Fun and food is recipe for success
Holiday club had fantastic range of activities
Hundreds of pupils across Renfrewshire enjoyed a packed programme of fun activities and healthy eating during the October week break.
Every week day in the school holidays, youngsters from primary one to four in receipt of a school clothing grant, were welcomed by Families First to take part in sports and crafts sessions with the offer of a hot meal afterwards to re-charge their batteries.
The popular activity clubs were run at 12 venues in Renfrewshire - Brediland, Castlehead, Gallowhill, Glencoats, Langcraigs, Paisley Grammar and Todholm schools in Paisley, as well as Linwood High, St Benedict’s, Rashilea in Erskine, St David’s in Johnstone and St James’ in Renfrew.
Families First, a Renfrewshire Council- led programme, is a free year- round service to help families in five of Renfrewshire’s most deprived areas build a better future for their children.
Education and children’s services policy board convener, Councillor Jim Paterson said the October break activities were a great success.
He said: “The holiday clubs are really popular and we’ve recently extended the programme to include primary five to seven brothers and sisters at the same school as their younger siblings.
“As well as hosting activity and breakfast and lunch clubs during all school holidays, the Families First teams help parents with advice and practical help on subjects such as budgeting, benefit claims, healthy eating and childcare.
“Some of us can find we are stretched during the school holidays. Families First holiday clubs are an important part of offering support to Renfrewshire families while helping our children to have fun, to learn and to be healthy.”
The Families First initiative brings together existing council, health and voluntary services under one banner to make local resources and services more easily accessible for those that need them most.
Renfrewshire Council’s Tackling Poverty Programme has made a difference to the lives of locals by helping over 400 families and putting over £2 million back into the pockets of those most in need.
Councillor Jim Patterson added: “We launched Families First back in 2013 in Linwood and Ferguslie as part of Renfrewshire Council’s drive to boost early years intervention and family support.
“We now have five multi-agency teams supporting families in the Ferguslie, Foxbar, Gallowhill, Johnstone and Linwood areas.
“We’re always looking into new ways of working so that together with our community planning partners we can deliver families a better service.”