HAF Annual Report 2024/25

HAF activity places are made available to school-aged children in Buckinghamshire from reception to year 11 inclusive who receive benefits-related free school meals (FSM). In April 2024, there were approximately 11,600 children and young people eligible for FSM in Buckinghamshire.

In line with government guidance, from April 2022, local authorities have been able to use up to 15% of HAF programme places for children who are not in receipt of benefits-related free school meals but who, the local authority believes, could benefit from HAF provision. A referral system is used in collaboration with schools, social care and family support teams to ensure targeted use of the allocation of these places to the children and young people who will benefit most.

This referral system has enabled an estimated 250 children and young people to access the programme through extended eligibility.

Children and young people attending HAF clubs and activities enjoy funded, high-quality holiday activities and a healthy meal at each session they attend.

Holiday sessions run for at least 4 hours a day and are available for:

• 16 days across the summer 2024 holiday period
• 4 days across each of the Easter 2024 (Spring) and Christmas 2024 (Winter) holiday periods

Children and families are invited to book onto the activities on offer by redeeming their HAF voucher received via email directly from Holiday Activities, Buckinghamshire’s booking system provider.

The types of organisations delivering HAF in Buckinghamshire vary greatly (Appendix 1) but all HAF clubs include:

• a healthy meal, meeting school food standards, for each HAF attendee at every session. Meals are usually accompanied by a healthy dessert with healthy snacks also provided at sessions.
• informal nutritional learning that improves participants’ knowledge and awareness of healthy lifestyles, for example, taste tests, assisting in food preparation or cooking meals, themed games, quizzes and more.
• at least an hour of physical activity. This can be experiences through structured sporting opportunities such as football and rugby. It can also be experienced through lower-intensity activities, such as nature walks and yoga.
• for each delivery period, a bespoke holiday activity booklet is given to all HAF providers for distribution at their venues. As well as fun activities, fitness, and games to do at home, the booklets also include light-touch signposting information for families, on topics such as help with the cost of living, free activities, food banks and childcare.
• appropriate signposting to local support services for families of attending children and young people. For example, some HAF clubs incorporated drop-in outreach sessions hosted by the Buckinghamshire Family Information Service, which were available to provide information and assistance to family members of children attending clubs.