School’s out for summer!

Children across Bridgend County Borough are in for a real treat this summer as an action-packed programme of activities and events awaits them.

Organised by Bridgend County Borough Council and in partnership with Awen, Halo Leisure, Urdd, Menter Bro Ogwr and town and community councils, the popular ‘schools out’ programme is bursting with fun activities for children of all ages.

From keeping active to letting your imagination run wild, there really is something for every child to enjoy.

Children aged eight to 12 are in for a frenzy of fun with sports, games, arts and creative activities as the popular Active 4 Life sessions, supported by town and community councils, return to community venues. Parents and carers will need to register their child for Active 4 Life when attending their first session.

A whole host of FREE ParkLives activities will also take place across the county borough and are suitable for children of all ages. From short taster sessions to jam-packed fun days, these activities are perfect for the whole family. The popular initiative also features a summer roadshow, which will visit some of the county borough’s most popular outdoor spaces with a bumper programme of activities.

Whether your child is an aspiring athlete or simply wants to try their hand at a new sport, our ‘Schools Out’ programme features a range of sports camps and academies to keep children active this summer. The sessions are suitable for children aged three to 15 and will help to develop fundamental movement skills, agility, balance and co-ordination. Parents and carers will need to register children beforehand by completing an online form available on the council’s ‘School’s Out’ pages.

There are also lots of activities available for the county borough’s Welsh speakers with Menter Bro Ogwr hosting FREE Welsh language play schemes in Maesteg, Porthcawl and Bridgend. Meanwhile, Urdd is running a number of Welsh speaking sports camps where children can learn a number of new skills and meet new friends.

In addition to its full schedule of shows at Maesteg Town Hall and Porthcawl’s Grand Pavilion, Awen Cultural Trust will also be setting the stage for a summer of outdoor theatre at Bryngarw Country Park, with Alice in Wonderland and Wuthering Heights just some of the performances on offer this summer.

Budding astronauts can also launch into the Summer Reading Challenge with six books of their choice to complete over the school holidays. This year’s challenge has a ‘Space Chase’ theme and children are able to collect exclusive rewards along the way.

If that’s not enough to keep your little ones entertained, Halo Leisure are holding FREE swimming crash courses including beginner lessons and stroke improvement for under 16’s so your family can make a splash this summer. There will also be a range of Disney inspired family-fun swim sessions for your little princes and princesses to dive into.

Our School’s Out programme continues to grow each year with more and more exciting activities on offer for children of all ages across Bridgend County Borough.

With so much on offer throughout the holidays, and many completely free of charge, there’s no reason for children to be bored this summer.

I’d like to thank each of our partners for contributing to this fun-filled programme of events and activities once again and would encourage local residents to take advantage of this fantastic summer programme!

Councillor Dhanisha Patel, Bridgend County Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Future Generations

Full details of the ‘Schools Out’ programme, including booking forms, can be found on the council’s website.