Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme
Brighter Futures for Children co-ordinates the Holiday Activities and Food programme on behalf of Reading Borough Council, funded by the Department for Education.
Please note: HAF registration is only open to children eligible for pupil premium free school meals.
The HAF programme provides activities and lunch with our HAF funded providers, for children across Reading eligible for pupil premium free school meals and those identified as vulnerable by the DfE.
The activity clubs are offered over Christmas, Easter and summer holidays providing a range of energetic physical activities, exciting new experiences and delicious meals too!
Half term weeks are not covered by HAF.
If your child/children is not currently in receipt of pupil premium free school meals but you think your circumstances mean they could be eligible, please fill in an application form and submit it to your child’s school. The form and more information can be found on our free schools meals page.
Please take note of the Privacy Notice supplied by the Department for Education about the handing of personal data relating specifically to the HAF scheme – HAF Privacy Notice.
The Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF) is a DfE funded programme to support children aged 4-16 years (reception -Year 11) who are in receipt of pupil premium (or benefits related) free school meals (FSM) to access enriching activities and food during Easter, summer and Christmas school holidays. Holiday activities and food programme – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Brighter Futures for Children (BFfC) is taking part in the HAF programme and is working in partnership with holiday activity clubs to provide free places for eligible children who attend schools in the Reading Council area.
BFfC is also able to use up to a maximum of 15% of its HAF programme funding (subject to availability of funds) to provide free or subsidised holiday activity club places for children who live in Reading and are not eligible for pupil-premium free school meals. However, priority will be given to those pupils eligible for pupil premium free school meals.
For more information about discretionary funding, please email: joseph.pegg@brighterfuturesforchildren.org.
Additional support
For information about cost of living support, please visit Reading Borough Council’s Money Matters page.
Christmas HAF
The next HAF programme will be over the Christmas holidays.
From Wednesday 13 November, all eligible families will receive an email from their child(ren)’s school including a link to the booking system. If you think you are eligible but don’t receive an email, please check with your child(ren)’s school.
Free and subsidised tickets to the Hexagon Christmas Panto!
We’ve teamed up with Reading’s Hexagon theatre to provide children eligible for the HAF programme FREE tickets to see this year’s panto, Cinderella. Accompanying adults can attend for the subsidised cost of £20. Children must be accompanied by at least one adult and there is a maximum of 8 tickets per group booking.
Please email joseph.pegg@brighterfuturesforchildren.org who will provide eligible families a code to use when booking. You will then need to book your tickets via the Hexagon booking system. Please note, this ticket offer is only applicable to shows held on Thursday 12 December at 2pm, Monday 30 December at 5pm and Friday 3 January at 5pm.
For more information about the show, visit:
whatsonreading.com/cinders
More activities in Reading
Visit Reading Family Information Service (FIS) for other holiday activities in Reading outside of the HAF scheme.
HAF booking system
We use a booking system with Wonde, which provides a Holiday Activity Fund platform built specifically to support the Holiday Activity and Food Programme and e-vouchers.
How it will help:
This system keeps everything in one place, allowing parents/guardians to book eligible children on to holiday activities via one website where you will be able to see all available providers and camp spaces.
The activity providers will be able to accept a child and confirm their place on an activity more efficiently and easily update details and spaces available for each activity.
Guidance on how to book
For guidance on how to book, visit HolidayActivities.
If you have any enquiries about the booking system, you can submit a support request via HolidayActivities too. You can also find answers to many queries via HolidayActivities FAQs page.
Watch the video below for a quick view on how to book your child on to an activity.
Christmas HAF activity providers
Here are all the fantastic providers delivering HAF activities across Reading over the Christmas holidays.
- BFfC youth team
- Get Active Sports
- Grassrootz
- Little Musketeers
- Make Sense Theatre CIC
- Next Thing Education
- NSSport
- Reading FC Community Trust
- Reading Rep
- Rock Academy
- Sportscool
- Sport in Mind
- Storyy
- uSport
- Weller Centre
What families have said about the providers and activities on our HAF programme
The club’s activities, energy and staff were absolutely amazing and definitely saved us mentally and financially this summer. With all my heart I can’t thank this group enough for giving my boys a fun and sporting time. It means so much when you have fallen on hard times and feel guilty as a parent. Well done all!”
“I would like to say thank you all for the joy, kindness and holiday that you have given to our children. Some of them couldn’t go on holiday but you gave them a fun one. It was a joy and happiness for them looking forward every morning for 11am to join the different activity during the day. They were all commenting about the fun and the positive action given by your people. We are so grateful that something like that was done. We hope in some way that you came to impact on the Southcote community. It would be fun to come again next year maybe for Summer holiday. We look forward to see you back. WELL DONE.
Thank you all Brighter Futures for Children.”
“I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt thanks to you. Your kindness and generosity have truly touched my heart, and I am incredibly grateful for your help.”
“The club was fantastic and my children enjoyed getting active, meeting friends and playing the games.”
“My 15 year old son has been struggling to cope with people around him since Covid and has been socially isolated as a consequence. His old school deemed him unsafe to be around people but Make/Sense Theatre gave him this incredible opportunity to join the complex needs sessions in 2021 in an attempt to re-engage him with people in a sensory environment. My son absolutely loves these sessions and is completely mesmerised by the sensory theatre, he looks so safe and happy which as his parent, is emotional to watch.”
“Your willingness to lend a helping hand when I needed it most has made a significant difference in my life. Your support not only eased my burden but also reminded me of the goodness that exists in this world.”
