Free school holiday activities and food clubs get £800k boost in Lincolnshire

Attendees of the HAF club get a healthy, balanced meal, matching Ofsted school guidance, officials said

Almost £800,000 has been given to a council to pay for free school holiday activities and healthy food clubs for children who get free school meals.

The government money would enable North East Lincolnshire Council to continue its Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, officials said.

Trin Centre in Cleethorpes has participated in the scheme since it became England-wide.

Its manager said it gave "opportunities children would sometimes miss".

The holiday activities include physical and craft-based activities with fresh meals served in the day, and food education for young people and families.

Andy Cox, general manager of Trin community and youth centre, said the scheme gave children who receive free school meals "the opportunities to attend activities with their friends they might otherwise miss out on".

He said it allowed Trin to bring in outside agencies and run circus and music workshops for the children.

Mr Cox told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he felt the scheme had become even more valued by families in the last year because of the cost of living crisis.

The scheme, which was promoted by footballer Marcus Rashford, sees English councils given over £200m of funding each year.

Its aim is to make free places in activities or food clubs available for free school meal children for the equivalent of at least four hours a day, four days a week, for six weeks.

This covers four weeks in the summer and four days each in Easter and Christmas holidays.

The award of £795,000 in HAF funding was confirmed by North East Lincolnshire Council at its most recent cabinet meeting.