The problem
Holiday camps can bring a club real income, but bookings taken by WhatsApp and bank transfer leave places unclaimed and spaces unfilled. If online booking fills 8 more places in each of 4 camp weeks a year at $106£80€95A$154C$150 a place, that is $3,405£2,560€3,046A$4,915C$4,813 a year the club isn't taking now.
What the AI does
ClassForKids is booking software for children's activity clubs and camps. Its Camps Only plan is $160£120€143A$230C$226 a year, pay as you go, with camp-specific booking options, bookings, payments and waiting lists managed in one place, and staff permissions you set. Parents choose days or whole weeks and pay online. The transaction fee is from 2.5% including Stripe; the page says fees are estimates, confirmed by ClassForKids. The coaches see the list for each day, and the club can see how full each week is before deciding whether to add a group.
A worked example
A football club in Milton Keynes runs 4 camp weeks a year (Easter, two in summer and October half-term) for about 30 children a week at $106£80€95A$154C$150 led by its qualified coaches.
Before
Bookings by WhatsApp and transfer, about 30 children a camp week
After
Online booking with a waiting list, about 38 children a camp week
What it's worth
About $113£85€101A$163C$160 a month in profit, averaged over the year, at an assumed 40% margin after coaches' pay and pitch costs on $3,405£2,560€3,046A$4,915C$4,813 a year of extra places (8 places x 4 weeks x $106£80€95A$154C$150). Cost is about $47£35€42A$67C$66 a month: $160£120€143A$230C$226 a year for Camps Only plus fees of about 2.5% on $16,173£12,160€14,470A$23,347C$22,861 of bookings (38 x 4 x $106£80€95A$154C$150), about $404£304€362A$584C$572 a year, $564£424€505A$814C$797 in all.
How to set it up
- Price each camp day and week, and decide your cancellation and refund terms.
- Sign up for ClassForKids Camps Only and set up each camp with its dates, capacity and price.
- Collect emergency contacts, consents and medical information through the club's existing registration system, as the pricing page doesn't mention medical or consent forms.
- Share the booking link with club families and local schools 6 weeks before each camp.
- After each camp, compare numbers and income with the last one.
What goes wrong
- Camps need qualified, DBS-checked coaches and your governing body's safeguarding standards; online booking doesn't change that.
- Check whether your camp needs Ofsted registration, which depends on the children's ages and how long the camp runs.
- The 2.5% fee is an estimate on ClassForKids' page; confirm the real rate before setting prices.
- The 8 extra places a week are an assumption. Track bookings to see what online booking really adds.