Eligible children and young people across the Cotswolds enjoy free activities this Spring

Using funding from the Department for Education, children in the Cotswold will have access to free activities during the Easter holidays next month. As part of the programme, free food hampers are also being provided for children who are eligible for free school meals. 

Cllr Jenny Forde, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “Our previous HAF programmes have been a great success, so it’s fantastic that we are able to provide this service again during the Easter holidays. We want our families to feel supported and we know it can be a challenging time for working families, especially as the cost of living continues to rise.

“Not only will our young people be able to stay active and engage in new activities during the school break, they’ll also be able to enjoy healthy, nutritious food too which we all know is important.”

The Spring Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) programme will run between 11th and 14th April during the Easter school holiday with funding from the Department of Education. The programme, which has strict guidelines on eligibility, is only accessible for those who are in reception up to year 11, who receive benefits-related free school meals. 

However, Cotswold District Council will be offering the Holiday Activity Programme (HAP).  This programme of holiday activities is offered to all children between the ages of 5 and 16 across the District, regardless of free school meal eligibility. 

Cllr Forde continued: “We understand that all children and young people can benefit from a programme like HAF, which is why we’ve been working hard to secure extra funding to extend the offer to all families, just as we did in December with our Winter Holiday Activities Programme (HAP). 

“I’m delighted that we have been successful and, together with our local partners, we are able to offer activities to all children this Easter. This means we can ensure more of our children are staying active over the holidays and developing a greater knowledge of health and nutrition. The Holiday Activity and Food Programme has something for everyone and I would encourage all parents to have a look at the events we have on offer.”

The spring programme of activities and events is set to allow young people to socialise with others of a similar age as they play, learn and develop their skills. The programme boasts a wide variety of activities to participate in such as circus skills, baking, sporting events and Easter egg hunts. All children attending activities will have access to activity packs to take home and nutritional information on healthy eating will be provided too.

Family Support is also available through Barnardo’s as part of the Spring HAF 2022 programme. This is a helpline providing low level family support via a support worker and team manager. Families engaging with this service will receive family advice, information and guidance across the Cotswold. Face to face drop-in’s are available. To get in touch with Barnardo’s please call the helpline on 0300 124 2903. 

The activity bookings are now open. If you’d like to book your family onto an activity or event in the Cotswolds, please visit: https://cotswold.gov.uk/haf 

For parents or carers who would like more information, please visit https://cotswold.gov.uk/haf or email your questions to HAF@cotswold.gov.uk.