Kings Camps
Kings Camps is a UK charity-run holiday-camp operator delivering sports and activity programmes for children aged 5–17 across 45+ school and university venues in England, Scotland, and Wales, supported by 700 seasonal coaches, a franchise network, and military-family partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersSheffield, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Kings Camps does
Kings Camps is a UK children's holiday-camp operator run by the registered charity Kings Active Foundation (charity numbers 1105460/SC043119), founded in 1991 in Sheffield. It delivers the Multi Active sports and activity programme for children aged 5–14 (over 30 activities including tennis, swimming, dodgeball, and team challenges) and the Rookie Academy leadership programme for ages 15–17, across 45+ schools and university venues in England, Scotland, and Wales during Easter, summer, and half-term holidays. Programmes run 8:15am–5:30pm with flexible 3, 4, or 5-day booking options priced from £60 to £283 per child.
Revenue is generated primarily through camp fees paid by parents via a proprietary online booking platform (booking.kingscamps.org), supplemented by digital gift vouchers (£10–£250 denominations), franchise territory fees (£15,000 for a 5-year licence), and donations earmarked for subsidised places. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer online and phone sales (Membership Team), host-venue partnerships with independent schools and universities, a franchise channel (Essex and Manchester/Wirral territories launched 2022/2023), and a separate Military Camps programme delivered under partnerships with the Royal Navy Royal Marines Charity (10+ years), NATO (since 2023, including overseas operations in Belgium and the Netherlands), Annington, and the Army Welfare Service.
The service model relies on approximately 700 seasonally recruited and trained coaches branded as "Red Tops," selected and developed through a proprietary methodology called "The Kings Factor." The organisation is Ofsted-registered, 1st4sport-endorsed, ICO-registered, and rated 4.8/5 on Feefo; it operates alongside a Supporting Families programme that has assisted over 10,000 children since inception and partners with Mums in Need, Barnardo's Scotland, and Time-Matters UK for subsidised-place referrals. The charity is led by CEO Andrew Busby and reinvests income into community programmes, including an international project partnership with Hope Community Action Africa in Uganda since 2021.
Kings Camps firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kings Camps
- Legal name
- Kings Active Foundation
- Website
- https://kingscamps.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Kings Camps is a UK charity-run holiday-camp operator delivering sports and activity programmes for children aged 5–17 across 45+ school and university venues in England, Scotland, and Wales, supported by 700 seasonal coaches, a franchise network, and military-family partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kings Camps industry classification
Industry- NAICS
- Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)
- SIC
- Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), 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), Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO)
Keywords
Where Kings Camps is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sheffield
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kings Camps business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
Revenue model
- Camp fees: Parents pay for Multi Active and Rookie Academy camp places. Pricing varies by programme (3, 4, or 5 days) and venue. Fees range from £60 for Rookie Academy Level 3 to £283 for Multi Active 5-day programme.
- Donations: Donations collected during booking checkout or via dedicated donations page, allocated 100% to Supporting Families programme for subsidised places for children from disadvantaged circumstances.
- Franchise fees: Kings Camps offers franchise opportunities with a 5-year territory fee of £15,000. Franchisees operate camps in their territories under the Kings Camps brand.
- Gift vouchers: Digital gift vouchers sold in denominations of £10, £25, £50, £100 and £250. Purchased online and redeemable towards camp bookings.
- Venue partnerships: Partnership with schools and universities who provide facilities. Kings Camps operates camps at host venues, providing financial model for venues during school holidays.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Multi Active 3-Day Programme |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Multi Active 4-Day Programme |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Multi Active 5-Day Programme |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Rookie Academy Level 1 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Rookie Academy Level 2 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Rookie Academy Level 3 |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Gift Vouchers |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Donations |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels9 records
Kings Camps product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kings Camps operates school holiday sports and activity day camps for children aged 5-17 across 45+ schools and university venues in the UK. Its two core programmes are the Multi Active programme (ages 5-14, featuring over 30 sports and activities across 3, 4 or 5-day bookings) and the Rookie Academy leadership programme (ages 15-17). Revenue is generated from camp fees, gift vouchers, franchise licensing, and donations that fund subsidised places through the Supporting Families programme.
Product overview
Kings Camps operates as a multi-programme holiday camp provider for children aged 5-17, offering two core programmes: the Multi Active Programme for ages 5-14 featuring over 30 sports and activities with flexible 3/4/5-day booking options, and the Rookie Academy Programme for ages 15-17 focusing on leadership skills development. The company runs at 45+ school and university venues across England, Scotland, and Wales. Additional offerings include Military Camps partnerships with RNRMC, NATO, and Army for service families, a franchise model for UK-wide expansion, gift vouchers in £10-£250 denominations, and a Supporting Families donation programme providing subsidised places for disadvantaged children. Kings Camps is part of Kings Active Foundation, a UK-registered charity founded in 1991.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 4.8/5 parent rating on Feefo
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Kings Camps
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Kings Camps technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Kings Camps partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Royal Navy Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC)coreOver 10-year partnership delivering holiday camps for naval families. RNRMC subsidises places for children of serving personnel. Camps operated at HMNB Devonport, HMNB Clyde and other naval establishments. Partnership provides residential camp experience for staff and exclusive access to military facilities.
- NATOcoreExpanded partnership in 2023 to operate 3 weeks of camp for over 100 NATO families overseas in Belgium and Netherlands. Camps offer up to 30 sports and activities for children of serving NATO personnel.
- Annington (Military Housing)minorPartnership to provide holiday camps for children of military families living in Annington housing.
- Army Welfare ServiceminorPartnership to support British Army families with holiday camp provision.
- Hope Community Action Africa (HCAA)minorProject partner since end of 2021 for Kisoro Orphan & Vulnerable Child Intervention Project in Uganda. Kings Active Foundation provides active-games intervention training and support to enable orphans and vulnerable children to access education, health and community through sport.
- Mums in NeedminorPartner organisation referring families in need to the Supporting Families programme for subsidised holiday camp places.
- Barnardo's ScotlandminorCharitable partner referring families to subsidised holiday camp places through Supporting Families programme.
- Time-Matters UKminorPartner organisation supporting families through the Supporting Families programme for subsidised holiday camp places.
- The King's FoundationminorCharity aligned with Kings Active Foundation values. CEO Andrew Busby visited the Dumfries House estate to learn about their education and training programmes.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kings Camps competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Camp Beaumont: Camp Beaumont runs Ofsted-registered multi-activity day camps for children aged 3-15 at UK schools during school holidays. It is a direct competitor to Kings Camps' Multi Active programme on venue model, age range and holiday timing.
- Super Camps: Super Camps provides multi-activity holiday day camps at UK independent schools for children aged 4-14. It competes head-to-head with Kings Camps on multi-activity school holiday programmes at school venues.
- Fit For Sport: Fit For Sport delivers Ofsted-registered active holiday camps and in-school activity programmes for primary-age children across the UK. It is a direct competitor to Kings Camps' Multi Active offering.
- PGL Travel: PGL operates adventure activity holiday camps across the UK serving school-age children with multi-activity programmes during school holidays. It is the largest residential and activity-camp competitor to Kings Camps in the UK market.
- Kingswood: Kingswood operates residential and day activity centres across the UK delivering multi-activity programmes for school groups and families. Comparable to Kings Camps on activity portfolio and target audience, although predominantly residential.
- Premier Education Group: Premier Education Group (parent of SCL) provides sports coaching, activity camps and wraparound childcare at UK schools. It directly overlaps with Kings Camps on school holiday sports camps and school partnerships.
Others
- British Activity Providers Association (BAPA): BAPA is the UK trade association for activity and outdoor learning providers. It is an ecosystem participant rather than a competitor, relevant to Kings Camps through industry standards, safeguarding frameworks and lobbying for the holiday-camp sector.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kings Camps social profiles
Digital presenceKings Camps compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Kings Camps financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kings Camps leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Kings Camps funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kings Camps M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kings Camps
What does Kings Camps do?
Kings Camps operates school holiday sports and activity day camps for children aged 5-17 across 45+ schools and university venues in the UK. Its two core programmes are the Multi Active programme (ages 5-14, featuring over 30 sports and activities across 3, 4 or 5-day bookings) and the Rookie Academy leadership programme (ages 15-17). Revenue is generated from camp fees, gift vouchers, franchise licensing, and donations that fund subsidised places through the Supporting Families programme.
Is Kings Camps a public or private company?
Kings Camps is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was Kings Camps founded?
Kings Camps was founded in 1991. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Kings Camps based?
Kings Camps is headquartered in Sheffield, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Kings Camps make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Camp fees are the primary driver. The others are donations, franchise fees, gift vouchers and venue partnerships.
Who are Kings Camps's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Camp Beaumont, Super Camps, Fit For Sport, PGL Travel, Kingswood and Premier Education Group. British Activity Providers Association (BAPA) is listed as an others.
Does Kings Camps have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kings Camps.
What industry is Kings Camps in?
Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAJAA, Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps), with a secondary code of EDAMALAA, Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports). Its NAICS code is 61162 and its SIC code is 8351.