It starts with the patter of footsteps on gravel, some slightly more sleepy, and others fairly exuberant. There’s a turn of the corner and the doors of the Academy spring into view. A lacklustre farewell to a quickly forgotten family member, and it’s time to get down to business. After all, the Fight for Peace Summer Programme lasts for only five weeks and no time can be wasted. 

From clay pottery to pizza making, ice cream shaking to a local farm visit – it’s been all cylinders go. During an afternoon painting session, so calm you’d question if this was the same shrieking voices present during morning boxing, we spoke to some of the youngest members to ask how they’ve found the programme so far.

“I’ve loved making pottery and playing dodgeball,” says 8-year-old Shelba, as she sweeps glittery pink paint across a canvas. Her brother, Ficara, a year younger and constantly attached at his sister’s hip, adds, “Only because you get to throw a ball at my head!”

The Summer Programme begins each morning with boxing, basic martial arts technique, footwork drills, and plenty of games. Alongside the joy of play, getting active in the morning is a phenomenal way to wake up the brain and body, and provide a well-needed boost of energy for the day ahead. 

Stationed in our blue box is group two of the programme, the slightly older cohort. “At school, we’re sat down for most of our lessons, told not to lose focus and stay in a chair, but when we’re using our hands, bonding with friends, and learning through games, it’s so much better,” shared Yazmin, an eager young member, and perhaps the Summer Programme’s biggest fan. 

She chats away as she paints violet clouds with cream linings, “The afternoon activities are my favourite, and they’re active too, even if they are quieter, like making pottery and the trip to the farm learning about animals.” 

Mornings filled with sport usually equate to quieter afternoons, although depending on the type of activity, the hype and excitement of learning a new skill can lead to quite the opposite. 

This was particularly true in the case of creating slime. Never before has the Academy seen such euphoric glee over stretchy, multicoloured gloop. Yet beyond the heightened fascination with goo, combining ingredients to make a chemical reaction is a lesson in chemistry too. The first for many young people here, just as pizza-making also grants a ‘first-time’ moment for those who have never cooked.

The young people attending our Summer Programme aren’t the only ones learning either. Amet, former Youth Power member and now a supporting member of staff for the programme, said, “I’ve learnt a lot, like how to deal with kids, to manage them, to be creative and also how to calm them.” He makes a stellar point: not every cohort of young people is the same and remaining adaptable to their needs is an important lesson for anyone working with young people.

Coach Tommy and Operations Intern Lubna have led the programme this year, and their creativity, energy, and patience have made this summer truly one to remember. A few of our young members commented on their leadership. 

From Zefiar, we heard that “Tommy is my favourite. He’s fun, and when we’re doing things, he’s not super strict. He just lets us play.” To which Shelba quickly responded with, “But Lubna is the best. She makes us chocolate milk.” The final word is drawn out, as sweet memories of afternoon chocolate milk distract from the end of the sentence. 

This year, the response to our Summer Programme has been incredible, with sessions exceptionally oversubscribed with more young people than we had places. Luckily, we’ve been reactive to this need and doubled how many young people we could welcome to the programme, and the reaction has been extraordinary. 

Running between the hours of 10 till 4 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and including snacks and a feasting lunch, the programme has welcomed 7-14 year olds from across the borough to experience a summer they’ll never forget.

According to children’s charity Coram, holiday childcare costs across Great Britain have risen by 5% in the last year, bringing the average cost of a six-week summer holiday programme to £1,145. This additional cost during the summer holidays creates unnecessary financial pressure for families at a time when life already feels unaffordable in so many ways. 

The truth behind our summer programme is that low-cost and free summer programmes are needed now more than ever. We’ve heard directly from the young people who’ve attended our Programme this year that this experience has been unlike anything they’ve had before, and a welcome relief from traditional school learning too. It might only be for five weeks, but that’s almost 10% of the year. 

We can only hope that programmes such as these will continue to be recognised for just how valuable they are. Until then! We’ve got one last day of the programme left, and we can’t miss a minute. 

Special thanks to The Hargreaves Foundation for funding this Summer Programme and for generously expanding its support when it reached capacity.