It’s About Me is a Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme for families in Derbyshire to help children and young people have fun, active, and healthy school holidays.
Introduction
Following the successful national pilot in 2021, the Department for Education committed over £200m per year over the next three financial years for the Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF).
StreetGames took over the management of the Derbyshire Holiday Activities and Food programme in summer 2022 with the aim of delivering holiday clubs during the spring, summer and winter holidays to children aged 4-16 who are eligible for benefit-related free school meals.
The Derbyshire HAF programme, known locally as ‘It’s About Me’, is designed to address the ‘holiday experience gap’ where children from low-income households are:
- Less likely to access organised out-of-school activities
- Likely to experience ‘unhealthy holidays’ in relation to nutrition and physical health
- Likely to experience social isolation
Aims of the Programme
It’s About Me supports children and young people who are eligible for free school meals, and is designed to ensure participants:
- Eat healthily over the school holidays
- Increase activity levels during the school holidays
- Take part in engaging and enriching activities which support the development of resilience, character and well-being along with their wider educational attainment
- Have a safe environment to go to and don’t become socially isolated
- Expand their knowledge of health and nutrition
- Become more engaged with school and other local services
We also want to ensure that the families who participate in this programme:
- Develop their understanding of nutrition and food budgeting
- Are signposted to other information and support on health, employment, and education
The Bureau – working with children in The High Peak
The Bureau work with children in The High Peak district, providing holiday activities and food to groups of around 20 young people aged 5 to 11. The children take part in fun sport activities, including relay races, ball sports, balancing activities and target sports.
I think the programme is excellent. My son and granddaughter love going and always ask to go back. The quality of care, food and activities provided are outstanding and the ladies that run it are absolutely amazing, always happy and welcoming and go above and beyond."
Derbyshire Parent
Project Partners
