We will be holding our HAF Summer Provider Event on Thursday 3 July, 4pm - 7pm at the Totally Wicked Stadium, McManus Drive, St Helens, WA9 3AL. Parents/carers and children and young people are invited to attend the event and meet with HAF providers. The event will provide information on what activities are on offer and give you an opportunity to ask any questions that you may have.
Funded by the Department for Education, our FREE holiday activities and food (HAF) programme provides healthy food and enriching activities for primary and secondary school-aged children eligible for benefits-related free school meals.
The aim of the programme is to:
support children to eat healthier and be more active over the school holidays
give children a greater knowledge of health and nutrition
enable children to become more engaged with school and other local services.
HAF Summer Programme 2025
We've produced an action-packed fun guide to show you all of the great things that are happening across St Helens borough over the summer holidays.
If your child is aged 4-18 and eligible for benefit related free school meal sand would like to attend, please see our list of providers who will be running the activities. Children who are in receipt of a support plan or EHCP are also eligible for the HAF programme.
Take a look at our HAF Summer 2025 Guide (PDF, 17 MB) to see what is happening near you. The guide is presented in a handy calendar format to help you plan activities for each day during the school holidays.
Find FREE events and activities suitable for you using the age ranges next to the listings.
We have endeavoured to ensure that all sessions are SEND friendly, but would advise you to pre-book sessions and speak to the facilitator for further information on suitability and individual requirements for your children.
Activities are subject to change at short notice and places are subject to availability.
Activity booking links will go live at 2pm on Monday 14th July.
Click the images below to view activities taking place between Monday 28 July to Sunday 31 August 2025 or view the HAF Summer 2025 Guide (PDF, 17 MB).
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HAF Summer 2025 page 2
HAF Summer 2025 page 2
Photos from previous sessions
Crafting and creative activities
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Easter HAF 2025
Easter HAF 2025
Days out and fun days
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Easter HAF 2025
Easter HAF 2025
Sporting and game activities
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Easter HAF 2025
Easter HAF 2025
Is my child eligible?
The HAF programme is primarily for children aged 4-18 years who are eligible for and receiving benefits-related free school meals. Children are also eligible if:
they are in receipt of a support plan via Early Help, Child In Need or Children We Look After
they have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP)
they receive additional hours at school
Not all activity providers will be able to accommodate the full age range of the programme. Please check with the provider what age group is appropriate to their activity.
Do you have provision for children with SEND?
We have SEND specific and SEND accessible activities for children across the programme. Look out for this key guide:
SS -SEND Specific: solely for children and young people with SEND and their families (mild to moderate additional needs)
S - SEND Friendly: venue or event where providers have general SEND awareness and small adjustments can be made
SA -SEND Accessible: physically accessible venue or event
SE - SEND Expertise: solely for children and young people with SEND and their families (complex additional needs)
F - Family Friendly: accessible for all families.
How do we access the programme?
To access the programme, simply book a place through one of the providers we list. Please note that booking details differ depending on each provider.
