What is the HAF programme?
The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme provides free enjoyable activities and nutritious meals for primary and secondary school aged children who are in receipt of benefits related free school meals.
Slough Borough Council is working with local schools, voluntary and community organisations, and childcare providers to provide the HAF programme, which covers all major school holidays. The national programme offering free places is funded by the Department for Education.
Please click here to view HAF Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Children will be able to access:
4 sessions (4 hours per session) during one week of the Easter and Christmas holidays.
4 sessions (4 hours per session) for 4 weeks during the summer holidays.
All activities are inclusive at no cost to you. The sessions will include a variety of fun activities, including sports, music, arts, hairdressing, robotics, and other exciting opportunities to learn and develop skills, alongside a nutritious meal each day.
Letters will be sent out to all families with eligible children with a unique code for each child to use before each of the above holiday period.
In addition to this programme, families who are eligible for Universal Credit may be able to claim back up to 85% of their childcare costs. Please visit Help paying for your childcare on Childcare Choices website to find out more.
Slough Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme - provider applications
The Department for Education (DfE) is providing funding to local authorities to coordinate a programme that provides healthy food and enriching activities to disadvantaged children during the school holidays.
In Slough there are approximately 5,000 children eligible for free school meals. This year the Department for Education will be providing grant funding to coordinate free holiday provision (including healthy food and activities) for children who receive benefits-related free school meals (FSM). It will of course be optional for eligible children to attend this provision if they wish. If not eligible, children can pay to attend and join in the fun!
We are seeking to engage with a wide network of community-based organisations, including existing:
- holiday care providers
- schools
- childminders
- sports coaching
- creative and performing arts providers
- and many others.
Healthy hot meals must also be provided, and each activity session must last for a minimum of four hours a day, for at least four days (flexibility allowed for trips) for a week at Christmas and Easter and four weeks during the summer holidays. Providers can apply for any of the holiday periods.
Grants will be awarded to organisations who can demonstrate an ability to deliver:
- provide healthy meals (further discussion)
- skills, activities/classes aimed at helping children and their parents to make healthy and affordable choices
- a positive legacy that lasts longer than the experience.
Please click here to access the application form.
Please read the attached briefing before completing application form, any enquiries, please email HAF@slough.gov.uk quoting HAF application in the subject line.