Happy Healthy Active Holidays set to continue for three more years
A scheme that puts on holiday clubs for low-income families to stay healthy and active is set to run until 2024.
The scheme called Happy Healthy Active Holidays is run by Telford & Wrekin Council and has now attracted 22 local organisations to help put on 427 holiday clubs in the past year.
Children who enrolled in the holiday clubs enjoyed a range of fun activities such as sports, music, and arts and crafts, as well as a free nutritious meal each day.
Following the success of the scheme in 2021, the government confirmed the programme will continue for the next three years, and Telford & Wrekin Council have been allocated an additional £843,000 from the Department of Education to run the scheme during 2022.
The Happy Healthy Active Holidays scheme builds on the work of the Council’s own Holiday Activity and Eat Well programme, which has supported voluntary and community providers to deliver holiday clubs throughout school holidays since 2018.
Happy Healthy Active Holidays and the Holiday Activity and Eat Well programme also runs alongside the council’s ‘Kids for a £1’ leisure scheme, ensuring all children in the borough can enjoy happy, healthy and active holidays.
Councillor Shirley Reynolds, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families (Labour), said:
"With our help, community groups have provided holiday activities and nutritious meals to children for several years now.
"I am delighted that this additional funding from the Department of Education will allow us are to provide these holiday clubs borough-wide for a second year running.
"We have been working hard with community groups to organise as many holiday clubs as possible.
"The school holidays can be financially difficult for families, and some children feel isolated - so these holiday clubs make a difference to those who need it most.
"These holiday clubs help keep children entertained, eating healthy meals and getting ready for the start of the new school term.
"Parents have told us how their children have returned home excited after each session and are bursting with ideas.”
Vanessa Holt, coordinator for the Oakengates Town Council holiday club, said:
“Working with Telford and Wrekin Council to put on these holiday clubs has been great, it’s been worthwhile to see the difference they make.
"One of our parents told us how their child complained at first and asked why they had booked him on to a holiday club.
"He felt that he was being dragging out; now he really wants to go again and will be dragging his parent out!"
The grant programme is now open for organisations to make applications for funding to help run holiday clubs.
Organisations that can provide healthy meals and fun activities, such as sports, arts & crafts, nature or cooking, should apply.
“Venues or organisations who can provide activities for holiday club providers can register as a ‘Delivery Partner’, to help holiday clubs provide a varied programme.”
Councillor Shirley Reynolds, added:
"This could be your organisations chance to help support families during what can be a difficult time.
"We have a team on hand to answer questions and to help you make an application.
"So don't be put off if you don't think you nail everything in the criteria; we still want to hear from you.”
The deadline for grant applications is 18 February, to make an application visit: https://www.telford.gov.uk/hhah
