For immediate release
18 August 2014
Summer's here and the living's not easy
Third of British parents (32%) spending up to £600 extra entertaining the kids
47% worried about what the summer holidays are costing them
Money concerns stopping six in 10 (60%) families participating in leisure activities
The long summer holidays may be in full swing but for nearly half (47%) of British parents, the fact that school's out for summer has brought nothing but stress and worry about the costs they are wracking up in order to keep the kids entertained during August.
This summer, according to leisure centre operator and charitable social enterprise GLL*, 32% of hard working parents are forking out up to £600 extra, excluding any holidays away from home, to banish boredom in their school age children.
With a recent survey estimating that the cost of keeping the kids entertained over the entire six-week break will be an eye-watering £1,461, on activities such as days out, treats, gifts and childcare, it is not surprising that many parents are bracing themselves for a very large dent in their finances.
In fact, such is the extent of parents' money worries that a lack of finance has scuppered the plans of a whopping six in 10 (60%) families who would like to take part in organised leisure activities this summer.
And finances are the biggest influence on what the kids have been doing over the past few weeks, with nearly four in 10 (38%) Mums and Dads claiming that any entertainment they provide their children depends solely on what they are able to afford this summer.
These findings are underlined by the fact that the sorts of activities that parents have been encouraging their children to participate in this summer are largely the less expensive options. For example, 54% of parents have encouraged their kids to play outside with friends, while 48% will be taking them to visit relatives. Swimming is the most popular sporting activity; something that 48% of children will be taking part in, while a fifth (22%) will be visiting their local library. Only one in ten have been enrolled in organised activities such as a holiday club.
But it isn't just money worries that head up the list of parental concerns during the holiday period, the top five reasons why parents are feeling stressed this summer are:
1. Cost of keeping the kids entertained (47%)
2. Kids spending too much time on electronic devices or watching TV (43%)
3. Not knowing where to find things for the kids to do (36%)
4. Worried about the kids' safety (32%)
5. Not spending enough quality time with the kids due to work commitments (30%)
Daniel Haywood head of commercial brands at GLL said: "Given the huge cost of keeping the kids amused for six weeks or more during the long summer holidays, it is hardly surprising that many parents (and their bank accounts) are feeling the strain. What Mums and Dads are telling us is that they want their children to be as happy and active as possible during the school holidays but they don't want to break the bank in the process.
"Fortunately there are plenty of fun activities for school age children to participate in that needn't cost the earth. Here at GLL we want to prove to parents that you don't have to spend huge amounts of money to entertain the kids and have a happy, memorable summer. All you need to do is have a look at what's on your doorstep at your local leisure centre which provides low cost leisure activities for kids from archery to water sports and everything in between from as little as £1.00.
"And of course, don't forget that your local library is a great place, particularly for those inevitably rainy days in the school holidays, where young bookworms can not only borrow books completely free of charge; but take part in art and craft activities and storytelling sessions as well as take part in the free Summer Reading Challenge to read six books and receive a certificate and free stickers!"
To find your local GLL leisure centre and learn more about fun children's activities for this summer, visit www.better.org.uk
Ends
For further press information, please contact:
Carole Pendle at Pendle PR on 0776 846 2601 or Email: carole@pendlepr.com
Notes to the editor
*GLL operates over 140 leisure centres across the UK under the Better brand.
To speak to "case-study" parents about how they are spending the summer holidays and what they are spending on, please contact Carole Pendle E: carole@pendlepr.com
About GLL
Established in 1993, GLL is the largest UK-based charitable social enterprise delivering leisure, health and community services. We operate over 140 public sport and leisure centres and 27 libraries (including three prison libraries) in partnership with over 30 local councils, public agencies and sporting organisations. Our leisure facilities enjoy more than 39 million visitors a year with over 450,000 members.
Alongside our core leisure and library divisions, we also operate in sport and legacy development, health intervention and education - as well as offering the GLL Sports Foundation, one of the largest independent support programmes for talented young athletes in the UK.