"It’s very important that children have activities to do during the holidays. I can only go back to my own experiences and what I would have been doing if I didn’t have places my friends and I could go in a safe environment."
Marcus Rashford MBE

What can parents expect this summer?

The government’s expanded £220 million Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF) is coming to your local area this summer to offer fun and food for children and young people in the holidays.

For children and young people affected by the pandemic, the holiday programme can offer a safe and supportive environment where children can learn, be active, eat well and thrive this summer and Christmas.

Last summer’s pilot programme supported around 50,000 children across 17 local authorities. This is the first year that holiday clubs will be available to children across the whole of England. They will run this summer and then again during the Christmas holidays too.

Free holiday club places are available to children and young people who receive free school meals. Councils will offer paid-for places to children of all ages and backgrounds, where possible.

Each local area promises a different set of engaging activities for children. This may be practicing Kung Fu, discovering bushcraft or cooking up a storm in the kitchen. It will be a chance for children to get out of their comfort zones and experience something new.

At every holiday programme, children will enjoy a nourishing and tasty meal as well as taking part in interactive ways to learn more about healthy eating.

"I love having schemes like this. My daughter can have fun alongside her friends and come home having learnt something new."

Parent, London

Find out more & sign up for summer!

Your local council will have details on a holiday programme available near you. You can find out what’s going on in the local area this summer by searching online or going to your local council website.

Find your local council details here

You can also find information via the Department for Education

If you are a HAF Coordinator

The film and lots of other digital resources are available to you to help spread the word to families and schools in your local area about your summer programme.

You can download the resources here:

HAF resources folder

Or, find resources via the HAF Alliance website:

www.hafalliance.org

Do you live elsewhere in the UK?

The Holiday Activity & Food programme is England only. But the other UK nations offer their own holiday provision:

• Scotland: Local authorities have funding to run activities to help improve the wellbeing of children and young people over the summer period. The ‘Get in to Summer’ activities will be different in each Local Authority area. To find out more on what’s being run in your area, visit your Council’s website.
• Wales: The ‘Food & Fun’ School Holiday Enrichment Programme (SHEP) provides food and nutrition education, physical activity, enrichment activities and healthy meals to children in areas of social deprivation during the summer holidays.
• Northern Ireland: Families of young people entitled to Free School Meals will receive food grants funding by the Northern Irish Government during school holidays until Easter 2022.

Media 

If you’d like to help spread the word about the holiday clubs this summer contact us now: 

eve.preston@plmr.co.uk  /  07432519216

 

With thanks to