astonishing. It’s no longer just enough to eat, drink and be merry. It seems your soiree must now have a theme with supporting venue, table decorations and fancy dress. Just in the last few months I have been to a Masked Ball, a Burns Night supper, a Valentine’s dinner, an Australian party and an Election Night buffet. In fact I’m beginning to think that some of my dear friends would be happy to celebrate the opening of an envelope!

Of course there is nothing wrong with a little bit of healthy competition and as a Nation we are somewhat programmed to ‘keep up with the Jones’s’, but I wonder whether this newly emerging obsession with entertaining has more to do with a genuine desire to just have a good time in tough times. Whatever your true motives might be, good food, good company and good fun is vital in getting through life’s little difficulties. So whip out those tablecloths, polish the cutlery and get swotting up on your terrine making.  If you haven’t already, it’s time to take your friends into a gastronomic heaven and party like you’ve never done before – and we’ll try not to mark you out of 10!

Sussex Junior Chess is a friendly, not for profit organisation, run by volunteers, which seeks to promote chess amongst school age children in Sussex. We run training days and tournaments at venues across the County and select players for Sussex teams.

So what happens at a training day? Children of all ages and abilities are welcome and will be placed in small groups with others of a similar age or ability for a mixture of tuition and fun activities. All our coaches are experienced at teaching chess to children, and are fully CRB checked. You do not need to be a member to attend, or to commit to attending regularly – although we tend to find that many children make  lasting friendships with other children they have met through chess.

Is that it – just teaching? No – we also run regular tournaments which are very popular. Our grand prix  series of 6 events is hotly contested with many prizes on offer; and there are also special tournaments for girls, and for the younger children.

As your child gains experience and confidence, they may get selected to play for one of our County teams against other counties. There are teams at every age group from Under-9 upwards and over 90 children have had the opportunity of representing Sussex at chess this season! Our Under-14 team are currently national champions for the fourth successive year.

A few children will have the potential to play for England, and our coaches will be able to support and advise anyone aspiring to this. Several of our experienced players have competed abroad this year in Poland, The Netherlands and the Czeck Republic.

However, at the end of the day most children just come along because they enjoy playing with their friends. The current season is drawing to a close but take a look at our website www.sussexjuniorchess.org where you will find details of events near you and further information.

To help me deliver our brand of fabulous pamper parties is my loyal and fun loving team Louise & Sam, both have been working with me for more than 2 years.

We get a real buzz from the parties as soon as we arrive in our eye catching van, the girls get so excited to see us and we always have lots of fun and laughter, the party girls are thrilled to see how lovely they look after receiving their makeover and we’re really proud with the feedback we get.  Comments such as:

“Just a quick note to say thank you so much for my girls spa party on sat 5th.All the girls had a fantastic time, none of them wanted their hair to drop, or to take their painted nails off for school!!!.Your organisation was brilliant, and it was money well spent. I will recommend to all my friends. THANKS AGAIN. Debs xx “5/12/2009 ref 156

To find out more about our fab parties check out our website at www.angelsndivas.com  We look forward to seeing you soon!

“We have spent a long time trying to create a programme that is safe and fun that the children will really enjoy whether they come for a day or for a whole week. We are discounting (20%) the weekly programme and have options to extend the day to include breakfast and a late pick up for those that have to work or have other commitments.”  says Tanya Laserhub Holiday Club Manager.  “We have a 10% off offer for those that book before 10th July and the club will start on 19th July.  As we go through the summer we may change the programme to vary the activities a little.

During trials around Easter, a local mum, Helen Bennett, commented “Its great, the kids loved it and we will definitely be booking up”.

Laserhub are limiting the number of places to just 14 per day with a minimum age of 8 with space reserved each day for those who are attending for a full week. The web site, www.laserhub.co.uk has a programme listing and a booking form.

As before children will be challenged to read up to six books from their local library.  They will collect different rewards at each stage, culminating in a certificate and medal for those that complete the Challenge.

Children can register for Space Hop in any library in West Sussex from Saturday 17th July

The scheme runs throughout the summer holidays with the final date for completion Saturday 11th September

The scheme is aimed at 4-12 year-olds and is FREE to join

After reading their first books children will receive a hologram membership card and pull-out poster to collect their stickers

There are three sets of ‘scratch & sniff’ stickers to collect, plus a bookmark, certificate and medal

Younger children under-four can join in the fun by taking part in the Space Hop Bookstart Bookcrawl to earn a special alien-themed certificate

There will also be a variety of fun, space-themed events taking place in libraries – check the website for details

To help run the Challenge libraries need the help of young people to volunteer in their local library.  Young people will be asked to help register children, handout stickers and other rewards and also encourage the children to read more and complete the Challenge.  To find out more visit your local library or check the website.

The manager realised the only way to play against other groups of children was to enter one of the many local six a side tournaments and encourage the community to respond.

Regardless of how well teams or individual players did, every child left the tournament with a medal. The children decided they would wear their medals into school to promote their achievement. Soon other children wanted to come along to see if they could be part of the squad: more tournaments, more medals, more children. A float in the Copthorne Carnival supported the effort and the village was temporarily deafened by some hearty singing voices (but regrettably no X-factor candidates!)

A year on and things have changed considerably. A local business DMA Signs Limited kindly offered to sponsor the team. Shirts were purchased, then caps, then jackets and more children were attracted so that by September 2009 and the beginning of the footie season the squad had been built up to 15 strong and by Christmas was 17 strong. They have now completed their first season and next year we hope to tell you of more successes for the Copthorne Under Eight team.