Number of children attending free holiday clubs has increased in Lincolnshire
The Holiday Activities and Food programme is offered to children who receive free school meals
Last updated 2nd Aug 2022
Parents across Lincolnshire who are facing challenges with the cost of entertaining children during the summer holidays are getting support from the Council.
Children who get free school meals are entitled to take part in the Holiday Activities and Food programme.
Elizabeth French is the Witham Academy HAF Co-Ordinator, she says the programme offers more than just support for the children:
"It's really important to help those disadvantaged children, to have something to come to in the holidays.
"6 weeks is a long time and some children can't comprehend that length of time, so it's really important to have this as an opportunity for them to have experiences, healthy food and lots of physical activities, sort of, all rolled into the day."
The Holiday Activities and Food programme is a Government funded programme that provides children, aged 5 to 16, in receipt of benefits related free school meals in Lincolnshire, access to free healthy meals and activities over the school holidays.
The programme is designed and outlined by Government to reach physical activity guidelines, develop and consolidate new and existing skills, knowledge and have access to nutritious food.
At Priory Witham Academy, they have focused on improving the understanding and awareness of food and nutrition, with a Branston potatoes donation, creating meals, dips and also providing parents with meals that can be made from £5.00.
The Business and Operations Manager at the Academy, Rachel Wilkinson detailed the rise in the amount of children this year:
"We started with around 40 to 45 children per day, we've capped it this summer at 100 because that's the capacity that we can manage, and we're running at around, 80 to 85 children per day.
"I think that's partly because of the cost of living, but equally as the news of the club travels, more and more people are wanting to join in with it."
The summer 2022 programme runs from Monday the 25th of July until Friday the 2nd of September.
They are held at schools, nurseries and kids clubs, leisure centres and sports grounds across Lincolnshire, with the opportunity to participate in games, swimming, dance, music, cooking, arts and crafts, visits and more.
If you have a question about the HAF programme, you can contact Lincolnshire County Council on the email address.