West Suffolk families to get extra food and activities during school holidays

An initiative to help families and children in West Suffolk eat and exercise more healthily will be running over the Easter holiday with plans to extend it.

West Suffolk Council has secured £50,000 of Department for Education funding for the Holiday Activities and Food programme and are leading the project in West Suffolk by partnering with local organisations and providers.

Working with schools to identify eligible children of primary and secondary school age, the programme will provide enriching activities and a nutritious meal. The Easter programme will be building upon previous successful holiday activities which has been carefully designed to provide the maximum benefit within the current restrictions.

In addition to activities for children there will also be family sessions with a variety of activities, cooking of a nutritious meal, sports, as well the opportunity to access advice and support.

John Griffiths, Leader of West Suffolk Council, said: “I want to thank our partners at Suffolk County Council for working with us on this initiative and to help make a real difference to people’s lives and provide additional help for our families and children.”

Robert Everett, Cabinet Member for Families and Communities, said: “This is an exciting project and is part of our Families and Communities ethos where we work with families to find local and tailored solutions to meet their needs. We hope to extend this to summer and Christmas holidays and will be looking for further funding.”