UAE | General

Clubbing with homework

British mum launches club where the city’s 12-17 year olds can hang out, meet peers, do homework – and enjoy various entertainment options

By By sharmila Dhal senior reporter
Published: 22:05 January 9, 2013

Image Credit: XPRESS/Zarina Fernandes
XNE_121227_VOLUME_CLUB The Volume club for teens in Dubai where they combine clubbing with their homework, the club provides facilities like homework study room and rooms for like electronic gaming, pool, table football, air hockey and a Catch Up Cafe snack bar and Chill Out Lounge ? photo Zarina Fernandes/ XPRESS

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DUBAI Volume Club, a new youth club in Dubai, is the talk of the town as it gives teenagers a unique place to hang out, meet peers, do their homework and enjoy various entertainment options.

Launched last month in Al Quoz, the massive 700 square metre facility is distinct from other teen clubs in that it is a daytime club where 12- to 17-year-olds can combine their studies with a host of fun activities like electronic gaming, pool, table football, air hockey or Wii sporting.

The brain behind the club is Caroline Tapken, a British mum of two teenagers, who said she was driven to launch the club as there are very few places where teenagers can hang out in Dubai.

“The city has many camps and organised activities for younger kids. But there’s not much to do for older children unless they are into sports. Their only social life is with their classmates who are often scattered. They tend to meet in malls. This is not the right way of growing up. So I wanted to do something about it,” she said.

Tapken said during holidays especially, spending time for teenagers is a chronic problem as they sit glued to the television or laptops without meeting anyone for days on end.

She hopes Volume Club will plug this gap as it has been designed as a youth club rather than a partying place so that teenagers can hang out in a safe and supervised environment, but without their parents breathing down their necks. Since teenagers in international schools work on a lot of projects, she said she decided to introduce a study room at the club so it would give them a place other than their homes to do such activities together.

The quiet study room, which has a conference table and four desks, also allows students to do their homework independently or with supervision. “But we do not provide any tutoring,” said Jessica Prelle, Operations Manager.

Besides this “V-space” there’s also a catch-up café, cyberzone and chillout zone where teenagers can entertain themselves. The activities on offer here include everything from electronic gaming, pool, table football, air hockey and Wii sporting to movies, music, reading and board games.

Tapken said the club also organises special workshops with life coaches, first aid experts, etiquette specialists and others who can educate the youngsters on various life skills.

Members also get a chance to use the football field at the Football Centre twice a week. Regular outings such as go-karting, bowling, laser tag, visits to water parks, beach activities, paintball and other fun events are also offered.

The club is open throughout the week from 10am to 10pm. The annual membership fee is Dh4,800 and the daily rate is Dh100. A complimentary shuttle service from the First Gulf Bank Metro Station is also provided to the members.

Y To know more go to www.volume4teens.com

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Added 07:46 January 10, 2013

I hope another Mum in Abu Dhabi will do the same thing, organizing the same type of club where teenagers can meet, play, share and study together. I am sure a lot parents will welcome such club.

Anonymous, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

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