How did you ensure the physical activities you delivered were engaging and inclusive? Did you have any particular successes?
Each provider was asked to detail how the children attending would meet the required minimum 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Providers approached this in a variety of ways including encouraging children and young people to walk to the activity and created booklets for them to complete with medals presented to those that had successfully completed at the end of the HAF holiday.
Alongside our generic sports camps which provide children and young people with the opportunity to try a range of different physical activities, we commissioned several camps/clubs and activities that specialise in sport/physical activity as detailed below.
Archery, amateur boxing, and football camps including one of our SEND providers (Goals Beyond Grass) and Forest Green Rovers in Stroud. Basketball camps, sailing and canoeing have also been offered.
Our rugby offer continues to grow through Little Monsters Rugby having successfully extended their offer from Tewkesbury into the Forest of Dean, which included them developing a new partnership with Lydney Rugby Club.
Cheltenham and Gloucester Gymnastics and wall climbing at the Warehouse have proved to be some of our most popular activities, they also offered SEND only sessions which provided a safe and controlled space with 1:1 and 2:1 support, enabling children with disabilities to have opportunities to try something new.
Some providers have reported that children who attended HAF sessions enjoyed learning new skills and being more active and continued to attend these clubs outside of the HAF offer.
In spring 2023 there were 4,957 unique participants, 9,053 in the summer and 3,265 in the winter.
In comparison to participants in 2022 which shows 5,985 unique participants in spring, 8,546 in the summer and 4,847 in the winter, this data shows the number of unique participants decreased in 2023 by 17% in spring, increased in summer by 6% and decreased in winter 32%.
The decrease in spring 2023 was identified and investigated and a Youth Pass pilot was introduced to increase engagement and attendance in summer 2023 which is evident above.
The decrease in winter 2023 was due to unusual Christmas school holiday dates commencing after Christmas and into early January. We also experienced adverse weather conditions including flooding and an outbreak of Strep-A.
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