Between 2019 and 2020, the Active Essex Foundation took action to help young people in Essex stay active and enjoy nutritious food during the school holidays, reaching over 2000 families in Essex most affected by food insecurity.

2021 then saw the Department for Education launch their Holiday Activities and Food programme, and Active Essex were chosen to deliver the programme across Essex and Thurrock.

The name Essex ActivAte sums up the key elements of the programme – provision of activities and nutritious food for children and young people in Essex.

Holiday Activity and Food Programme (HAF) – Easter, Winter and Summer holidays

The Department for Education’s programme runs during the Easter, Summer and Winter holidays, and is solely aimed at school-aged children who receive benefits based free school meals during term time, also known as the HAF programme. Limited spaces are available for children who’re from ‘low-income’ working families and you will need to book on directly with the club and self-certify.

Essex ActivAte programme – February, May/June and October half terms

Essex County Council quickly recognised a gap in the offer, for those who are on the cusp of being eligible for benefit based free school meals. The council decided to provide additional funding, extending the offer to ‘low-income’ working families and a small number of other eligible groups during smaller half terms. Due to smaller half terms only running for a week, clubs offer sessions for about 2-3 days on average, therefore spaces are limited and provided for those most in need.

 

How do I book onto a club?

Easter, Summer and Winter – Main Holidays

If your child/ren is on benefit based free school meals (BBFSM), you will receive a voucher from your school with your unique booking code. You will receive one code, per child, per main holiday. You must book your child/ren onto a club, using the booking link on your voucher, and not on this website. 

For further support on booking your child/ren onto a club using your code, click here.

If your child/ren are not on benefit based free school meals and you feel that they would benefit from attending one of our clubs, click here.

If your child cannot attend a club after they have booked on, please inform the club as soon as possible. Without doing so, you will lose your credits and stop someone else accessing a valuable space.

Take a look at our list of clubs delivering during the main holidays, including specialist SEND, mental wellbeing and secondary clubs.

June, October, February – Smaller Half Terms

To book your child/ren onto one of our clubs for half term, you will not receive a voucher from your school, and will need to book through our booking system, which will be live on our homepage ahead of the programme. You will need to select your area, find what clubs are available and book your child on. Depending on the club, you may need to book through our website, or contact them directly. For further information on smaller half term programmes, click here.

To find out if your child/ren are eligible for our programmes, click here.

For any enquires please contact Miss Webb: nwebb@stewardsacademy.org