7,000+ young people benefit from the Holiday Activities & Food (HAF) Programme in Harrow in 2022
Last year 7,249 children and young people aged 5-16 benefitted from the programme that offers free spaces at local holiday activities and clubs during school holiday periods.
How it works..
The Department for Education provides funding for organisations in Harrow to deliver activities through the Holiday Activities & Food (HAF) programme. A commissioning partnership between Harrow Council and Young Harrow Foundation saw 59 grants being awarded to 32 organisations to provide activities, and a free meal for children.
The programme is specifically aimed at families in receipt of Free School Meals, yet there is extensive need for this kind of provision beyond that. Thanks to a partnership with DVS Foundation, there could be additional funded spaces available for vulnerable families who did not meet the Department for Education criteria.
Hospitality Partnership..
In 2022, there was also a partnership formed between London’s Community Kitchen, Job Centre Plus, Xcite and Harrow Council to launch a ‘HAF Hospitality Training Programme’. This additional project saw 20 young people take part in a vocational training course and be involved in preparing and delivering hot meals to the HAF providers to distribute to the children and young people. .
Dan Burke, CEO of Young Harrow Foundation, said: “We know food insecurity is a huge worry for families in Harrow, so having a programme like HAF eases the pressure around holiday times, for those families who need that support the most.
2022 saw us trying out new ideas and new partnerships that could help drive even more impact for children and young people under the HAF umbrella programme in Harrow.”
Visit the HAF website HERE to stay up to date with HAF in Harrow:
