Music is a force for good in so many ways and that’s what The Strings Club bases all their holiday camps around, creating amazing childcare experiences for children aged 4-11. We spoke with Amy Cumingham the founder of The Strings Club to find out a bit more about the camps and the woman who created them.
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Please introduce yourself…
I’m Amy, Founder of The Strings Club. I’m mum to 8-year-old Anja and a lover all of things music, nature and generally having fun in life.
Why did you decide to start The Strings Club?
I worked as a teacher in London and had a few weeks spare in the summer so I put on a Holiday Camp; six children attended. After the grand finale Holiday Camp concert, one mum asked when the next one would be. The rest, as they say is history. I have since expanded The Strings Club to 14 further locations and welcomed almost half a million children!
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What does The Strings Club offer to families?
The Strings Club offers top quality school holiday childcare that parents trust time and time again. We have seen first-hand the many positive benefits music can have on children, so we thread music through all that we do. From behaviour to wellbeing to posture – music makes everything better!
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What makes The Strings Club stand out from other holiday camps?
That’s a great question and something that we discuss quite a lot at our Head Office. There’s so much to be honest! We want to offer something of the highest quality to not only the children who attend but also parents too. We know mum/dad guilt is a real thing so we want grown-ups to leave their children with us and know they’ll not only be safe, but also having a great time whilst developing a few skills on the way too.
Unlike other camps, the staff-to-child ratio is an extraordinary at The Strings Club. Whether your child is whether aged 4 or 11, the ratio is 1:8. This means your child is always being very well looked after and personally encouraged.
Musical instrumental rental is included in the camp, so kids can take home their instrument throughout the duration and really get a chance to become familiar with it. We communicate with parents daily to keep them well versed on what’s going on in camp through newsletters and photo galleries.
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What gives you the greatest satisfaction about running The Strings Club?
I love my job 99% of the time. I think the greatest satisfaction is when we visit the Holiday Clubs and sit down with the children and see them having such a great time. It takes around 6 weeks to organise our award-winning Holiday Camps so seeing children smiling really does make all the hard work worth it.
What would you say are the biggest challenges you face running The Strings Club?
As we’re expanding to a new area every 3 months now, it’s keeping the quality of our Holiday Camps consistently at a high level. However we’re doing this by ensuring we regularly visit our Holiday Clubs. This seems to be working efficiently so far.
Also we really do only hire the best so everyone who works at our Holiday Camps have worked for children for at least 5 years and share our vision in offering the best in childcare and music!
Any future plans or dreams for the business that you’d like to share?
Because we have seen the huge effects music can have on children, we’re expanding which is super exciting! We’re doing this by recommendation too, so if anyone reading this would like us to come to their area soon, please get in touch with by emailing amy@thestringsclub.org
About The Strings Club:
The Strings Club was founded in 2012 by professional violinist and teacher, Amy Cunningham. Her aim was to give children an opportunity to engage with music in a rewarding, enriching – but most of all fun way. Since its inception The Strings Club has taught over 500,000 children, including thousands online during the pandemic all over the world! Amy and the business have since won multiple awards and welcome many repeat customers.
Holiday camps are grouped into ages 4-7 and 8-11 and held at venues in Hackney, Walthamstow, Hampstead, Islington, Greenwich, Dulwich, Balham, Brockley, Harborne, Leamington Spa, and Richmond.
