Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF)
HAF holiday clubs
Holiday fun in Shropshire
Between 23 December 2024 and 3 January 2025 eligible children and young people are invited to take part in a range of fun activities, happening at holiday clubs from across the county.
There are free places available at HAF holiday clubs for:
Children and young people aged 4 (in reception class or equivalent) to 16, who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals
And
Children and young people living in areas of high deprivation and/or from low-income households who are not in receipt of benefits-related free school meals.(See our information on referrals)
All bookings are being made directly with the organisations running the holiday clubs.
Please note that Shropshire Council is not responsible for the content on the third-party websites that we provide links to (although all links are made in good faith). All the activities listed are provided by professional organisations delivering excellent high-quality programmes.
All organisations have safeguarding policies, DBS certificates, insurance and risk assessments in place and will be following government guidelines re Covid-19.
How to book
All bookings are being made directly with the organisations running the holiday clubs. Your child/ren will be given a HAF information leaflet via their school. The leaflet includes a unique code. You'll need to use this code when booking.
1. Use the searchable listing on this page or the winter what's on guide to find which holiday club is suitable for your child/ren.
2. Book onto activity by contacting the organisation running the holiday club direct, using the contact details in the listing.
3. When making a booking, please quote your unique HAF code (see information leaflet issued by your child/rens school, or through professional referral).
4. A number of providers are running activities with places available for children and young people with SEND. These places are at settings offering mainstream programmes with a range of children and young people. These have been highlighted in the listing and guide. If your child/ren has SEND (special educational needs & disabilities) or receives any extra help at school, before booking onto an activity please contact the holiday club to discuss your child/s needs.
Please contact the organisation running the holiday club directly if you have any queries about your booking or the activities on offer.
Codes
The unique code entitles your child/ren to attend four sessions of free holiday activity in Shropshire during the winter/Christmas holidays. Please don’t use this code to book onto more than four sessions of activity, it won’t be valid. This code is individual to your child/s school and is not transferable to other children.
How do I know if my child/ren is able to access HAF activity for free?
Core eligibility - there are free places available on the programme for children and young people aged 4 (who are in reception class or equivalent) to 16, who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals. All eligible children and young people will get information about the programme direct from their school.
Professional referrals
Wider eligibility - there are a limited number of free places available for children and young people living in areas of high deprivation and/or from low-income households, who are not in receipt of benefits related free school meals. These children and young people can be referred onto the programme by a professional. Please complete our referral form if you're referring a child. and email it to HAF.programme@shropshire.gov.uk
Please note that these referred places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis by the Shropshire HAF co-ordinators.
We make the final decision on which children and young people should benefit from the flexible funding element of the HAF programme.
1:1 support
If your child/ren requires 1:1 support at school (mainstream or specialist) or in any other educational setting, they will also need 1:1 support to access the suitable HAF holiday clubs. Currently, the HAF programme is unfortunately unable to fund 1:1 support - any child needing 1:1 support to access the programme would need to have 1:1 funding and support in place before attending.
If you have funding in place and need help sourcing a PA to support your child/ren to take part in HAF activities, some of the activity providers can help. For a fee they may be able to provide a member of staff to offer your child/ren 1:1 support. Please ask the organisations direct about availability and costs. As mentioned above HAF is not able to fund this 1:1 support.
For information about other clubs/activities, information, services, and resources for children and young people with SEND please call 0345 678 9063 (SEND local offer) or visit:
Some of the holiday clubs also include paid spaces for children and young people who are not eligible for the HAF programme. These have been highlighted in the listing. Please contact the organisation running the club to make a booking.
Some organisations are subsidising the HAF programme and are running for longer than the HAF-funded four hours a day.
Information in other languages
We've put together information about the winter programme in the following languages:
Below you'll find a list of the holiday clubs available this winter. For information about the club and how to book click on the holiday club title.
You can narrow your search using the filter boxes.
Click in the 'tags' box for more specific search options, including age ranges, suitability for SEND children, the area of Shropshire where the club will take place and if paid places are available.
Free nutritious meals will be provided at each session.
