Hampshire Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) information

The Holiday Activities and Food Programme

About the programme

The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme is funded by the DfE to provide free engaging activities and nutritious meals to children from reception to year 11 (inclusive) during the Easter, summer and Christmas school holidays who would normally receive benefit-related free school meal (FSM).

Hampshire County Council delivers it through the Connect4Communities programme.

You can find out more about the HAF scheme on the Department for Education (DfE) website.

A core ambition of the HAF scheme is to promote the education of living a healthy lifestyle. This begins with healthy eating habits, and each of our providers are required to supply a healthy, hot meal for free.

The providers will cater for children with specific cultural, religious, and allergy-related dietary requirements. Pre-booking is required.

Aims of the HAF programme

As a result of the programme, we want children to:

• receive healthy and nutritious meals
• maintain a healthy level of physical activity
• be happy, have fun and meet new friends
• develop a greater understanding of food, nutrition and other health-related issues
• take part in fun and engaging activities that support their development
• feel safe and secure
• get access to the right support services
• return to school feeling engaged and ready to learn

Families can also benefit when HAF providers include their needs in planning and delivering their programme. This could be through:

• providing opportunities to get involved in cookery classes
• ensuring they are signposted towards other sources of information and support, such as health services or employment and education opportunities

Eligibility

Our scheme is primarily for children and young people, who already receive benefits-related free school meals (FSM), who live, or go to school, in Hampshire. This means areas of Hampshire serviced by Hampshire County Council. (This excludes the unitary authorities of Portsmouth and Southampton, for example).

You can check your eligibility and register for a unique booking code, using the link below.

2024 Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF) registration

Other children and families

Local authorities have discretion to use up to 15% of their funding to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children who are not in receipt of benefits-related FSM but who the local authority believe could benefit from HAF provision.

This may include, for example:

• children assessed by the local authority as being in need, at risk or vulnerable
• young carers
• looked-after children or previously looked after children
• children with an EHC (education, health and care) plan
• children who have low attendance rates at school or who are at risk of exclusion
• children living in areas of high deprivation or from low-income households who are not in receipt of free school meals

Safety

All HAF providers have been awarded their funded places because they have demonstrated to the Hampshire HAF team that they will provide and maintain a safe environment in which to participate.

Check with the activity providers to see if you should remain on-site or nearby for the duration of the activity.

Benefits for families

Each child with a HAF code has free access to a variety of holiday schemes across 11 districts that fall under Hampshire County Council.

Each scheme provides food and fun activities for a minimum of four hours a day.

Schemes are listed on the Family Information and Services Hub site in the five weeks preceding the holiday period. You can explore providers listings and book directly with the provider, using the information supplied.

Further information

If you have more questions about a specific activity contact the providers.

If you have any further questions or concerns contact [email protected]