Fun Fest Holiday Club

HOLIDAY CLUB

What do children want to do in the school holidays?

The answer depends upon the child that you are asking; their age, their past experiences, the latest craze, their preferences and abilities and many other factors will affect their choices.

A typical answer is simply they want to play outside with their friends; something which previous generations took for granted but which has become less available and more precious to our children.

At Fun Fest we believe that children should always have the freedom to choose and the power to play, but it is even more important during the school holidays so that children can get the most benefit from the break of their school routines.

Fun Fest Holiday Clubs have been designed to give children opportunities they may not otherwise encounter, together with the power and freedom to explore them in their own way.

Opportunities:

During a week with Fun Fest Holiday Club, we can give a child the chance to play Quidditch (Harry Potter Experience), hold a snake (Animaltastic), bake a cake (Cupcake Heaven), build a den (Great Outdoors), juggle (Circus Skills), score a goal (Football Camp), design a bag (BLING), solve clues (Escape Room), paint a canvas (Picturesque Painting) and drive like Lewis Hamilton (Go-Karting). With our varied activity sessions on offer at your local Fun Fest Holiday Club, there is something to appeal and inspire every child!

Power:

Children are given a choice about how they spend their holidays as they design their own unique holiday programme on the Fun Fest website, by choosing from a menu of activities every morning and afternoon.

Freedom:

Children are supported to immerse themselves in playing freely with their friends and are encouraged to be outside as much as possible so that they can be as loud, fast and messy as they wish! Organised in this uniquely child-centred way, we ensure that the children love spending time at their Fun Fest Holiday Club and are in no hurry to leave. We consider our customers’ needs as a family when we plan our programmes. Parents and working parents have complete peace of mind that their children enjoy their time with us and our clubs suit their family’s needs. Fun Fest Holiday Clubs are Ofsted registered and run by qualified and experienced childcare practitioners, alongside sports coaches and enthusiastic students. This creates an energetic and fun atmosphere within a safe, controlled environment.

To find your nearest club, see the latest timetables and to book your child’s Fun Fest Holiday experience go to:

fun-fest.co.uk

Clubs welcome children from 3 – 12 years and are open for full working days. Parents can book any combination of mornings, afternoons or full days – we fully support flexible childcare options.

ASK MILES CONSULT & CONSTRUCT...

Construction Material increases in 2022

Throughout “COVID Times” there was a huge increase in construction work within both the domestic and commercial sectors. Despite there being a shortage of materials and an increase in costs, people have not been put off commissioning projects

Construction materials costs in the UK continue to escalate, reaching a 40 year high based on the annual growth of the BCIS (Building Cost Information Service).

Increased global demand in the construction sector, combined with the multiple and complex impacts of the pandemic and logistic issues, have resulted in unprecedented shortages, delays and ultimately, increased prices of materials and labour across the economy. Within the UK, complications resulting from Brexit have exacerbated this situation, affecting all aspects of trade and labour availability. The repercussions are acutely impacting the UK construction sector.

Other factors affecting construction demand include significant lifestyle changes triggered by the pandemic, with many people continuing to work from home reassessing their housing needs. A booming domestic housing market, substantially increased demand in repair maintenance and improvement (RM+I) sector, combined with large infrastructure projects have all significantly contributed to recovery in construction demand.

Unfortunately, it isn’t just the pandemic that has caused this huge increase, but there is more to come our way, with the invasion of Ukraine by Russia the consequences are yet to be hit.

Europe is facing shortages of building materials as companies have stopped production because of surging energy costs. British contractors are already reporting shortages of materials including bricks, roof tiles and plastic products that could worsen if the war in Ukraine causes further increases in energy prices, which could then lead to delays in the building of houses and industrial plants.

As well as the fighting in Ukraine and record-high gas prices, building contractors across Europe are battling with increasing inflation and shortages in skilled labour. This has led to bankruptcies in countries such as the UK, where hundreds of construction businesses are going bust every month owing to the jump in materials prices and the shrinking pool of skilled workers.

As much as the construction industry has boomed during COVID, the public sector construction has really struggled, due to delays in frameworks and resources.

Just to give you a flavour of the extent of increases, take a look at some statistics:

• Steel prices rose by 67%

FOR ALL YOU DIY LOVERS AND PROFESSIONALS WITHIN THE CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN INDUSTRY

• The price of aluminium jumped 20.5%

• Plastic construction materials—PVC piping, moisture barriers, vinyl siding, paints, adhesives—even went up more than 12%.

HOW TO PLAN?

As it stands things are situation is very volatile and costs are not looking to stabilise anytime soon. It is very important for homeowners to make sure they allow for an extra contingency on time, cost, and quality.

If you are planning any type of construction work, whether it be minor or major, it is guaranteed to cost you more than you budget for, will take longer than you hope and will certainly be a mission to find reputable and reliable builders.

Unfortunately, the climate that we live in is currently the biggest contribution to the risks that I have just highlighted above.

This unpredictability simply calls for a bit more time shopping around, waiting for the right material to come back in stock, or speaking with local contractors for advice about the current market.

For example, prices may change quickly, even in the short time between receiving a quote from a contractor and accepting the offer. If a contractor needs to source a notoriously tricky material right now—like wood for new construction—the process may look slightly different than it did in the past.

Items that include a range of materials—such as appliances with wires, steel, and plastic all in one—may encounter the bottleneck effect. In other words, your dishwasher would be built and ready to ship if it weren’t for the holdup of essential parts across the country or even across the world.

In conclusion to all the above, I hope I am not disheartening those enthusiastic builders and Homeowners. However, it is important to focus our minds on what risks there are currently, to help you all plan better and manage those risks.

Next month I will talk about “Upcycling” and other ways on how to try and save money on your build projects.

HAPPY PLANNING EVERYONE!

YOU CAN ALWAYS GET IN TOUCH WITH ME FOR ANY FURTHER HELP OR ADVICE:

E sajedah@milescc.co.uk N +44 (0) 1772 759 345 N +44 (0) 7581 014 867 D www.milescc.co.uk

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