Our small community-based charity, CHIPS Guildford, provides quality, inclusive school holiday play provision for children currently in Years 1-6 in the Guildford wards of Westborough and Stoke as well more recently in the Ash/Ash Wharf and Tongham wards. We run for four weeks during the summer holidays and for one week at Easter from 9am until 4.30pm and offer a safe, fun and stimulating play environment where the children direct the activities that they take part in. At least one-third of the children joining us do so for free, based on the needs of the child and their home. These children join us via referral from their school, social services or via self-referral in response to our advertised free places.

The activities we offer are based on feedback from children, their parents/carers and the particular issues in our area but all are designed to increase the children’s long-term confidence and self-esteem, raise their aspirations, get them active and support improved communication skills and better mental health and well-being. We offer arts, crafts, cookery, music and dance to develop the children’s social and communication skills, self-expression, self-esteem and confidence. We also carry out lots of outdoors play including building dens, assault courses and bug hunts to get the children active in their own environment plus we offer a sports programme that develops physical skills through informal sports and coached activities including basketball, tag rugby, football and rounders to name a few! Alongside this, to give the children the chance to try something new, we deliver activities around a different theme every year. In recent years we have been to space, explored jungles and travelled back in time! Every child attending is entitled to a free, nutritious cooked lunch plus healthy snacks. Children with mild special educational needs such as autism, speech and language difficulties and ADHD and/or disabilities are fully included in all activities supported by qualified, DBS checked playworkers.