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Holiday Activities and Food Programme

In this section:

  1. You are here: Holiday activities for children Holiday activities for children
  2. You are here: Timetable of activities Timetable of activities
  3. You are here: Become a provider Become a provider

Holiday activities for children

Children and young people across the district may be eligible for free school holiday club places and a meal.

The government’s Holiday Activities and Food Programme takes place during:

  • Easter
  • Summer
  • Christmas

We have provided additional money to provide further holiday activities during the following half terms:

  • February
  • May
  • October

HAF enables children and young people to enjoy fun activities with friends and develop new skills.

Who is eligible?

The activities are for those who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals.

Other eligibility can include:

  • 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.

If a child is not eligible, most providers offer paid for spaces.

How can I book activities?

Please note that from the May 2024 half term onwards, we are using the online booking system Eequ. Guardians of eligible children can book spaces for HAF activities through our Eequ profile:

Book a HAF activity online

If you have any queries, please email HAFenquiries@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk.

Contact us

If you need any support, please contact our HAF Coordinator Rachel Cattermole on HAFenquiries@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk

Timetable of activities

We update this webpage with information about holiday activities available for children, as and when they happen.

We will update this webpage with information about holiday activities available for children, as and when they happen.

Please note that the table below contains activities that are taking place in the districts of Babergh and Mid Suffolk.

Book a HAF activity online

Holiday activities
Dates Summary Provider Venue Contact

19-23 August

 Holiday club involving multi-sports, arts, and crafts. 9am – 5pm (early drop-off and late pick-up available) Kicks and Tricks Grace Cook Primary School, Stowmarket IP14 1XJ Visit Kicks and Tricks’ website
Email info@kicksandtricks.co.uk
Phone 01449 401630

19-23, 27-30 August

 Holiday club involving multi-sports, arts, and crafts. 9am – 5pm (early drop-off and late pick-up available) Kicks and Tricks Beaumont Primary School, Hadleigh IP7 6GD Visit Kicks and Tricks’ website
Email info@kicksandtricks.co.uk
Phone 01449 401630

19-23, 27-30 August

 Holiday club involving multi-sports, arts, and crafts. 9am – 5pm (early drop-off and late pick-up available) Kicks and Tricks Stowupland High School Sports Centre, Church Road, Stowmarket IP14 4BQ Visit Kicks and Tricks’ website
Email info@kicksandtricks.co.uk
Phone 01449 401630

19-23, 27-30 August

 Multi-activity courses including a range of sports, activities, arts and crafts. For 5-12 year olds Premier Education St Peter's and St Pauls Church Street, Eye, Suffolk IP23 7BD

Visit Premier Education's website

Email afryatt@premier-education.com

Phone 07962082189

19-23, 27-30 August

 Family swim session and Playworld - including taster sessions in various sports. For primary school ages Everyone Active Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre, Gainsborough Road, Stowmarket IP14 1LH

Visit Everyone Active's website

Phone 01449 674980

Email stuartmurdy@everyoneactive.com
27-28 August Soccer school including football skills, inflatable games and mini matches. For 6-12 year olds Ipswich Town Foundation Stowupland High School Sports Centre, Church Road, Stowmarket IP14 4BQ

Visit Ipswich Town Foundation's website

Phone 01473 400980

Email community@itfc.co.uk

19-22 August

 Swimming sessions including inflatables and standard swimming pool time. For primary and secondary school age Abbeycroft Kingfisher Leisure Centre, Station Road, Sudbury CO10 2SU

Visit Abbeycroft's website
Email HAF@acleisure.com
Phone 01284 757495

19-22 August

 Swimming sessions including inflatables and standard swimming pool time. For primary and secondary school age Abbeycroft Hadleigh Pool and Leisure, Stonehouse Road, Hadleigh IP7 5BH Visit Abbeycroft's website
Email HAF@acleisure.com
Phone 01284 757495
27-30 August A variety of activities - including animal experiences, axe throwing, mini golf, dance, cooking, inflatables. For 4-14 year olds Limitless Activities Cedar Park Primary School, Stowmarket IP14 5FP

Visit Limitless Activities' website

Email limitlesssportactivities@gmail.com

Phone 07752810389
20-22 August Dance, football and 'Nerf style' camps. For 4-11 year olds (depending on activity) Maxim Sports Great Cornard Leisure Centre, Head Lane, Great Cornard CO10 0JU

Visit Maxim Sports Coaching's website
Email info@maximsportscoaching.co.uk
Phone 07973950276

27 August

 Holiday sessions involving cooking, crafts, indoor tournaments, games. For 11-16 year olds Inspire Suffolk Inspire Hadleigh Youth Centre, 28A High Street, Hadleigh IP7 5AP

Visit Inspire Suffolk's website

Email holidayclubs@inspiresuffolk.org.uk

Phone 01473 353194

21-22, 28-29 August

 Achieve an accredited qualification from Princes Trust Qualifications in wellbeing (healthy eating) and sustainability Inspire Suffolk Inspire Hadleigh Youth Centre, 28A High Street, Hadleigh IP7 5AP

Visit Inspire Suffolk's website

Email holidayclubs@inspiresuffolk.org.uk

Phone 01473 353194

19-23 August

 Multi-activity holiday camp including sports, arts and crafts, nature, team games. For 5-11 year olds TayPlay Sports Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre, Gainsborough Road, Stowmarket IP14 1LH

Visit TayPlay Sports's website

Email info@tayplayactivitycamps.co.uk

Phone 07546116004

19-23, 27-30 August

 Holiday club involving football, multi-sports, arts and crafts, mini chefs, dodgeball. For 5-12 year olds Anglia Sports Management Brantham Leisure Centre, Brantham CO11 1RZ

Visit Anglia Sports Management's website

Email info@angliasportsmanagement.com

Phone 01206 392506
26-27 August Woodland activity day including archery, air rifles, catapults, campfire cooking and bushcraft skills. For 8-15 year olds Queech Wood Queech Woodland Activities, Barham IP6 0QF

Visit Queech Woods's website

Email info@queechwoods.co.uk

Phone 07941009256

28 August

 Multi-activity courses including a variety of sports. For 6-11 year olds PE Shed St Botolphs Primary School, Back Hills, Diss IP22 1DW

Visit PE Shed's website

Email info@peshed.co.uk

Phone 07964094433
22, 29 August Multi-activity courses including a variety of sports. For 6-11 year olds PE Shed Stradbroke Primary School, Queen's Street, Eye IP21 5HH

Visit PE Shed's website

Email info@peshed.co.uk

Phone 07964094433
22-23 August Dance sessions consisting of games, creative dance, choreography, arts and crafts, and a performance for parents. For 4-12 year olds Suffolk Contemporary Dance The Loraine Victory Hall, Ship Lane, Bramford, Ipswich IP8 4AL

Visit Suffolk Contemporary Dance's website

Email suffolkcontemporarydance@yahoo.com

Phone 07578545705
27-28 August Family park cooking involving family activities, an outdoor cooking class, and a food box for a family of four. With recipes from a local chef. For 5+ years Abbeycroft 1st Eye Scout Group IP23 7HF Visit Abbeycroft's website
Email HAF@acleisure.com
Phone 01284 757495
27-30 August Family park cooking involving family activities, an outdoor cooking class, and a food box for a family of four. With recipes from a local chef. For 5+ years Abbeycroft Hadleigh Sea Scout Hut IP7 5NE Visit Abbeycroft's website
Email HAF@acleisure.com
Phone 01284 757495
19-22 August Family park cooking involving family activities, an outdoor cooking class, and a food box for a family of four. With recipes from a local chef. For 5+ years Abbeycroft 1st Combs Scout Group, Combs Wood Drive, Stowmarket IP14 2RJ Visit Abbeycroft's website
Email HAF@acleisure.com
Phone 01284 757495
19-22 August Family park cooking involving family activities, an outdoor cooking class, and a food box for a family of four. With recipes from a local chef. For 5+ years Abbeycroft Stevenson Centre, Great Cornard CO10 0WD Visit Abbeycroft's website
Email HAF@acleisure.com
Phone 01284 757495
19-22 August Adventure days introducing alternative physical activity through outdoor activities. For 8-12 year olds Abbeycroft 1st Combs Scout Group, Combs Wood Drive, Stowmarket IP14 2RJ Visit Abbeycroft's website
Email HAF@acleisure.com
Phone 01284 757495
27-29 August Adventure days introducing alternative physical activity through outdoor activities. For 8-12 year olds Abbeycroft Hadleigh Sea Scout Hut IP7 5NE Visit Abbeycroft's website
Email HAF@acleisure.com
Phone 01284 757495

Become a provider

We have been allocated £134,892.59 for the 2023-2024 Holiday Activities and Food Programme.

There are 2,349 means tested free school meal children in the district (March 2022 statistics).

How can I become a provider?

If you are interested in providing activities for us, then you will need to apply for funding by completing an online application. 

  • If you are a new provider, please complete both Form A and Form B
  • If you have previously completed Form A within the last financial year - and have been approved - please complete Form B

Please see the deadlines for each application period:

  • Easter – application deadline 10 February
  • Summer – application deadline 9 June
  • Christmas – application deadline 20 October

If you have any questions about the application process, please email HAFenquiries@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk

What are the requirements?

The requirements follow the Department for Education’s minimum standards, which include:

  • A school standard meal (ideally a hot meal)
  • Four hours of activities
  • One hour of physical activity
  • Some form of nutritional education
  • Providing signposting to families onto further services, if needed

Where can I learn more?

The Department for Education have published information about the HAF programme.

How we use your information

We will use the information you provide only for the purpose of this grant funds application. We will store the information securely in line with data protection laws. Please read our privacy policy for more information.