Over a quarter of UK parents have been put into financial difficulty by their child’s extracurricular activities

  • The average UK parent spends £237.52 per child per academic year on after-school activities
  • Almost a third of children take part in three or more extracurricular activities every week
  • Parents in Cardiff, Glasgow and London pay the most for extracurricular activities

 

After-school activities are a great way of furthering a child’s education, but many parents across the UK are feeling the financial strain because of them, new research has revealed.

 

According to a recent study by online personalised clothing retailer, Banana Moon Clothing, over a quarter (28%) of parents in the UK have been put into financial difficulty funding their child’s extracurricular activities, such as sport and music classes.

 

The study revealed that nearly a third of children (31%) take part in three or more extracurricular activities at school a week, with the average UK parent spending £237.32 a year funding them.

 

However, a fifth of parents spend more than £300 every academic year on their child’s after- school activities, with a further 10% spending more than £500.

 

A further fifth of parents (21%) rated their child’s extracurricular activities as poor value for money and almost half (44%) said that there’s too much pressure put on parents to fund these activities.

 

The top five cities that spend the most on after school activities per year are:

 

  • Cardiff (£398)
  • Glasgow (£337)
  • Oxford (£294)
  • London (£291)
  • Belfast (£286)

 

The region where children take part in the most extracurricular activities was London, with nearly one in five children (19%) attending five or more after-school activities every week.

 

After school activities were also the most expensive with children in school years 4-6, with parents of children in these age groups shelling out £260 per child per year.

 

Alex Grace, Managing Director at Banana Moon Clothing, said: “It’s encouraging to see that children are taking up to three extracurricular activities each week as it can really aid their personal development. However, it is understandable that some parents are struggling financially when there are so many classes available now for children to attend.

 

“Don’t be afraid to see if there’s any financial help available and where possible, look at ways you can save money on the associated costs, such as investing in quality pieces of uniform that will last, buying sports kits in bulk or purchasing second hand.”

 

To learn more on how to save money on your child’s after-school activities please visit:

https://www.banana-moon-clothing.co.uk/blog/extra-curricular-activities-without-extra-expense