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Families in Harrow can now sign their children up for an exciting range of free holiday activities and nutritious meals this Easter, thanks to the Holiday Activities & Food (HAF) programme. Funded by the Department for Education (DfE) and coordinated by Harrow Council and Young Harrow Foundation.

Harrow HAF has once again demonstrated our high standards and excellent providers but it was not without challenges. The HAF funding requires constant adaptation and innovation to secure success. This report provides a breakdown of the different holidays, achievements, and challenges we encountered.

In total, we distributed over £467,000 in direct grants for the HAF Easter and Summer 2023 programme. Grants were awarded to 23 organisations offering a wide range of opportunities right across Harrow targeting a diverse range of children and young people, including Romanian, Iranian, Afghan and Tamil communities.

Looking back at our three Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programmes in 2022, we are extremely pleased with the high-quality provision and support offered to Harrow’s young people and families. Harrow, much like the rest of London, is still reeling from the pandemic's detrimental impact and under pressure due to the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Young Harrow Foundation (YHF) was commissioned by Harrow Council in March 2021 to deliver The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme in Harrow. The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme is a Department for Education (DfE) funded programme of activities for children and young people from Reception to Year 11, during the school holidays (Winter, Easter, and Summer) eligible for Free School Meals (FSM), benefits related.

Over 2,000 free places are available for children and young people at local holiday clubs and activities in Harrow, this Winter holiday. Each space also includes a free nutritious meal per day.

For this Summer’s HAF 2022 programme, Harrow have used the funding in an innovative new way to create a hospitality training scheme for local adults to take the first steps in finding a new career.

The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme is back for the summer, this time with more activities, spaces and opportunities than ever before!

“‘It’s not easy asking for help or accepting help sometimes.” This has been made all too real for families across Harrow over the last year. The feeling of not being able to put a meal on your child’s plate in the evening. It is an experience that no parent or child should have to go through.

This last year has been tough. For some more than others. Fears and worries have crept into our daily routines. But there are some things you shouldn’t have to worry about. Like feeding your child. That is why Harrow are running the Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) over the Easter holidays. Local organisations across Harrow are putting on free catered holiday activities for your kids to get involved with.