Fylde Council’s Executive Committee has approved the funding of the Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) Programme for 2024/25.
The revenue budget increase of £153,708, fully funded from the government’s HAF grant, will allow Fylde Council to continue delivering the school holiday programme of physical and enrichment activities, plus a healthy meal, for children in receipt of free school meals.
The objectives of the HAF programme are for attendees to:
- Eat more healthily and be more active over the school holidays
- Take part in engaging and enriching activities which support the development of resilience, character, and wellbeing, along with wider educational attainment
- Be safe and not socially isolated
- Have a greater knowledge of health and nutrition
- Be more engaged with school and other local services
Cllr Chris Dixon, Lead Member for Social Wellbeing, said: ““school holidays can be difficult for some families due to reduced incomes and increased costs such as food and childcare. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds can be less likely to access organised out-of-school activities, more likely to experience ‘unhealthy holidays’ in terms of nutrition and physical health, and more likely to experience social isolation.
“We’re proud to continue providing these holiday activities with our partners for the children of Fylde. This is another example of money going exactly where it is needed – helping improve the lives of families in need.”
Fylde Council were provided with a budget allocation of £153,708 from central government for 2024/25. The grant funding is based on predicted participation levels and the numbers of children eligible for and in receipt of free school meals in the area, with predicted costs based on easter break (one week provision), summer holiday (four weeks provision) and Christmas holiday (one week provision).
In 2023 Fylde saw a 34.5% increase in HAF attendance from the previous year, with 1462 children attending the programme across the borough. A total of 846 sessions were attended across the year.
Details will soon be available on HAF activities and clubs over the Easter 2024 half-term break. To keep up to date with the latest news, follow Fylde Council on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, and sign up to our weekly newsletter.
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