Groups sought as funding for holiday clubs is available

FUNDING is available for organisations to run holiday clubs for children and young people in Leicestershire this summer.

Leicestershire County Council, working with Active Together, has secured £1.5 million from the Department for Education-funded Holiday Activities & Food (HAF) Programme to co-ordinate the schemes during the school holidays.

They are looking for Leicestershire schools, charity, voluntary and community sector organisations, and other out of school and holiday activity organisations to deliver the

Leicestershire “Holidays Together” provision.

Providers interested in offering a range of activities across the county for young people who receive benefits-related free school meals this summer need to register an interest by Wednesday, March 15.

Cllr Deborah Taylor, lead member for children and families at the county council, said: “We’d love to hear from you if you’d like to make a real difference and run a scheme. Thousands of school-aged children and young people across the county have already benefited from HAF sessions, which provide fun activities, nutritious meals and a safe social space where young people can express themselves and make new friends. We are now looking to expand our offering so we can reach even more children and young people and help them develop new interests and skills.”

Geoff Maltby, sports development officer at Active Together, said: “There are over 13,000 children eligible for free school meals across Leicestershire.

“With the current cost of living crisis, it is more important than ever to ensure that these children have access to a hot healthy meal during the holiday periods, as well as access to a whole host of sport, physical activity and enrichment activities to benefit their health and wellbeing.”

Holidays Together sessions could include:

Creative activities, for example putting on a play, junk modelling or drumming workshop

Fun experiences, for example a nature walk, cooking activities or a trip

Physical activities, for example parachute games, swimming, dancing or sports.

Providers will also be asked to provide at least one healthy meal a day to participants.

If you have the potential to become a Holidays Together provider and are interested in finding out more about running a HAF programme this summer - or would like to take part in the online session - you can register your interest here www.active-together. org/holidaystogetherproviders

For more information, or any queries about the programme, email haf@leics.gov.uk