HAF Annual Report 2025/26
The HAF Programme in Buckinghamshire
Information about HAF clubs and Eligibility for HAF.
About HAF clubs
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 (unless agreed otherwise) and are available for:
- 16 days across the summer holiday period
- 4 days across each of the Easter (Spring) and Christmas (Winter) holiday periods
Children and families are invited to book onto the activities on offer by redeeming their HAF voucher received by email from Holiday Activities. Holiday Activities is Buckinghamshire’s booking system provider.
Eligibility
HAF activity places are available to school-aged children in Buckinghamshire, from Reception to Year 11, who receive benefits‑related free school meals (FSM). As of April 2025, around 14,000 children and young people in the county were eligible for FSM.
In line with government guidelines, since April 2022, local authorities have also been able to allocate up to 15% of HAF places to children who:
- are not in receipt of benefits-related FSM
- are likely to benefit from the programme
In Buckinghamshire, a referral system helps ensure these places are targeted to those who would benefit most. This system was developed in partnership with
- schools
- social care
- family support teams
Through this system, an estimated additional 300 children and young people have been able to access the programme.
Feedback from families
Click the drop-downs for feedback from families:
'It’s a much-needed resource as there’s so many expensive holiday clubs we just can’t afford, and they don’t offer food like at HAF.'
'Without HAF, as a single/solo parent I would not be able to work. It is SO important so us as a tiny family. Keeping to a normal school routine and also not missing out on work, as it is the only form of income to our household'.