How is the government supporting holiday clubs and food programmes in 2023? 

The government has confirmed £200m to fund the holiday clubs and food programmes throughout 2023

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on gov.uk

Free holiday clubs across England support parents with childcare costs over the Christmas, Easter and summer holidays by providing free, nutritious meals and enriching activities, such as football, play sessions and cooking classes. New figures show that around 600,000 children benefited from the scheme over summer 2022 across over 8,000 clubs, events or organised activities in England.

In order to continue supporting families most in need, the government has confirmed over £200m in funding for local authorities for the 2023 programme, enabling every local authority across England to continue to provide for their communities.

The government’s holiday activities and food programme provides assistance for school-aged children from Reception to Y11 who receive benefits related free school meals. It is available for local authorities to fund clubs over summer, Easter and Christmas breaks.

The continuation of the holiday activities and food programme is part of the government’s commitment to support vulnerable families with rising costs, particularly in disadvantaged areas. This programme runs alongside the household support fund which supports vulnerable households through small payments for food, clothing, and utilities. The fund has recently been extended to 30 March 2024, with an additional £1bn to be used by used by local authorities to support vulnerable households.

You can find holiday activities and food programme guidance, and a grant letter to support local authorities, here.