Fish Tank

Issue 12 May 2012

|01480 497533 |jobs@barracudas.co.uk |www.recruitment.barracudas.co.uk

23 Bridge Street, St Ives, Cambridgeshire, PE27 5EH

Billy’s Eggciting Easter!

Central Office having a wheely good time!

Thank you so much to everyone who worked

over Easter. We have had brilliant feedback from

parents, children and senior teams on camp. 5

camps were visited by OFSTED and all received

overall ‘good’ grades, most with ‘outstanding

features’. This is a fantastic achievement that

demonstrates how all your hard work has paid

off...and a special well done to Hertford who

were awarded ‘outstanding’!!!! Here’s what the

inspector had to say:

“The management team’s infectious enthusiasm

and the staff’s genuine aim to provide

consistently high standards of care means that

they make changes to improve outcomes for

children and parents. Children forge friendships

with the staff and each other and their behaviour

is excellent.”

It’s not just the staff who were having fun at Easter, after you

had all packed up your equipment everyone from Central

Office spent a Saturday morning unloading the lorries. We

had a bit of spare time between loads and took this

opportunity to build a tyre tower...with Alison the Managing

Director inside. Thanks to all staff who stayed to help load

their lorries; it is much appreciated.

Congratulations to Karen from Central Office who had her

baby boy Harry on Christmas Eve, and Claire who had baby

Edward in January.

Training & Set-Up Days For those of you working in the summer, you should have already received information regarding your

set-up and induction days. If not, please get in touch and we can send you details on when and where

these days are going to be for your camp. The set-up days are optional and are both paid days. If you

would like to work these days, please let us know. It is compulsory for anyone who didn’t work on camp

this Easter to attend their induction training day. For those of you who did work during the Easter, then

providing your evaluation is to a certain standard you will not need to attend. We’ll let you know if this

isn’t the case. All three of these days are a great opportunity to familiarise yourself with the site and

meet the people you will be spending the summer with!

As well as your induction training day, there are still opportunities to attend one of our training courses

for the Multi-Activity Award, Fencing Leaders Award, Multi-Skills Award or First Aid qualification. Not

only some of these boost your pay but they also allow you to experience more of camp life and work

with children of different ages and abilities. Upcoming training weekends are: 30th June & 1st July in

Bromley, 7th/8th July in Upminster and 14th/15th July in Godalming. Places are still available on these

courses so please get in contact if you are interested. In particular we are looking for fencers and Multi

Skills qualified staff. Call us to find out what your camp needs.

FUN IS NOW HERE! Many of you have already signed up to www.funisnowhere.com, the site designed by Barracudas

to promote positive thinking and encourage a proactive attitude. You can create your own profile

and join any of the groups that interest you – most camps have their own group! There is also a

chatroom on the site which a lot of staff use if they’re looking for a lift to the set-up or induction

days, or if they have space in their car. It’s worth visiting the site just to watch some of the videos

on the homepage, which feature some quite inspirational people.

BARRACUDAS GOT TALENT! Did you see one of our

children from the

Upminster camp on BGT?

Click here to see if Hope

Murphy got through...

http://www.youtube.com

/watch?v=kpeaYFmMCik

This year’s infamous mid-season social will be taking place on Saturday 11th August at the Cape

bar in St Katherine’s Docks, London.

The theme for 2012 is...the Olympics! As usual, there will be a prize for the best camp’s fancy

dress so start thinking now. Here’s a few pictures from previous years to give you an idea of

what to expect...

g

MID-SEASON SOCIAL!

Going the extra mile Well done to Mark, from Central Office, who completed the Moon Walk

marathon last weekend (in a bra) to raise essential funds for the breast cancer

charity Walk the Walk.

Our Office Manager, Rachel, will also be doing her bit next month by taking

part in the Three Peaks Challenge with Emily Smith from Ripley camp. They will

be climbing 3 peaks in 24 hours to raise money for Harrisons Fund. This charity

aims to find a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

If you are taking part in any upcoming fundraising activities then let us know!

...or a mechanic? This summer, we are looking for two mechanics who can help repair and maintain the

vehicles should any camps have difficulties with the motocross vehicles and quadbikes. No

specific qualifications are necessary, though the successful candidates will need to be

mechanically minded and have some proven experience of working in this field. There is a

vacancy for a mechanic able to travel to north camps, and one for the south camps. All

applicants must be over 21 and hold a valid UK driving licence.

Please call Central Office for more information.

BILLY

STAFF VACANCIES

SUMMER 2012

Could you be a Mobile Activity Driver? The way the roaming activities are co-ordinated is changing slightly for summer

2012. Instead of having one piece of kit visit the camp for a day, the kit will stay on-

site for up to 4 days, depending on camp and location. Each week there will be a

different activity delivered to the camp, ranging from the climbing wall to dance

mats, the giant inflatable to the zorbing balls. Our drivers need to be at least 25,

hold a valid UK driving licence and be able to cope with the physical demands of

carrying and handling the kit. There may be some involvement in carrying out the

sessions as well. All necessary training will be given, and you will be provided with a

vehicle, mobile phone and fuel card. We have a vacancy for a driver able to travel to

the south camps. If you are interested please call Central Office.

Barnet – Fencing Instructor

Bishop’s Stortford – Childcare qualified staff

Chislehurst – Lifeguard

Cobham – Early Years Co-ordinator

Chigwell – Childcare qualified staff

Godalming – Fencing Instructor & MA Instructor

Hertford – Fencing Instructor

Horsham – Fencing Instructor

Huntingdon – Early Years Co-ordinator

Hutton – Lifeguard

Ripley – MA Instructor

Tonbridge – Childcare qualified staff

STAFF COMPETITION Have a look at the staff website to see our job descriptions – what do you think? We

want to add a short account of what it is like to be a member of staff on camp, written

by one of you. Send in a short piece titled ‘A Day In The Life Of...’ and then your

position, e.g. a Group Assistant, explaining what you do, what the best bits are, and

why prospective applicants should pick that role! The best accounts will be published

on the website in time for summer 2012.

What your Senior Team said about you...

“Helen Fagg has been

fantastic, always having

fun and leading some

great sessions.”

Chelmsford Seniors

Jack Gower has been

massively helpful,

always using his

initiative and the kids

love him!”

Hemel Seniors

“Lacey Cousins is

outstanding, she really

engages and enthuses

the Minnows. She is an

asset to our camp.”

Hertford Seniors

“Our entire Early Years Team

are doing a great and

wonderful job – they are

making my life so easy this

week!”

Ash, Camp Manager at Ripley

“Bob Tinsley and Tania

Pelly are always full of

positivity and willing to do

whatever they can to help

us and the camp as a

whole.”

Twickenham Seniors

“Rach Parkinson is constantly

coming up with new ideas

and initiatives, she never

seems to tire of inventing her

own sayings and songs! We’re

so glad she will be back in the

summer.”

Croydon Seniors

“Emily Crack is always

smiling and turns up early

to make the morning cup

of tea. The Piranhas love

her!”

Huntingdon Seniors

“Emily Reed is a

hard-working and

valued member of

staff. We would be

lost without her”

Watford Seniors

“Lizzie Gunning has come

out on top! All the children

seem to love her and so do

we in the staffroom”.

Upminster Seniors

SEE YOU IN THE SUMMER!

|01480 497533 |jobs@barracudas.co.uk |www.recruitment.barracudas.co.uk

23 Bridge Street, St Ives, Cambridgeshire, PE27 5EH