Activate are delivering the holiday activity and food programme across Bath and North East Somerset.
The Holiday Activity and Food programme is a government funded holiday camp offering free childcare with a free meal for any child who is eligible for benefit related free school meals.
The government have funded the programme in Bath and North East Somerset for the next three years and Activate are the lead provider.
Since 2018, the holiday activities and food programme has provided support to children in receipt of free school meals through holiday periods.
Following successful pilots between 2018 and 2020, the programme was rolled out to all upper tier local authorities in 2021.
Research has shown that the school holidays can be pressure points for some families. For some children this can lead to a holiday experience gap, with children from low-income households being:
- less likely to access organised out-of-school activities
- more likely to experience ‘unhealthy holidays’ in terms of nutrition and physical health
- more likely to experience social isolation
Our HAF programme is a response to this issue, with evidence showing that free holiday clubs can have a positive impact on children and young people, and that they work best when they:
- provide consistent and easily accessible enrichment activities
- cover more than just breakfast or lunch
- involve children (and parents) in food preparation
- use local partnerships and connections, particularly with the voluntary and community organisation sector
Looking for all camps in the Bath and North East Somerset area during the next holiday period, click on the link below to see what’s available near you.
Who is the programme for?
This holiday provision is for school aged children from reception to year 11 (inclusive) who receive benefits-related free school meals.
Benefits-related free school meals (FSM) are available to pupils if their parents are in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits, and have a claim verified by their school or local authority.
Other children and families
Local authorities have discretion to use up to 15% of their funding to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children who are not in receipt of benefits-related free school meals but who the local authority believe could benefit from HAF provision.
This may include, for example:
- children assessed by the local authority as being in need, at risk or vulnerable
- young carers
- looked-after children or previously looked after children
- children with an EHC (education, health and care) plan
- children who have low attendance rates at school or who are at risk of exclusion
- children living in areas of high deprivation or from low-income households who are not in receipt of free school meals
- children in transition phases between nursery and primary school or primary and secondary school
Our recent impact:
Check out our 2022-2023 report to see what we have already done in the BNES area.
Parent info and Holiday Activities booking platform
Activate Your Holiday are using Holiday Activities as our HAF “pass” distribution and booking partner. They are experienced in working across HAF and already service over 85% of schools in the Bath and North East Somerset region with other voucher schemes.
Holiday Activities distribute their HAF passes to schools who order the required number for their eligible children. The school will distribute HAF passes to all children who are in receipt of benefits related free school meals through the Holiday Activities platform.
The HAF pass will come through on email or text and from that email parents can click a link to take them to what is on offer in their area. Activities can then be searched and booked through that link. Each child will receive a maximum number of credits, each credit will be equivalent to 1 day/session of activity, so 5 credits could cover a 5-day week.
For any family that is in receipt of free school meals but has not received their HAF pass please contact your school first to check they have distributed them and if you are still having trouble, please call 0121 227 4385 or email .
Any family that would like to take part in HAF but is not in receipt of benefits related free school meals, can contact their chosen provider using the details below and discuss if they are eligible for a place based on the extra 15% funding detailed above.
Venue and provider information
Activate Your Holiday programmes will be delivered across Bath and North East Somerset by a variety of local and national partners. Each provider offers different opportunities and activities so please do look out for what best suits your child!
We have multi activity, dance and theatre, sports and play camps, along with teenage and SEND specific providers all with experience in delivering high quality holiday camps. There will also be some “roadshows” popping up across the area for the odd day and family drop-in sessions.
Below is a map/list of the partners who are delivering HAF in 2023 across Bath and North East Somerset. If you wish to know more about certain activities or are having trouble booking please contact the delivery partner directly.
HAF across Bath and North East Somerset...
HAF CAMPS
Want to get involved?
The holiday activity and food programme’s strength is in its diversity and Activate are looking for partners who might like to get involved. You might be a school that would like to host a HAF camp, a holiday camp provider who delivers in the area, a food provider who can deliver hot meals to our camps, or a charity looking to support local families. If you think you can offer support to the programme, please get in touch with us at
#HAF24
