Holiday opportunities for eligible school children and young people in Southend-on-Sea

February 9, 2021

Local children’s and young people’s charities, providers and schools are being asked to get involved with a holiday activity scheme for eligible children and young people in Southend-on-Sea.

The council is pleased to have received £680,000 funding for the year, as part of the Department for Education’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, to provide fun activities and a healthy meal at each session for eligible children and young people during school holidays. The programme is set to run at least four hours a day, four days a week, six weeks a year. This would cover one week in the Easter holidays, four weeks in the summer holiday and another week in the Christmas holidays.

Now the Council is looking for local activity and healthy meal providers along with charities and schools to tailor make a programme in collaboration with children and young people.

Cllr Anne Jones, cabinet member for children and learning, said: “I’m pleased that the HAF programme has been expanded and we are able to take the opportunity to provide eligible families with extra support during this time.

“We understand that the school holidays can bring extra hardship to families. The programme will offer valuable support and gives the children access to fun and active activities along with healthy meals over the school holidays.

“I hope that our community providers, schools and charities will get involved in order to increase the positive outcomes of the programme and be part of this great opportunity for Southend-on-Sea.”

The HAF programme has provided healthy food and enriching activities to eligible children since 2018, and on 8 November 2020 the Government announced the scheme will be expanded across the whole of England in 2021.

The aim of the programme is to help children and young people;

• be more active by taking part in engaging and enriching activities
• be safe by engaging with services and not feeling isolated
• eat healthy by learning about health and nutrition in the sessions