Holiday Activities with Food programme provides a Christmas to remember for thousands of local children
More than 2,500 local children enjoyed an activity-packed Christmas thanks to Wirral’s Holiday Activities with Food (HAF) Programme.
A network of 45 clubs and groups from across the peninsula delivered a wide range of activities to keep local young people active and entertained, with seasonal highlights including ice skating and trips to the panto complementing regular favourites such as arts and craft sessions and sports and dance competitions.
Efforts to make the holiday scheme as accessible as possible saw children with a special educational need or a disability making up more than 20 per cent of all those taking part.
The Chair of Wirral Council’s Committee for Children, Young People and Education, Councillor Sue Powell-Wilde, said:
While many organisations close their doors and put their feet up for the Christmas break, Wirral’s community and voluntary groups flung theirs wide open to give thousands of local young people a holiday to remember.
As you can imagine, keeping 2,550 young people engaged is no easy task, so I am really grateful to all of our partners for providing such an enjoyable and inclusive experience.
The Christmas holiday programme was coordinated for Wirral and Cheshire West and Chester Councils by the Community Interest Company, Edsential. Funding for the scheme was provided by the Department for Education.
Wirral’s Household Support Fund also enabled the holiday clubs to provide more than 8,500 nutritious meals, giving the young people and their families one less thing to worry about.
Heather Lewis, HAF Programme Manager, said:
Although Christmas is only just behind us, we have been working hard with partners to put together an exciting programme for the Easter break. Details of how to register for the Easter scheme will be available shortly, so please check Edsential’s Facebook and X (was Twitter) channels and our website, to find out what’s on in your area.
Places for the Easter holiday activity programme will be available for young people aged between 5-16 who are in receipt of benefits-related free school meals.
Parents and carers are encouraged to check if their child is eligible for free school meals as it could enable them to take part in the Easter and future holiday programmes and unlock a range of other support. More information about free school meals is posted on the Wirral Council website.
