Email:  HAF@achievingforchildren.org.uk

Free school holiday activity and food programme for children eligible for free school meals

A free holiday activities and food programme for children eligible for free school meals, will begin in the borough this Easter.

The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead’s programme is called Feed Ur Everyday Lives (FUEL) and aims to provide additional support to vulnerable children in our borough.

It will be delivered by Achieving for Children, which manages the council’s children’s services, with funding from the Department for Education.

The programme runs until the end of 2021 and will take place for two weeks during the Easter holidaysfour weeks during the summer break and one week during the Christmas holidays.

It will offer online and face-to-face activities for children aged five to 16-years-old who are eligible for free school meals, for four hours a day, four days a week, during the identified holiday periods.

Councillor Stuart Carroll, cabinet member for adult social care, children’s services, health and mental health, said: “A critical priority of the council is protecting vulnerable people and ensuring all children have the same opportunities and life chances. This programme is a critical part of our ongoing commitment to supporting some of our most disadvantaged and vulnerable families in the borough.

“I’m pleased we’re able to offer the FUEL programme during the identified school holidays for the rest of the year. These periods can be times of added financial pressure for families, with increased costs on childcare and food, and we hope FUEL’s offer of nutritious meals and fun and engaging activities will help our hardest-hit families.”

The aim is that the children who attend will be supported:

  • To understand nutrition and how to eat healthily at home
  • To be more active through engaging and enriching activities
  • To be safe and not to be socially isolated
  • To learn more about the different services that are available in the local area

As part of the Easter programme, which will be purely virtual, a sports, skipping and arts activity pack containing on-demand videos, will be delivered to those who sign up.

Other online activities will include breakdancing, comic book drawing, magic and origami.

For the summer programme, FUEL is inviting applications from local organisations, charities, holiday club providers and third sector organisations who can develop their existing offer to include food provision for eligible children.

It would also like to hear from schools who are working in partnership with holiday clubs.

To view the virtual Easter programme and to book a place please visit: https://rbwm.afcinfo.org.uk/pages/community-information/information-and-advice/fuel-holiday-activities-and-food-programme.

After you have booked you will be sent details, including the online links.

For support with the online application process, please contact the FUEL co-ordinator at HAF@achievingforchildren.org.uk .