What Activate Camps does

Activate Camps, operated by Activate Management Limited (private limited company registered in England and Wales), is a UK children's sport and activity holiday camp provider founded around 2005 and headquartered in Alcester, England. The company delivers a portfolio of day camps (during Easter, summer, and half-term school holidays) and premium performance residential camps for children and young people aged 5-16, including sport-specific academies (Cricket, Netball, Hockey, Football, Lacrosse, Gymnastics, Running), multi-sport camps, cooking, and dance. The core technology stack consists of the third-party Pebble (Bookpebble) online booking platform and the Proactive digital risk and incident reporting app used for camp safety and Ofsted compliance; the company has no proprietary AI or app-based product of its own.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model targeting parents and guardians, with bookings taken primarily through its own website and a phone support line. It accepts childcare vouchers and participates in the UK government's Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, providing government-funded places for eligible families via local-authority commissioning. Revenue is generated through one-time camp fees for day camps, premium pricing for multi-day residential performance camps at venues such as Oundle School, and recurring HAF programme commissions. The company partners with elite athletes and brands (Nile Wilson Gymnastics, Louis Smith Gymnastics, Andrew Flintoff Cricket Academy, R66T Academy/Joe Root, The WK Coach) and operates a seasonal workforce of 700-1,500+ sport and activity professionals across 200+ camps annually in England. The company is independently owned with no disclosed external investors, and it has served over 175,000 children cumulatively over 20+ years.

Name

Activate Camps

Legal name

Activate Management Limited

Website

https://activatecamps.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Activate Camps is a privately held UK provider of sport and activity holiday day camps and performance residential camps for children aged 5-16, operating 200+ camps annually across England via a direct-to-consumer model, with supplementary government-funded HAF places and elite-athlete-led premium programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Holiday Camps

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Rooming and Boarding Houses, Dormitories, and Workers' Camps (72131)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA), Endurance Sports Coaching & Training Camps (Running, Cycling, Triathlon, Swimming) (MPAKAJAH), Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI)

Keywords

• Children's holiday camps
• Sports coaching camps
• Multi-activity camps
• Residential performance camps
• Ofsted childcare services

Headquarters

HQ city

Alcester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Holiday Camp Fees: Parents and guardians pay fees to enrol children (aged 5–16) in sport and activity holiday camps. Camps run during school holiday periods (Easter, summer, half-terms). Optional Extra Time Club (ETC) adds extended hours at additional cost. Discounts available for early booking, sibling bookings, and group bookings of 5 or more.
2. Performance Residential Camp Fees: Specialist multi-day residential camps for talented young athletes (ages 9–17) at premium independent school venues. Includes high-performance coaching in cricket, netball, gymnastics, running, and football disciplines.
3. HAF Programme (Holiday Activities and Food): Government-funded places provided free to eligible families under the UK HAF scheme, which funds holiday childcare for disadvantaged children.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Activate Camps runs sport-specific and multi-activity day camps as well as residential performance camps for children aged 5-16 across more than 200 venues in England during school holiday periods. Offerings span cricket, netball, football, hockey, lacrosse, cooking, multi-sport, dance and gymnastics, delivered through academies run with elite coaches and supported by Ofsted-registered childcare standards. The company also operates extended-hours childcare (Extra Time Club) and delivers HAF government-funded holiday places for eligible families.

Product overview

Activate Camps operates a portfolio of sport and activity holiday camps across the UK, serving children aged 5-16 years. The offering consists of sport-specific academies (The Cricket Academy, Netball Fever, Next Level Hockey, Ultimate Lacrosse, Let's Play Football), multi-activity camps (Multi Sport Camp), cooking activities (Let's Cook), and dance (Star Performers). The portfolio also includes Performance Residential Camps for talented athletes aged 9-17 offering specialist programmes in Running, Cricket, Netball, and Gymnastics (including the Nile Wilson Gymnastics Residential). Extended childcare is available through the Extra Time Club (ETC) service. The company also participates in the government's Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Multi Sport Camp Active multi-sport day camp for children offering multiple sports and activities during school holidays (9.30am-4.30pm), with optional Extra Time Club for extended hours.
• The Cricket Academy Expert cricket coaching day camp for children, providing sport-specific technical training, skills and match play with professional coaches.
• Netball Fever Technical netball coaching and gameplay day camp for children to improve their netball skills during school holidays.
• Let's Play Football Fun football skills and games day camp focused on skill development in an engaging environment for children.
• Let's Cook Creative, hands-on cooking activity camp teaching children culinary skills during school holidays.
• Next Level Hockey Hockey coaching day camp focused on improving performance and confidence in young players.
• Ultimate Lacrosse Experience Lacrosse day camp featuring skills, drills and match play for all ability levels.
• Performance Running Camp Running residential experience for county and county-aspiring athletes aged 10-16, with sessions on technique, speed/agility/quickness, nutrition and injury prevention.
• Nile Wilson Gymnastics Residential Gymnastics coaching residential programme led by Olympic medallist Nile Wilson, delivering intensive gymnastics training for aspiring young gymnasts.
• Performance Cricket Intensive cricket training residential for developing cricketers, run in a focused multi-day environment at premium school venues.
• Performance Netball Expert netball coaching residential programme for aspiring netball players in an intensive, focused environment.
• Performance Residential Camps Multi-sport residential performance programmes for talented young athletes aged 9-17, offering expert coaching in focused residential environments at premium independent school venues.
• The Cricket Academy x The R66T Academy Specialist cricket coaching offering at Activate Camps, delivered in partnership with R66T Academy (founded by Joe Root), bringing elite batting masterclass training to young cricketers at cricket camps.
• The Cricket Academy x The WK Coach Specialist wicket-keeping coaching offering at Activate Camps, delivered in partnership with The WK Coach (Josh), providing full-day specialist wicket-keeping training at Easter and summer camps.
• Star Performers Dance camp for children aged 7-14 featuring a 3-day programme with a final day performance showcase.
• Extra Time Club (ETC) Extended-hours childcare add-on offering before and after day camps, typically 8.30am-5.30pm (with some venues operating 8am-6pm), for working parents needing wraparound care.
• Activate HAF Programme Government-funded HAF (Holiday Activities and Food) provision delivered during school holidays for eligible children (typically those on free school meals), commissioned by local authorities across England, providing physical activities and nutritious meals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 175,000 children have attended Activate Camps over 20+ years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• R66T AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025R66T Academy, founded by cricketing legend Joe Root, partnered with Activate Camps' Cricket Academy (TCA) in 2025 to deliver specialist batting masterclass coaching at cricket camps. The partnership is designed to elevate the cricket coaching programme and bring elite-level training to young cricketers.
• The WK CoachcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The WK Coach (Josh) delivers specialist wicket-keeping camps in partnership with Activate Camps at Easter and summer camps. Josh attends every camp to deliver a full day of specialist wicket-keeping training for young cricketers.
• AsmodeeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Asmodee, a major UK board game company, partnered with Activate Camps to bring board gaming activities to the Extra Time Club (ETC). Asmodee provides board games and activities for the morning ETC programme, enhancing the extended-hours childcare offering.
• Oundle SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOundle School is a key residential camp venue partner. The school provides state-of-the-art facilities including sports venues, boarding accommodation, and dining for Activate Camps' Performance Residential programmes. Located in Northamptonshire, Oundle is the third largest boarding school in England.
• Crazy CatchminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrazy Catch is the official partner of Activate Camps for cricket equipment. The partnership provides exclusive discounts on cricket gear for Activate customers and occasional equipment provision at camps.
• Owzat CricketminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOwzat Cricket is the UK's #1 cricket retailer and official Crazy Catch partner of Activate Camps. Provides 10% discount codes and exclusive deals for Activate customers on cricket equipment.
• HavenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHaven, Britain's leading seaside holiday provider, partnered with Activate Camps to deliver the Nature Rockz outdoor skills programme at camps. The Nature Rockz programme taught nature skills, outdoor activities, and environmental education to camp participants.
• Micro Scooters UKminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMicro Scooters UK partnered with Activate Camps to deliver Super Scooter Days at camps, bringing fun scooter activities and exclusive Micro prizes. An exclusive offer provided free Micro water bottles with scooter purchases using code ACTIVATE2016.
• Tumbl Trak UKminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTumbl Trak UK supplied specialised gymnastics equipment for the Louis Smith Gymnastics Academy, including T-Trainer equipment and gymnastics apparatus. Partner since the academy's launch in 2015.
• HAF Programme (Holiday Activities and Food)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActivate Camps participates in the UK government's HAF programme, delivering funded holiday activities and food to children eligible for free school meals. Commissioned by local authorities across England.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SuperCamps: Multi-activity and specialist day camps (and some residential) for UK children aged 4-14 during school holidays. Competes head-to-head with Activate in the multi-activity day camp segment and shares the same school-venue and seasonal operating cadence.
• Kingswood Camps: UK provider of both day camps and residential activity camps at owned and partner centres. Overlaps with Activate on residential performance programmes and on the day-camp offer, with a heavier residential footprint.
• Premier Education Group: UK-wide provider of school holiday clubs and sport-specific coaching, including wraparound childcare. Competes with Activate on sport-specific holiday provision and shares HAF delivery exposure through school partnerships.
• XUK Activity Camps: Independent UK multi-activity and specialist day/residential camps for children. A smaller-scale but directly comparable competitor in the multi-activity holiday camp segment.
• Barracudas Activity Day Camps: UK-wide provider of Ofsted-registered activity day camps for children aged 4½-14 during school holidays, with sport, art, and multi-activity programmes. Directly comparable in customer demographic, seasonal operating model, and Ofsted-regulated positioning.
• Fit For Sport: UK holiday activity and sports day camps for primary-aged children, with strong HAF programme participation. Closely mirrors Activate's sport-and-activity mix and Ofsted-regulated HAF delivery model.
• JCA Adventure (Condover Hall): UK residential adventure activity centre running multi-day camps for school groups and individual children. Comparable on the residential side of Activate's Performance Residential proposition.

Emerging players

• Sport4Kids: UK children's sport coaching provider running holiday multi-sport camps and after-school clubs. Partial overlap with Activate's multi-sport and football camp offerings, with a smaller scale and footprint.

Broad incumbents

• PGL Travel: Largest UK operator of residential activity centres and adventure holidays for children and schools. A broader incumbent with overlapping residential activity programming, though primarily targeting school-group bookings rather than Activate's parent-paid day-camp core.

Others

• Brendan Cole Dance Academy: Former Activate dance camp partner (Brendan Cole Dance Academy was an earlier partnership). Relevant adjacent reference for the dance / performing arts holiday-camp category that Activate is re-entering with Star Performers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ActivateCamps

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Activate Camps