Holiday Activities and Food Programme

Information for families

The Department for Education (DfE) is providing funding to local authorities to coordinate a programme that provides healthy food and enriching activities to school aged children

  • who are eligible for free school meals
  • during the major school holidays (Easter, Christmas and summer).

The sessions include a healthy meal, advice to families on how to source, prepare and cook nutritious food and a variety of exciting activities and sports.

It will be optional for eligible children to attend this provision. If not eligible, children can pay to attend and join in the fun.

Additional support for families

The Household Support Fund (HSF) will be used to provide £15, per week per child, to households in receipt of Free School Meals during all school holidays from April 2023 to March 2024.

Early Years settings and schools pay this to families as:

  • vouchers or
  • direct payment to their account or
  • some schools have signed up on the HUGG platform to make this payment as HUGG vouchers.

Please contact your childminder/setting/school if you think you are eligible.