It's that time of year again. Young people are looking forward to six weeks off school and their parents are frantically trying to think of ways to keep them occupied come rain or shine. The Department of Education and Children is again running its popular summer holiday venture schemes to help parents and provide positive activities for young people. A scheme for pupils in school years 4 to 7 will take place at Cronk-y-Berry Primary School in the weeks commencing July 25th, August 1st and August 8th. It will offer a wide range of activities, from crabbing to crafts, said Grainne Burns, Youth Officer. Places are ?80 a week or ?18 a day, with reductions for additional children. ‘In response to requests from working parents we are offering a breakfast club from 8.30-9.30am and an after-scheme session from 4-5pm, Grainne said. ‘These sessions are charged separately at ?5 as we know not all families will require them.’ Feedback from young people has led to a new scheme running over the same dates for pupils in school years 7 to 9. ‘Young people who were regulars on the Cronk-y-Berry scheme asked for something different when they reached secondary school age,’ Grainne said. ‘Senior weeks will involve activities out and about around the Island, utilising a minibus. Participants will meet at Cronk-y-Berry School at 9am and be returned at 4pm.’ Another first this year is Possan Souree, a Manx-speaking scheme run in partnership with the Manx Heritage Foundation. For school years 4 to 8, it will be held at St John’s Primary School from 28th July and costs ?80 for the week or ?18 a day. There are adventure weeks, based at Ardwhallan, West Baldwin, from 1st and 8th August for those in school years 7 to 10. These offer kayaking, sailing, orienteering, mountain biking, climbing, archery and walking. The cost is ?100 a week or ?20 a day and participants can stay all week or choose an activity that interests them. An arts week for school years 4 to 8, being held at the Youth Arts Centre in Douglas from 8th August, will see participants start from scratch on a production of What a Knight! and perform it for parents on the last afternoon. The week will cost ?100. The holiday venture schemes have been running since the mid-1980s and continue to offer good value for money. ‘This year, in spite of the financial situation, we are offering more weeks for a wider age range and we are maintaining the 2009 and 2010 prices for the basic schemes,’ Grainne said. ‘Giving us feedback last year, most parents felt that we should charge more for the schemes but we want to make them accessible to as many families as possible and we recognise that a lot of households have not had increases in income.’ For further information on the schemes, contact the youth office on 686057, visit www.iomyouth.com or ask at schools. Ends