Your Holiday Hub activities given £1.8 million funding boost

Main image Bristol City Council

Bristol City Council has approved £1.8 million to fund Your Holiday Hub activities and food programmes for children and young people entitled to free school meals.

The funding – provided to the council by the Department for Education – will allow Bristol’s Your Holiday Hub (YHH) programme to continue across the city.

YHH provides a healthy and nutritious meal for children at every activity, alongside food education. The funding will also be used to increase access to holiday clubs for vulnerable children who don’t currently qualify for free school meals and children with Education Health and Care Plans.

It will support activities being run during the main school holidays for the 2022/2023 financial year – starting with Easter Holiday programmes in April.

Councillor Asher Craig, Deputy Mayor with responsibility for Children’s Services, Education and Equalities, said: “We are committed to giving our children the best start in life and know that the longer school holidays can be particularly difficult for families on lower incomes.

“This funding will allow us to deliver activities and food programmes across the city, helping children to stay active and healthy during the holidays. 

“Like last year, we will be working with local organisations to run the Your Holiday Hub programme to provide support in the areas that need it most.”

In the last financial year, YHH brought city partners together to deliver activities for thousands of children during the school holidays.

Organisations from across Bristol ran more than 2,000 activities including sport, drama and cookery which aimed to build children and young people’s confidence and wellbeing.

Providers in South Bristol have included Bristol City Robins Foundation, South Bristol Children’s Centres, Oasis Hub South Bristol and Redcatch Community Garden.

Children who are eligible for the programme will receive further information from their schools before the spring holidays, which begins on Monday 11 April. More information will also be circulated through local neighbourhood bulletins.

Find out more by visiting the Your Holiday Hub programme on the council website.