Posted on Tuesday 5th July 2022
Mark Sutton by a swimming pool
Free healthy meals and access to a range of activities including swimming, will benefit children this summer.
Staffordshire County Council’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme is back for the summer holidays and includes free swimming lessons and play sessions.
Children will be offered free activities for a minimum of two hours a day. Most sessions will be four hours a day, four days a week over four weeks. A healthy meal will also be provided on site to help with the cost of food over the holidays. Activities will run from 21st July to 2nd September 2022.
Mark Sutton, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Children and Young People, said:
“Our Holiday Activities and Food programme is a really important scheme for many families.
“All the activities include a healthy meal and once again, over the forthcoming summer holidays, will be free to more than 20,000 children. Working with local providers, we can offer a fantastic mix of activities from fencing and horse riding to dodgeball and arts and crafts. And don’t forget that swimming activities are also back for the summer.
“We’re very pleased with the success of the programme so far and the positive impact it’s having on local families. Since the scheme launched in summer 2021, more than 70,000 free places have been made available, which is great news. This continues to be an important programme for Staffordshire families, especially with the rising cost of household bills.”
With the loss of an estimated five million swimming lessons during the Covid-19 pandemic, reported by Swim England, holiday clubs are keen to get children back in the pool.
Neil Vanderwalt, from Koala Klubs, who deliver the swimming sessions as part of the HAF programme, said:
“We added swimming to our list of activities at Christmas and Easter. It was great to be able to get the younger children in the pool for their first swimming lessons and the older children loved being back in the water.
“Being able to swim is great fun and a lifesaving skill but it’s not just swimming activities that are on offer. There are all sorts of exciting activities being made available during summer and we’re looking forward to getting started.”
Eligible children include those who are in receipt of benefits related free school meals, at risk of financial exclusion or in Staffordshire County Council’s care.
All those eligible for the HAF programme will receive a letter via their school. Registration is available from 4pm on Monday 4 July and people can apply at www.staffordshire.gov.uk/holidayactivities
The programme is funded by the Department for Education and the swimming sessions are run by Koala Klub, which are being held at various locations across Staffordshire. The swimming lessons are delivered by Lex Leisure’s (CIC) fully qualified instructors.