Holiday Activities and Food Programme

The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme provides free access to activities and healthy meals to eligible children and young people in Brent during the school holidays. 

Children and young people can access a minimum of 4 days of HAF programme activities over the Easter and Christmas holidays, and 16 days over the summer holidays.

The programme includes:

• a wide range of fun, physical and enriching activities
• education around healthy eating, healthy lifestyles, and preparing food
• a nutritious meal each day
• signposting, referrals and support for parents, carers and families
• a safe space for children to interact with others.

This programme is funded by the Government.

To be eligible for a free place, children and young people must currently be:

• in Reception to Year 11 (inclusive); and
• a resident in Brent and/or attending a Brent school; and
• receiving benefits-related free school meals (FSM) or have had their eligibility confirmed by a professional.

Please note that benefits-related free school meals are separate to the universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) scheme, which provides children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 with free school meals. Pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 who receive free school meals must also be eligible for benefits-related free school meals in order to access a free place on the HAF programme.

There are currently universal free school meals for all primary school children in state-funded schools for the 2023/24 academic year. This is funded through the Mayor of London.

Proof of eligibility 

When booking a place, you will be asked to confirm your eligibility by:

• showing a copy of your school holiday supermarket voucher email (vouchers are emailed from your school)
• quoting your supermarket voucher eCode; or
• providing a confirmation of eligibility (such as an email, letter, or code) from your school, social worker, youth worker or other professional.

If you believe your child is eligible for the HAF programme but do not have proof of eligibility, please speak to the relevant holiday club provider when booking a place, and they will be able to assist you.   

Siblings

Siblings of children who meet the above criteria may also be able to access Brent HAF programme places, please speak to the relevant holiday club provider and they will be able to assist you.   

If you work with children and young people who receive benefits related free school meals, please share information on the programme with them and their families, to encourage them to access the offer. Parents and carer of children who receive benefits related free school meals should receive confirmation of their child's HAF eligibility via the supermarket vouchers issued ahead of each school holiday that are funded via the government’s Household Support Fund.

If the children and young people you work with don’t receive benefits related free school meals, but you believe that they could benefit from the programme, they may be able to access a HAF programme place if they meet the other HAF programme eligibility criteria. Please email haf@brent.gov.uk for full details of this additional eligibility criteria. 

To refer children and young people into the HAF programme, please provide them with written confirmation of their HAF eligibility, confirming whether they are accessing the programme via their FSM entitlement or they meet another eligibility criteria. Children, young people and parent/carers will then be able to use this when booking a place.