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Haf Fun Pompey – The story so far

 

Portsmouth City Council are delighted to be delivering the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme during the Easter, Summer and Christmas 2021 school holidays. Funded by the Department for Education, we can provide free holiday provision, including nutritious food and enriching activities, for children aged 5-16 who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals.

During the Easter and Summer holidays we worked in collaboration with a wide range of providers to create a fantastic programme of activities and events. These ranged from sport to performing arts, day trips to art workshops, and water sports to cooking classes. It also included events where the whole family could get involved.

This summer we had nearly 15,000 funded spaces available, in 54 locations across the whole city, with 36 providers and every child was provided with tasty, nutritious food.

Over the Christmas holidays we have over 3,500 funded spaces available, in over 40 locations across the whole city, with 25 providers and every child will be provided with tasty, nutritious food.

To see what winter festivities and activities are running from Saturday 18 December to Monday 3 January please select the buttons below: 

HAF for ages 5-11
HAF for ages 11-16
HAF Family Fun

Please email haf@portsmouthcc.gov.uk if you have any enquiries. Use #HAF2021 on social media to post about your experiences of the programme so far. If you are a local provider who would like to find out more about delivering activities as part of our HAF programme please email us.

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    Testimonials

     

    “We are so pleased she could join her peers and have fun…my hope is that this will boost her confidence… I know she fully enjoyed herself.” HAF Parent/Carer

     

    “My favourite part was EVERYTHING…making friends, games, puppets and having fun.” HAF Participant

     

    “They had a brilliant week packed full of fun and games! Both mine received certificates for playing games, yoga and dancing! Go Carts and nerf guns, disco, you name it they have done it! Also well done to my boy for eating a curry! Anyone that know him knows how fussy he is, the staff are amazing,,,roll on next week!” HAF Parent/Carer

     

    “Thank you so much…what you have done…has literally changed their lives…She has had a rough year and didn’t want to go she had zero confidence but within a day she was begging to go back.” HAF Parent/Carer

     

    “I liked everything and lunch.” HAF Participant 

     

    “My favourite thing was playing.” HAF Participant

     

    “We are proud that we offer sessions where lots of delicious, healthy food is consumed after a whole range of activities to choose from, including drama, sailing, fitness and cooking. This is genuine community partnership working at its best with local providers and a range of internal and external partners including schools, Play Youth and Community, Portsmouth Museums, leisure, arts and cultural venues all pitching in.”Councillor and Deputy Leader Suzy Horton

    MORE ABOUT THE HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES AND FOOD PROGRAMME

    In November 2020 the government announced the significant expansion of its Holiday Activities and Food programme. Portsmouth City Council registered to participate and were delighted to be allocated funding by the Department for Education (DfE). The programme is designed to provide healthy food and enriching activities during the Easter, Summer and Christmas holidays to children who receive benefits-related free school meals.

    It offers valuable support to families on lower incomes, giving them the opportunity to access rewarding and active activities alongside healthy meals over the school holidays. 

    Nationally community, private and voluntary organisations have played an invaluable role in this programme over the last three years, and at PCC we have engaged a wide range of partners throughout the city for the delivery of this programme.

     

    The aim of the programme is for children to:

    • eat more healthily over the school holidays

    • be more active during the school holidays

    • take part in engaging and enriching activities

    • be safe and not to be socially isolated

    • have greater knowledge of health and nutrition

    • be more engaged with school and other local services

    The programme funding is for benefits related free school meal children only but some of our providers are offering pay as you go places also. Families may be eligible for tax free childcare or the childcare costs element of Universal Credit, through which families may be able to claim back up to 85% of their childcare costs. For more info: https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/universal-credit

    Some of the providers are Ofsted registered and can also take childcare vouchers for their pay as you go spaces if applicable.

    Click here to go to the government’s Holiday Activities and Food programme guidance.

    If you have any other questions please contact our HAF project team at HAF@portsmouthcc.gov.uk