Free winter activities extended to support West Suffolk families

As families across West Suffolk continue to be impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, a free programme of winter holiday activities and support is again being extended.

According to the Suffolk Office of Data and Analytics, one in five (20 per cent) Suffolk pupils now qualify for free school meals, compared to 12 per cent in 2015/16.

A national campaign, led by footballer Marcus Rashford in 2020 called on government support to ensure pupils could get food during the school holidays.

That led to the government’s Department for Education creating the national £220m Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme which is co-ordinated locally by West Suffolk Council on behalf of Suffolk County Council and delivered through a range of partners.

Now the programme has opened for families across West Suffolk to book places for during the winter holidays.

Under the government guidelines the programme is predominately aimed at pupils who are eligible for benefits related free school meals.

West Suffolk Council is allowed, as it has done in the past, to use 15 per cent of the funding to open the scheme up to children and young people from families who are in financial hardship. This will be provided on a first come first served basis.

“Sadly, poverty including child poverty is a huge problem in this country right now and West Suffolk is no different,” said Donna Higgins, West Suffolk Council’s cabinet member for Families and Communities.

“We see this through the rising demand that is stretching Citizen’s Advice and many of the charities and voluntary organisations that West Suffolk Council funds through Community Chest and councillor locality budgets.

“We see it through the households that we are working with to try to prevent or lift out of homelessness.

“And we see it in the increase in pupils qualifying for free school meals.

“While the HAF programme exists to support families with children living in poverty it isn’t the answer to poverty itself, nor does it help all of households impacted by poverty. We want to see more done at a national level to get to the causes of poverty and inequality so that everyone has the same chances and opportunities in life.

“In the meantime, however, I would encourage families who qualify for benefits related free school meals and those in financial hardship to check out the HAF programme and book their places.”

The HAF winter programme in West Suffolk includes 1,517 places across 91 sessions. Activities include park cooking, film making, football, craft making, roller skating, gardening, singing, dancing, horse riding, science workshops and visits from Santa. Close to 300 food hampers will also be given out.

Families with children on benefits related free school meals should have already received information through their school about HAF in their area.

Those in financial hardship can find out how to apply for a place or places at https://www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/leisure/holiday-events.cfm

For more on cost-of-living advice and support in West Suffolk visit www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/cost-of-living