Increasingly the involvement of children in decisions about all aspects of their daily lives is seen as important - and out-of-school clubs are no exception.
The Government is one of the organisations leading the way in this area and it has made involvement a central theme of the Children and Young People's Strategy, established Children's Consultation groups with Ministers and, for the first time, built participation and citizenship into the National Curriculum.
Out-of-school children's clubs are unique in being able to work in this way in that they are, in a sense, owned by the children. I am sure that you already listen to children's views and take on some of their ideas but have you thought about putting this on a more formal level so that children take on some responsibility for decisions on an ongoing basis?
As a starting point, you might undertake a survey of children's views, find out what they consider to be important at the club and what, if anything, they would like to change. Inform the children of any changes you will make as a result.
Further to this, you could then set up a regular 'children's panel' so that they take on a formal role in the development of the club. The ideas and suggestions from the children's panel would then feed into your management meetings and influence the activities planned for the club. It would then be important to give feedback to children letting them know what had been decided and why.
Involving children in decisions will add creativity and imagination. It will help children to develop their abilities to make decisions and play their part as active citizens. Clubs have a crucial part to play in developing children's participation - now really is the time to let children have their say.
