ROUTES

Routes is a free week-long theatre programme for local 8 – 11 year olds from Lambeth and Wandsworth running six times a year during the school holidays. The programme is aimed at young people who qualify for pupil premium/free school meals, or who otherwise would significantly benefit from Routes. 

Alongside receiving breakfast, lunch and healthy snacks, young people work together under the guidance of our facilitators to create a play from their own imaginations which they perform to friends and family at the end of the week in our Theatre. The aims for the week are simple; to work as a team, to challenge yourself and grow more confident – all whilst having lots of fun and food! 

Want to get involved? 

Places on this programme are offered to families through our referral pool – we work with local schools, charities, and local authorities who identify young people who might benefit from this programme. If you’re a partner organisation, we’ll be in touch ahead of the below dates to let you know when recruitment opens. If you’re a parent or carer, be sure to contact your school and ask about places. 

Winter
2-6 Jan, 9am – 1pm 

Spring
1-5 April, 9am – 1pm 

Summer
29 Jul – 2 Aug, 9am – 1pm
5-9 August, 9am – 1pm

Since the first lockdown in Lambeth, there have been over 31,714 calls for help with food to an emergency helpline and a 137% increase to the number of local citizens using food banks. 

In July 2023, there were more than 13,000 children eligible for Free School Meals in Lambeth. 

Recent finding show that, nationally, 41% of households with children registered for Free School Meals reported food insecurity, especially during school holidays. 

Food insecurity affects children’s physical and mental health, and can cause diseases and mental health challenges that persist into adulthood. It also has negative consequences on children’s educational attainment.  

Routes provides a week’s worth of yummy breakfasts, healthy snacks, and hot lunches to families at higher risk of experiencing food insecurity. But we go beyond that to tackle the longer-lasting effects of the cost-of-living crisis for children in Lambeth and Wandsworth. 

Drama is a tool that levels the playing field – teaching young people confidence, team building, empathy and more. At Routes, children use their imaginations and their creative voices to make their ideas reality, and the positive effects of a week at Routes have been noted by parents, teachers, and young people themselves. 

“It is projects like this that are in great need. Living on low wages in such an affluent area is sometimes a struggle. Our children miss out on opportunities in life due to finances. Programmes like Routes help build our children’s self-esteem and confidence, so they become healthy and wholesome young adults” 

We want to make sure we are working with young people who we know will benefit from the programme and may not have access to similar opportunities. If you’re a local organisation that works with young people who might benefit from Routes, please email Alice at learningandparticipation@omnibus-clapham.org to be added to our recruitment pool. When applications open for each new programme we email all our referral partners with details of how families can apply.