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Clubs don't always have to go it alone - sharing premises with another like-minded group may be the solution to all your problems, says Miranda Walker finding the right accommodation to meet or exceed registration standards is rarely a simple matter for any childcare provision, but out-of-school clubs often have particular difficulties.

finding the right accommodation to meet or exceed registration standards is rarely a simple matter for any childcare provision, but out-of-school clubs often have particular difficulties.

Few clubs find buying their own premises financially viable, and it can be hard to find public spaces to rent due to the irregular times that clubs open. Clubs typically need to hire somewhere for an hour in the morning for a breakfast club, for three hours after school, during term-time, and yet for a full ten hours a day during the school holidays.

Even when an appropriate venue is found that can accommodate such flexible hours - and for the right price - proximity to the schools which the club will serve can still present a problem. Will children walk between venues or will transport be required? Is there a need to employ extra staff to escort the children in addition to playworkers, and is it possible to recruit them? And by the time you've paid the escorts and transport costs, is the service still viable?

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