Browse winter activities programme before booking opens

Families who are eligible for income-related free school meals can register now for the winter HAF which is funded by the Department for Education. Now in its third year, HAF continues to go from strength to strength, thanks to strong and successful partnerships with local partners who help make it all possible. They are:

·       Gloucester – The Venture White City Ltd

·       Cheltenham – Cheltenham Borough Council

·       Tewkesbury – Young Gloucestershire

·       Stroud – Stroud District Council

·       Cotswolds – Cotswold District Council

·       Forest of Dean – Forest Voluntary Action Forum

The majority of activities in the winter programme will run across four days from 2 January to 5 January 2024. Families are encouraged to check their local district HAF webpages to see activities that may be available at other times over the winter holidays.

Activity booking for all activities will open on Monday 4 December.

This year, to give families time to browse activities and help them decide in advance which sessions they would like to attend, all activities on offer in January across Gloucestershire will be available to view from midday today.

There are lots of great options to choose from including festive parties, drama and science workshops, sports and games, art and crafts, as well as the ever-popular ticketed attractions. More information about the programme is available at: www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/haf.

If they haven’t done so already, families are encouraged to:

·       Register for the Children’s Activities Booking System (CABS) now to make sure they can view the activities which will be available in their district, and select their choices when booking opens on Monday 4 December.

·       Follow their district lead on social media to see what is happening in their area.

Families who require additional support to choose, book or attend HAF activities, can receive support from six HAF Community Connectors, one for each district of Gloucestershire. Find out more about Community Connectors.

Families eligible for pupil premium (income-related) free school meals can also apply for Holiday Free School Meal vouchers, which the council is providing for 1 week. Parents will receive £15 per eligible child from reception to year 11.

Applications will open at midday tomorrow (28 November) and will close at midday on 12 December. Vouchers will be distributed from Monday 18 December. Families will be able to find out more at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/holiday-school-meal-vouchers/

Parents who have registered previously are automatically included and do not need to reapply. Families whose circumstances may have changed, can find out about eligibility for free school meals on our website, and should contact childrensfund@gloucestershire.gov.uk to inform the team of any changes.

Cllr Stephen Davies, Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years at Gloucestershire County Council said: “Gloucestershire has a fantastic record of delivering popular and successful events, so it’s always exciting when activity booking opens for the Holiday Activities and Food programme, which is increasingly popular. Families have to make sure they are ready, as some activities get booked up quickly.

“That is why this year we have introduced a one week browsing window, which we hope will give them time to see what is available in their local area and decide which sessions they will choose when booking opens next week. HAF Community Connectors are also ready in each district to help parents overcome any barriers they may face when choosing, booking or attending HAF activities.”