This is to make you all aware of the winter Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme in West Suffolk.
Sadly, poverty including child poverty is a huge problem in this country right now and West Suffolk is no different.
What is the Holiday Activities and Food Programme?
This is a £220m national programme funded by the Department for Education. It is being coordinated locally by West Suffolk Council on behalf of Suffolk County Council and delivered through a range of partners.
Who is the HAF programme for?
The programme is primarily targeted at families who have children or young people who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals.
It allows councils to use up to 15 per cent of its local funding to make places available for families who wouldn’t normally qualify but who are struggling with the cost of living and suffering financial hardship.
This council has used this discretion before and will be applying it to help more struggling families over the school winter holidays. This will be available on a first come first served basis.
Families with children on benefits related free school meals should have already received information through their school about HAF in their area. Those in financial hardship can find out how to apply for a place or places at https://www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/leisure/holiday-events.cfm
What’s on?
Just to give you a little more about the activities that our partners have on this winter.
We have a total of 1517 places in 91 sessions taking place across many of our towns and a number of our villages.
Activities include park cooking, film making, football, craft making, roller skating, gardening, singing, dancing, horse riding, science workshops and visits from Santa. Close to 300 food hampers will also be given out.
We are working with 16 external providers including enterprises, local organisations and leisure businesses. There are areas without activities. If you think there’s a particular organisation we could be working with in your area, please email and include “HAF” in the subject line.
The activities have been targeted in the areas where there is greatest need ie more students who receive benefits related free school meals. That said, we recognise there may be a small number of pupils who are eligible and live in areas where there isn’t provision. These families should have received a letter from their school or college to make them aware of how they can book onto other activities on offer in West Suffolk. If transport is an issue, Suffolk County Council may be able to help – please direct enquiries to
Further details of what is happening where and when can be found at https://www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/leisure/holiday-events.cfm