A New Year and A New Baby

We are pleased to announce the arrival of our son Jesse Franklin. Born on 2nd January 2014 at 7.30am weighing 7lbs 7oz. Jesse is now 9 weeks old and settling very well. Our 2 year old Roscoe has adapted to the changes very well and is enjoying having a little brother. My daughter Holly will be 17 this year and is currently studying hard for her GCSE's; I'm really proud of all her efforts.

Although you may have noticed a reduced presence on Facebook and Twitter over the last 6 months Night Owls has been ticking over very nicely. I'd like to say a big thank you to all the clients who have recommended us to their friends. Complimentary 'free booking fees' have been added to their accounts. We will continue to offer a 'free booking fee' to those clients who's friends register with us throughout 2014. Now that baby Jesse has arrived safe and well our communications through Facebook and Twitter will recommence.

Now in our second year of business we will be moving things forward with a second babysitter recruitment drive, this is so that we can continue to meet demand. We are very proud to say we were able to fulfill ALL the bookings made in 2013. We will continue to ensure that all babysitters invited to our register are of the highest caliber and very well vetted with two written references, a face to face interview and a valid DBS check.

We will also be expanding into the 'nanny and childminder sector' over the next 12 months so please keep your eyes on the website, Facebook and Twitter for new information.

I'll leave you with a little picture of baby Jesse Franklin, life is so sweet with children around ♥

Mumpreneur UK has awarded a Silver Website Award to Night Owls Babysitting

We are very proud to announce that Night Owls Babysitting has won a silver website award from Mumpreneur UK. 

Mumpreneur UK are as the name suggests the leading advocate and support network for mums in business, offering advice, resources, articles and events to parents who run their own business. 

Through the Mumpreneur Website Awards, Mumpreneur UK are looking to acknowledge Mumpreneurs who have realised the importance of getting a business online and doing it well! They want to ensure that business women (and men) creating websites are rewarded and their customers can see their high standards are being recognised. 

NightOwlsBabysitting.co.uk was considered by three professionals within the online industry who marked our site based on the criteria provided to them by Mumpreneur. These included the visual appeal of the website, ease of use and navigation, ecommerce sites should have an easy payment facility, the website should be clear and easy to understand and finally the website should provide ample information about its products and services.  

Night Owls Babysitting is thrilled to have been considered for this award and we will wear our silver award badge on our website with honor.

Thank you X

Hotel Babysitting in the Lakes

Hotel and holiday accommodation babysitting is currently unregulated in the UK. In the past unreliable listening services and under-experienced staff have been used for hotel and holiday accommodation babysitting, however Night Owls Babysitting has replaced these methods with a professional service which surpasses anything that has been offered before.

Hotel babysitting isn't new, many hotels and holiday accommodation providers use an agency service to provide babysitting services to their guests; these include large chains such as Marriot, De Vere and Hilton. The benefits of offering a babysitting service are understandable; guests on a family holiday enjoy the freedom babysitting brings as they can enjoy an evening out and hotels are keen to ensure adult guests spend their hard earned pounds using one of their fabulous restaurants or relax at the spa. 

Until now a local babysitting agency has not been available in the Lake District area but now Night Owls Babysitting offers the following services:

·         Night Owls Babysitting provides a professional service; which includes a simple and easy to use website booking and payment facility.

·         Every babysitter has undergone a face to face interview, had two written references verified, had a Disclosure and Barring Service check and has experience with children. Night Owls Babysitting can provide the Babysitter’s documents for perusal on request.

·         We always speak to the family directly; we take children’s details to ensure we provide an inclusive service which meets each individual child’s needs. We can also provide babysitters who are experienced in caring for those with special needs.

·         All babysitters adhere to our Child Protection Policy and Conduct Code. Babysitters complete a ‘Contact Sheet’ detailing the requirements of the sitting with the parents before they leave.

·         A babysitting bag full of age appropriate toys and games to help entertain the children is provided where required.

·         Babysitters attend the sitting in uniform and follow a password security procedure so that your guest knows they are from the agency. 

So if you're coming to the South Lakes area and staying in a hotel or holiday accommodation don't forget where to find us www.nightowlsbabysitting.co.uk

Win a FREE 4 Hour Babysit and Registration to Night Owls Babysitting

Night Owls Babysitting would love you to support us on Facebook and to say thank you we will be entering all our Facebook page 'likers' into our competition to win the following:

• FREE registration to Night Owls Babysitting, worth £15. This means our winner will have lifetime registration to use our services. 
• FREE 4 hour babysitting*, worth £28. The winner gets to enjoy an evening out knowing their children have been left in the best capable hands. 

All our babysitters have been CRB/DBS checked, had a face to face interview, had two references checked and most importantly have experience with children. 

The babysitter will arrange to meet with your children before the first babysit if required. Alternatively, if this is not possible, she will arrive 30 minutes prior to the sitting. This is one of the many free options Night Owls Babysitting offers to our clients. 

Enter here by 'liking' our Facebook Page  and once we reach 300 likes we will draw a winner at random. Winner will be notified by private message and we will post winners name on our Facebook Page.

Good luck

*The winner's babysitting booking must be within 15 miles of Kendal. 

Bank Holiday Fun Time!

Bank Holiday Weekend Is Here! 

Are you stuck for things to do with the children this bank holiday? Well here are a few fab ideas and both are FREE! 

Friday 4th-6th May 2013 4th - 6th May Family Fun Weekend at Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Activities include: Mascot Mayhem Bay Radio Roadshow Meet Engine Bonnie Dundee Photo Opportunity Pony and Trap Rides** Meet the Huskies Muncaster Cycle Hire** Learn about Wildlife with the Cumbria Wildlife Trust Meet the World Owl Trust from Muncaster Circus Skills Workshop Guided Waterfall Walks RSPB Crafts Book Signing with Peter's Railway author Chris Vine Roman Coin Rubbing and meet West Lakes Adventure Face Painting** Please note activities may change. Activities start late morning until mid afternoon. This is a free event part of scheduled service. Standard fares apply. **Small charge for activity

Sunday 5th May 2013 12.00pm till 11.00pm Family Festival at the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel 
Family Fun Run ( Started by the Bay Radio) Local Bands playing throughout the day Headline band - Curragh Sons playing from 7.30pm till 11.00pm Home cooked food, fine beer and wines served all day Traditional Country Fair which includes, Test your strength, Coconut shy, and hook a duck. £5 to park but the festival is FREE 

Have a lovely weekend and don't forget after you've had all this fun with the children and fancy a bit of 'grown-up' time, we're available to babysit!

A Little Poem About Night Owls...

CRB now has a new name - DBS!

Most people are familiar with criminal records checks but now as part of recent government reforms to the disclosure and barring system, the functions of the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) have been transferred to a single organisation, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). For parents, nothing changes, you can still be reassured that individuals with a DBS certificate have been checked against the 'barred' lists. Night Owls Babysitting uses Mayflower Disclosure Services Ltd, (MDS Ltd) to vet our babysitters before they are allowed to join our exclusive register. Mayflower have many years of experience to help you obtain criminal record checks quickly and with minimum fuss.