Your Holiday Hub returns

Your Holiday Hub returns to support families this Christmas

Children and young people who are eligible for free school meals will be able to access almost 200 school holiday clubs for free over the school winter break.

Families will be able to enjoy activities including cooking, arts, crafts, sports and lots of outdoor play during the four-hour sessions provided by 35 Bristol organisations.

Experiences include creating a piece of winter music, Sail with Santa around the harbour, Hansel and Gretel outdoor theatre and learn how to make snow.

The clubs provide opportunities for children and young people to make new friends, learn and develop new skills and build their confidence.

Those taking part will also be provided with a hot, nutritious meal.

Amongst the organisations running school winter holiday clubs this year are the SS Great Britain Trust, Imayla Community Interest Company, Bristol City Robins and St Werburghs City Farm. Councillor Asher Craig, Cabinet Lead for Children’s Services, Education and Equalities said: “We know this can be particularly hard time for families. We’ve worked with partners across the city to make this time a little easier for those in need and ensure we have an offer in place over the winter school holiday period, using the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. I am grateful to everyone who is contributing to this years’ clubs and the support they are giving families this Christmas.”

Families who would like to access a YHH should contact the organisations directly. A list of all organisations and locations offering YHH places are available on the Bristol City Council website.

The YHH programme also includes over 3,500 food parcels from FareShare South West, which will be going to around 40 different organisations across the city, as well as 1,400 activity packs from the Children’s Kitchen, Unique Voice and Children’s Scrapstore. Kirsty Wilson, Deputy CEO of Children’s Scrapstore said: “Children’s Scrapstore, Unique Voice and Children’s Kitchen have worked together to create an activity pack which offers a great blend of cooking, crafts and mindfulness, that was packed together with the help of many volunteers.

“Families can find it a challenge to keep children busy and entertained over the school holidays, and these packs offer a huge variety of resources to keep children engaged in stimulating activities. We know previous packs have helped support mental health and family bonding through creative, focussed time together.”

Provided as part of the government’s expanded Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, the scheme provides enjoyable activities and nutritious meals for primary and secondary school aged children who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals.

Ped Asgarian, Director of Feeding Bristol said: “The Your Holiday Hub programme is doing a phenomenal job supporting organisations to make a positive impact on the lives of children and families experiencing food insecurity this Christmas. “Building on the success of the summer project, the mixture of food provision through food hampers supported by FareShare SouthWest, family cooking sessions provided by The Children’s Kitchen, and communities coming together to cook and eat together, will hopefully ease some of the pressures of what can be a very difficult time of the year for many of us.” Bristol City Council is working with local schools, voluntary and community organisations, and childcare providers to provide the HAF programme (Your Holiday Hub). The free places are funded by the Department for Education.

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