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LocationLondon & Essex
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Customer Stories
How MagicBooking Streamlined Shine Clubs’ Operations and Boosted Parent Engagement
We see MagicBooking as a partner, not just a platform. Their willingness to improve and respond to feedback has been outstanding. - Tony Charles, Owner, Shine Clubs
4 min readMeet Shine Clubs
Shine Clubs is a private childcare provider operating across London and Essex, offering high-quality wraparound and extra-curricular care to families and schools. With a focus on inclusion and confidence-building, its staff deliver engaging activities that support every child’s development.

Challenges
Before implementing MagicBooking, Shine Clubs faced growing pains tied to outdated management systems and operational complexity. They found themselves needing to automate bookings and payments and looking for a software for extracurricular activity providers.
Key Issues
- Fragmented systems for bookings, payments, and registers led to admin errors and issues
- Limited visibility on payments created time-consuming challenges for the finance team – In need of a club finance software
- Parent communication was inconsistent and difficult to manage across multiple sites
Solution
Shine Clubs transitioned to MagicBooking to unify their admin processes under one powerful, easy-to-use platform. From bespoke onboarding to day-to-day use, the experience was designed to build staff confidence quickly and deliver immediate value.
Key Features
- Tailored training & onboarding: Bespoke support ensured a smooth transition, empowering admin teams within weeks.
- Centralised bookings and registers: Administrators can manage sites effortlessly and access real-time data.
- Instant payment tracking: Finance teams save time chasing debts with up-to-date payment visibility.
- Self-service for parents: Easy, mobile-friendly booking process and payment which improves parent communication in clubs, convenience and satisfaction.

Impact
MagicBooking has empowered Shine Clubs to scale confidently, streamline childcare operations, and build stronger relationships with families - all while freeing up their team to focus on delivering great childcare services.

Major Time Savings Across Admin & Finance
Since adopting MagicBooking, Shine Clubs has seen a dramatic reduction in admin time and workload, with up to 75% of administrative time saved.
Tasks that once required endless paper registers, spreadsheets, and manual reconciliation are now automated and centralised within the automated club admin system.
Here is why club management software uk is essential for modern club efficiency:
- Bookings, registers, and reports are all managed in one place, giving administrators faster access and control.
- Total digitisation of attendance, registers, and safeguarding data with a digital childcare platform. Items are also automatically generated.
- The Finance team now tracks payments instantly, eliminating the need to chase debts manually.
- Custom reports and audit trails make it easier to meet Ofsted and local authority requirements.
- 100% visibility on parent payments in current time through the parent booking portal UK which also accepts all childcare vouchers
“Payment tracking is now instant. We’ve reduced time chasing debts and eliminated paper registers.” - Tony Charles, Owner, Shine Clubs
Increased Parent Engagement and Satisfaction
MagicBooking has completely transformed the parent experience. With mobile-friendly, self-service booking for parents and instant payment options, Shine Clubs has seen a 30% increase in early bookings and much quicker payment turnaround.
Here’s why wraparound care booking system is essential for wraparound, holiday club and childcare management...
9/10 satisfaction score from parents! Parents love the ease and flexibility:
“It’s so easy now - I can book and pay from my phone in seconds!”
“The system makes drop-off smoother because staff already know who’s coming.”
The impact? Happier parents, smoother operations, easier communication with parents, and less confusion or delay around sessions and payments.
Reduced Debt and Improved Financial Oversight
The introduction of real-time payment tracking and online invoicing has given Shine Clubs greater control and visibility over their finances.
Online booking system for after school clubs is essential for modern club efficiency. Results include:
- A 60% reduction in payment collection time
- A 40% increase in term-time bookings
- A notable drop in bad debts (rated 9/10 for debt reduction)
These gains have freed up resources to be reinvested in growth and service quality - without increasing staff workload.
Seamless Onboarding & Outstanding Support
The onboarding process was smooth, with a 9/10 ease of implementation rating. MagicBooking’s team delivered bespoke training sessions that helped Shine Clubs build confidence quickly across all teams.
Here is why childcare booking software is essential for modern club efficiency:
- Admins now efficiently handle bookings and reporting
- Finance teams reconcile payments without hassle
- Parents enjoy fast, convenient service - no phone calls or paperwork needed
“The onboarding support was excellent. The team was patient, proactive, and offered bespoke training sessions which helped our managers and admin team build confidence quickly.” - Tony Charles, Owner, Shine Clubs
A True Growth Partner
For Shine Clubs, MagicBooking isn’t just software - it’s a strategic partner.
“We see MagicBooking as a partner, not just a platform. Their willingness to improve and respond to feedback has been outstanding.” - Tony Charles, Owner, Shine Clubs
MagicBooking is built for every stakeholder in your childcare ecosystem, from admin and finance to parents.
By helping reduce admin, improve parent experience, and sharpen financial control, MagicBooking is laying the groundwork for Shine Clubs’ next phase - including expansion into holiday courses.

The Final Word
MagicBooking has transformed how Shine Clubs operates - replacing inefficiency with clarity and replacing admin burdens with meaningful parent engagement. With scalable tools and a supportive team behind them, Shine Clubs is now focused on growth and quality service delivery.
“Absolutely recommend it. It’s user-friendly, efficient, and supports growth.” - Tony Charles, Owner, Shine Clubs
Now, Shine Clubs operations software is essential for their modern club efficiency!
Would you like to grow your childcare business? Book your free demo.