The Isle of Wight Council is looking to identify more organisations that can help families facing hardship across the Island — calling for them to apply for a place on its list of approved Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme providers.
The HAF programme provides enriching activities and healthy food to some of the Island’s most vulnerable children during the Easter, Summer and Christmas school holidays.
The programme, part of the council’s connect4communities programme, is set to enter its third year and is inviting applications from providers to be able to run HAF schemes in 2023. Local organisations, voluntary and community groups have until 4th November 2022 to apply.
Councillor Debbie Andre, Cabinet member for children’s services, said:
“With the cost of living on the rise, we are keen to encourage more organisations to join the HAF scheme to reach as many families and their children as possible.
“School holidays can be particularly difficult for families because of increased costs, such as food and childcare and reduced incomes.
“By taking part in a free holiday club where a nutritious meal is provided, children who might otherwise miss out, get to enjoy the same enriching experiences as many of their friends and peers.
“I would like to thank all our current providers for their hard work and dedication to the scheme and would encourage other Island organisations to apply for a place on our network of approved providers, and help make a positive impact during these challenging times.”
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Earlier this year, the council extended its HAF programme by another three years to 2025, after receiving additional funding from the Department for Education which funds the programme nationally.
The programme makes free spaces available to eligible children who receive benefits-related free school meals. As well as enjoying hot nutritious meals, children are encouraged to be active by participating in sports and spending time outdoors, and to engage in a range of enriching activities such as arts and crafts, and free play. The council will tender for next year’s full HAF programme in early 2023.
If approved, organisations will then be able to apply to deliver activities over Easter, summer and Christmas.
Suitable organisations include schools, childcare providers, community organisations, as well as sports coaching and outdoor education providers. The council is particularly keen to hear from organisations that can provide services to older school children.
Virtual information sessions are being held about the framework on the following dates and organisations are invited to attend to find out more. To book onto your chosen date, please use this booking link.
HAF Framework Information sessions
- Monday 10th October, 15:30 to 17:00.
- Thursday 13th October, 18:00 to 19:30.
As everyone gets £20 per week per child, free rent and council tax, hundreds each month in child tax credits OR universal credits, then people should well afford to feed their choice of having children via the state which we all pay for.
Otherwise we are paying them the money to provide for their children then paying out again.
Contraception is free, but of course using it would prevent the parent (s) gaining a meal ticket and roof for free for life.
I get £20, but I don’t get any of the other things you mention? If everyone gets these things you mention, why haven’t I? Can you tell me how everyone gets free rent, council tax, hundreds in child tax credits or universal credit, as I’d love to know how this is possible!
Mark, this is how it works, have a couple of children, say you are a single parent if you only want to work 16hrs per week, then you get the £40 p w child allowance. You then get your wages for £16hrs, say £160, then because you work so little, not taxed nor NI. The Gov make up your wages via BOTH working tax credits and child tax credits, of around £11,000pa. They will then pay most all of your rent and council tax too.
You will get free school meals, transportation to school and help with school trips. As then ‘on’ means tested benefits you will get extra help with heating, home insulation, new boiler, and can as shown, keep very quiet about your income and expenditure and get the naive to feed your children too.
You don’t get overweight by not eating. You get overweight by eating junk food. I no I have been there. The state pays plenty for food for kids. If you want more work more.
Council should step up and stop waisting our council tax on stupid projects and unneeded staff etc, reduce council tax and people would have more to spend on living. Families on benefits with kid’s are not the worse off, it’s working families,elderly and vunerable who can’t reach criteria or understand how to seek help. CEO on £150,000 football players on millions ,it’s all wrong in this age
That’s right, encourage the freeloaders to spend their money on smart phones, booze, fags and tats rather than feeding their offspring. If they can’t afford to feed and clothe their kids they shouldn’t have them in the first place.