We are no longer running buses. Please walk to and from Lighthouse if possible.
Running Lighthouse costs between £50 and £75 per child, depending on the individual Lighthouse. We make no charge for children attending Lighthouse, but we do welcome donations according to what you can afford. Details of ways to contribute to Lighthouse can be found here.
This is most likely because the children are in different age groups, and different groups fill up at different speeds, so on any given day we may have spaces in one age group but not another.
If you have only been allocated a place for one child and you no longer wish to take up this place, please let us know immediately. Thank you.
Our system requires us to print tickets for the entire week for each child, so every child gets tickets for the entire week, even if you have only booked for certain days.
Yes, anyone can apply to volunteer at Lighthouse from the age of 12 (as at 31st August). Please go here to register as a volunteer.
No, at Lighthouse we run a strict first come first serve policy and therefore if your child no longer needs their place please inform us via email and we will give it to the next child on the waiting list.
The Lighthouse format is simple and fun. At the start and finish of each day we gather everyone together in the mainstage area/marquee for worship, teaching, drama, competitions, etc. For the rest of the day children have a programme of games, performing arts and craft, plus a year-group Discovery session to explore the day's theme and a second 'Lighthouse' (small-group) Discovery session to take this further. The 10s and 11s age group have a separate program including an exciting choice of workshops.
Lighthouse is a Christian holiday club, which gets the summer holidays off to a great start. Lighthouse started in Great Missenden in 1987 and there are now fourteen Lighthouses, with more being planned!
Please attend the whole week if at all possible. Every Lighthouse is over subscribed so please consider, if your child can only attend for part of the week, are they taking a place that could be offered to a child that could come for the whole week? We do not accept bookings for less than three days and experience tells us Lighthouse is most fulfilling when a child is able to attend for the whole week.
Lighthouse policy mirrors that of school policy; please only send your child to Lighthouse if you feel they would be well enough to attend school that day. However, once the child is on site the final decision rests with the Lighthouse Medical Team.
At Lighthouse we have Safeguarding, Behaviour Management, Anti Bullying, Special Needs (SEND) and Heath & Safety policies, including procedure in case of fire. These are all detailed within our Volunteer Handbook and on webpages which can be found here.
Lighthouse children's applications for 2023 will open in May
Lighthouse is staffed by volunteers, drawn mainly from local churches. Children spend most of each day in year-groups, which are broken down into smaller groups called Lighthouses. Each Lighthouse has a Lighthouse Keeper (responsible leader) and one or more Lamplighters (younger assistants). Specialist teams help with craft, performing arts and games. We take up references for all our helpers. Adult (16+) helpers are police checked through the Criminal Records Bureau Disclosures scheme (now the DBS).
Registration opens at 10.00 am
Lighthouse ends at 3.30 and we ask that you are there promptly to collect your child/ren
If your child needs prescription medicines
during the day, please ensure that they are in date, particularly epipens and
inhalers, speak to a First Aider at Registration and please fill in the
relevant form. Due to the potential risk to your child, we may have to ask you to
collect your child if their epipen/inhaler is not in date. Epipens, inhalers,
etc. should stay with the child’s Lighthouse Keeper at all times.
We welcome applications for children with special needs. The Lighthouses in Beaconsfield, Cressex, Hazlemere, Mansfield and Wycombe have a special facility called “The Space” for children who would benefit from additional support to access Lighthouse. Burnham, Marlow and Princes Risborough also offer some special needs support. We will do all we can to accommodate special needs applications but in order to ensure the appropriate support is available at the Lighthouse you are applying for it is essential that you tell us well in advance any additional needs that your child has, this includes whether your child has additional help at school or has a Statement or Educational Health and Care Plan. Please provide as much information in your application as possible in order to help us best assess whether we can meet the needs of your child.
Lighthouse is for children of primary school age, age 5 to 11, Reception to Year 6. The age group they are in is dependant on their birthday on August 31st. Many Lighthouses will also have a year group for 4 year olds that runs for half a day and also offer a Little Lighthouse or Parent & Toddler group in the morning which is drop in only. Please note that at Marlow 4 year olds are only accepted if they are the children of Volunteers. Please go to Find My Lighthouse and click on the Lighthouse you are applying for to find out more.
