Holiday Activities and Food annual report 2025

The holiday clubs in Gateshead were delivered in 65 venues: 14 community organisations, 21 schools (including 4 secondary and 1 SEND-specific schools), 12 sports venues, 3 Arts and Theatre Groups, 4 Pop Ups, 4 Family Hubs, 3 Jewish young people's support groups, 2 refugee and asylum groups and 2 church organisations.

Following our 2025 Christmas provision, we hosted a Providers Forum at Age UK in central Gateshead. The event was well attended, with over 20 providers joining us on the day. This provided a valuable opportunity for partners to come together in person, strengthen relationships, collaborate more effectively, and share best practice across the network.

The forum featured a range of insightful guest speakers, each bringing expertise to support and enhance delivery across the HAF programme. Rise North East delivered an informative session focused on safeguarding children, offering practical guidance and reinforcing the importance of maintaining robust safeguarding practices throughout provision.

We also welcomed NE First Credit Union, who presented on the support they can offer families in managing their finances. Their session highlighted the importance of financial resilience, as well as the value of introducing children to financial literacy from a young age to help build long-term skills and confidence.

In addition, Active Future - one of our most established and successful providers - shared their experience and expertise in maximising engagement and extending reach within the HAF programme. Their presentation offered practical strategies and real-world examples of effective delivery, providing valuable insights for other providers to apply in their own settings.

Overall, the forum was a highly productive and engaging event, fostering collaboration and equipping providers with the tools and knowledge needed to enhance future delivery.