Become a Holiday Activities and Food Programme Provider

Find out how you can become a Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme provider

What is the HAF Programme?

The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme is part of a national initiative to support children who are eligible for free school meals. The programme is intended to support the physical and mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, by offering them opportunities to participate in fun activities and enjoy nutritious food during school holidays.

The HAF programme has been providing healthy food and enriching activities to children through local councils since 2018.

We are looking for organisations or groups who are interested in delivering healthy and enjoyable holiday activities. The holiday activities will target those families who are eligible for benefits free school meals (FSM). HAF programmes will be running over the Winter, Easter and Winter school holiday periods if you would like to apply.

For more information on the national HAF programme you can visit the government website.

Doncaster HAF Programme Funding

The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme will provide free places at holiday clubs over the specified school holiday periods. Places will be made available for children in the local authority area who are eligible for, and receive benefits related to free school meals (FSM). This provision will be available for a minimum of 4 hours per day, for 4 days a week.

HAF Provision

We are currently in the process of planning our Easter/Summer 2024 activities with food to be delivered locally in partnerships with schools, voluntary, community and faith (VCF) organisations, including but not limited to; physical activity, music, arts, culture, creative, etc. We are looking for providers who can help widen provision across the Doncaster for the holidays. We are keen to learn as much as possible about your organisation to support effective HAF provision. Activities will be planned so there is a diverse range on offer, across the whole of Doncaster, to suit all eligible children and young people. You can find out more about the HAF programme in the Department for Education HAF Programme guidance document.

How Organisations Can Take Part

HAF Proposal Summer 2023

Download (134KB - DOCX)

The application above is for the Summer HAF programme which must be delivered over Summer school holidays.

All provision funded by the local authority through the HAF programme must meet our framework of standards and meet the following core aims and objectives:

• Healthy meals: holiday clubs must provide at least one healthy meal a day, which must meet the School Food Standards.
• Enrichment activities: holiday clubs must provide fun and enriching activities that provide children with opportunities to develop or consolidate skills or knowledge. Clubs must also provide physical activities which meet the Physical Activity Guidelines on a daily basis.
• Increasing understanding and awareness of healthy eating: holiday clubs must work to improve children’s knowledge and awareness of healthy eating.
• Signposting and referrals: clubs must be able to provide information, signposting or referrals to other services and support that would benefit the children who attend their provision and their families. This can include advice on how to source, prepare and cook nutritious and low-cost food alongside increasing awareness of healthy eating
• Policies and procedures: clubs must be able to demonstrate and explain their safeguarding arrangements and have relevant and appropriate policies and procedures in place in relation to safeguarding, health and safety, insurance, accessibility and inclusiveness.

Holiday and Food Programme Audit 2023

Download (12KB - DOCX)

Please send all your up to date policies to compliance@doncaster.gov.uk and HAF@doncaster.gov.uk to be filed ready for audit, there is a checklist within the application. Please also complete and return your safeguarding self-assessment (below) to Janice.Adams@doncaster.gov.uk.

BLANK HAF Safeguarding Assessment Form

Download (77KB - DOCX)

The closing date for all fully completed application forms has now passed. A new application will be released for Summer 2024 HAF provision shortly.

Please return your fully completed application to HAF@doncaster.gov.uk

Facilities with Family Hubs

There are 12 Family Hub buildings across the borough. We would like to support partners who are delivering HAF programmes to use some of the facilities within Family Hubs as part of their programme; however, space may be very limited.

We have a range of facilities that could be used this includes meeting rooms, playrooms, sensory rooms, kitchen areas and outside spaces. 

Please contact your local Family Hub Manager to check out what is available.

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