The Council, alongside Edsential and a range of community partners, are running a wide range of fantastic activities for the Easter Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) that will run throughout the school spring holiday.

The HAF Programme is funded nationally and provides funding for local organisations to provide activities for children and young people during the holidays, helping them to access healthy food and take part in fun activities over the school holidays.

Over the spring there will be a wide range of HAF programmes delivered across the borough by our local partners.

This year all provision for the HAF Programme can be found on the new dedicated west Cheshire area on the Edsential website.

Edsential

Community interest company, Edsential, is working with 54 organisations, including schools, community, voluntary and faith sector organisations, to organise 59 holiday activity clubs throughout the borough this summer period. The holiday clubs will provide local children and families with:

  • healthy meals and snacks, along with family cooking sessions and nutritional/health education
  • a variety of directly delivered physical activities such as, swimming, yoga, golf, judo, skateboarding, dance and drama workshops
  • diverse enrichment activities, including arts and crafts, musical theatre, archery, street dance, mindfulness, forest school, and much more.

These sessions can be booked via the Edsential website.

Youth Zones for 11-16 year olds (up to 25 if SEND)

Youth Zones, operated by the Council’s Youth Service, will be providing eligible children and young people across the borough with an Easter offer.

All children and young people will be offered a healthy balanced hot meal or packed lunch.

Programme plans include Easter arts and crafts, Easter Disco, face painting, beat boxing, mc-ing and Rapping, Graffiti, Sporting activities including football, skateboarding, rollerskating and scootering and trips out.

For further information please email EHPChesterandRural@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk.

Provision for all children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

A number of organisations have been funded to deliver SEND specific HAF provision across the borough, the varied offer will include sessions for children and young people such as trampolining, mindfulness, a petting zoo, sensory and messy play, garden activities and forest schools, and swimming sessions as well as activities for Easter. There is also provision across a number of school settings both mainstream and special schools along with the opportunity for a number of our children and young people to have residential stays and a break away at two separate locations, this is in addition to the day time activities that are planned across the borough. A healthy meal will be provided at every session for the children and young people in attendance.

For more information, please email: AimingHighForDisabledChildren@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

Brio Leisure

Brio Leisure will be running various activity programmes from sites across the borough. The range of activities include multi-sport activities, Fun and Floats and Sports Camps, all of which will include a healthy meal.

If you would like more information, please email: info@brioleisure.org.

Please help us to continue to promote the HAF programme to children, young people, parents and carers who may be interested. We want to ensure that all children and young people entitled to access HAF provision are aware of the programme and are supported to take part.

Criteria/eligibility for the programme

This holiday provision is for school aged children from reception to year 11 (inclusive) who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals, and for all children with SEND.

Benefits-related free school meals (FSM) are available to pupils if their parents are in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits, and have a claim verified by their school or local authority.

The Council wants to ensure that the offer of free holiday club provision is available for all children who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals in the area as well as all children with SEND, though this does not mean we expect all to attend as the provision is voluntary.

If you have any questions regarding the HAF programme, please email haf@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk.

Cost of living support

Due to the cost-of-living crisis, families may be worried about the rising cost of energy bills, food, and transport. They may need help accessing welfare rights, benefits and debt advice, support getting all the money they’re entitled to, or simply want to know more about national recent support measures.

Whatever their money worries may be, the Council has put together some useful information to help. The web page includes a wealth of information including the Household Support Fund, the Council’s HELP Scheme, Warm Welcoming Spaces and much more.

Household Support Fund payments for children in receipt of Free School Meals (FSM)

The Household Support Fund has been extended for a further 12 months until 31 March 2024 supporting those households most in need due to rising living costs, particularly around the need for fuel. The council has agreed that we will continue to allocate some of the funding to support pupils in receipt of free school meals over the Easter holidays. The support to be provided for the remaining holidays periods up until 31 March 2024 will be provided to you all shortly.

The council has allocated £15 for each free school meal pupil and to ensure families have the necessary financial support for food during the Easter holidays, we request that this is distributed before the end of term.