Childhood centres will be revamped

Plans are under way to revamp the facilities and activities of the childhood cultural centres in a bid to attract more children to their all-year-round programmes.

Ihsan Mussabah Al Suwaidi, Director General of the childhood centres in Sharjah, said the ambitious plans follow the directives of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, who supports children's development.

She said all 18 centres in Sharjah offer UAE national and expatriate children aged 6 to 12 a wide range of programmes such as painting, reading, handicrafts, music, computer and Internet use. Around 60 children visit the centre daily and up to 200 during the summer, she said.

"However, plans are under way to attract more children to the centres by designing programmes that cater to the specific needs of each age group.

"Perhaps one of the biggest problems we face at present is the lack of publicity for the centres' activities among children.

"Therefore, we intend to visit public and private schools and distribute brochures to introduce pupils to our programmes. We also want parents to learn about the centres and register their children."

She explained that because the centres are spread throughout the emirate, each child can join the centre that is near home.

Nationals represent the majority of the members.

More demand was seen on centres located in the Eastern and Central Regions than on Sharjah City, possibly due to the availability of other amusement options in the city.

She pointed out that the centres' buildings are being renovated in cooperation with the Public Works Department.

The centres' libraries, audio visual facilities and computer halls are also undergoing full maintenance. There are plans to set up separate theatre halls for each centre to host celebrations and children's performances.

Ihsan said a major expansion project will be the addition of a sports hall in each centre to offer a wide range of physical fitness activities.

The sports halls are currently under construction and are expected to open soon. They will house a temperature-controlled swimming pool and a spacious arena to practise various sports.

Ihsan is confident that the development made to the centres will attract more children, especially during the holidays.

She stressed that the centres focus on promoting Islamic and Arabic identity and aim to enhance a child's creativity and learning skills.

Greater attention is given to raising the children's awareness about the UAE's cultural heritage. "We are studying the possibility of organising heritage camps for children during the summer in cooperation with the local heritage department.

"We also intend to foster cooperation with schools,youth centres, the Islamic Forum and Sharjah Police.''