Information for parents and carers

About the programme

The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme is funded by the Department for Education. It funds holiday activities which include food for children during the Easter, summer and Christmas school holidays. We're working with local schools, voluntary and community organisations and childcare providers to deliver the programme across Stockport. Visit GOV.UK to find out more about the national HAF programme.

Eligible children will be able to access:

  • up to 4, 4 hour sessions throughout the Easter holidays
  • up to 16, 4 hour sessions throughout the summer holidays
  • up to 4, 4 hour sessions throughout the Christmas holidays

There will be no cost to parents for the sessions.

Some clubs offer longer sessions and some provide specific sessions for children with additional needs and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Holiday clubs will include a nutritious meal each day. They will also include a variety of fun activities including sports, music, arts and other exciting opportunities to learn and develop skills.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a funded space, children must receive income-based free school meals. You are not eligible if your child receives the universal free school meals that all children in reception to year 2 receive, or if you receive the Stockport supported top up because you are eligible for Council Tax or Housing Benefit support.

If you think you might be eligible for income-based free school meals, but do not currently claim them, you can find information about how to apply on our free school meals webpage.

If your child does not receive income-based free school meals but you feel that you need to access a funded space, we can offer a small number of spaces to non-eligible children. To access one of these spaces you'll need a professional referral. Email us at HAF@Stockport.gov.uk to enquire about this. Please note that there are a very small number of spaces available for children who are not eligible and we cannot guarantee your child a space.

Please note that we are not able to offer spaces to children who are not eligible for income-based free school meals on our 1:1 supported SEND clubs.

How to find holiday activities

You can find and book all the HAF clubs from the Holiday Activities website.

To access the website, you'll receive an email from hello@holidayactivities.com with your child’s unique voucher code and a link to the booking system. That link has the details of all of the clubs available across Stockport.

You'll receive your child’s voucher code on Tuesday 1 July 2025. From this date, you'll be able to access the booking system to book your child’s space. You will not be able to access the booking system before this date.

If you need help accessing the booking system, or if you have not received a code for your child, you can email HAF@stockport.gov.uk.

Support during February, May and October half term holidays

The Household Support Fund extends the HAF programme to include a limited amount of clubs during the half term holidays in Stockport. To find out more about the clubs running during the next half term holiday, visit the HAF providers directory.

Other activities and support may be available to families outside of the HAF programme. To find out what's available in your area, visit the Childcare Directory.

Please note that for providers listed in the HAF providers directory, and for organisations in the Childcare Directory, we cannot guarantee availability.

Families who are eligible for Universal Credit may be able to claim back up to 85% of their childcare costs. You can visit GOV.UK to find information about help with childcare costs.

Further support

If you're struggling or in need of further support, you can find out about other services you can access on our cost of living support webpage.


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