Holiday Activities and Food annual report

In 2024 we found, through our monitoring visits, that only a very small proportion of clubs were now not providing a hot meal. While only a very small number of clubs were not providing a hot meal, we recognise that there is need for improvement. Throughout 2025, we will work closely with clubs to ensure every child receives a hot and healthy meal over the Easter, Summer and Christmas holiday periods.

Food waste remains an issue with providers, with some reporting food waste when only one choice is offered. We have mentored those organisations and recommended they seek to use caterers who can provide a choice or to use tools such as 'Bushtucker Trials' to increase confidence in the children to try new foods. (See nutritional education and promotion of healthy living / lifestyles).  In an effort to reduce food waste in 2024, we offered HAF providers the chance to have a 'smoothie bike' at their club. This offering allowed children to make their own smoothies from fruit and vegetables that would otherwise go to waste. The bikes combined exercise with nutritional education. As children pedaled the bike, a high-powered blender worked to produce delicious and nutritious smoothies for them to enjoy. The implementation of the bikes was thanks to an in-kind donation from Albany Contract Furniture, based in Gateshead. With the success of the 'smoothie bike' in 2024, we plan to do something very similar in 2025, in collaboration with REfUSE Cafe, Durham - a 'pay as you feel' cafe, built by volunteers, run by volunteers, and fuelled by food waste.

The elimination of non-school-food-standards drinks was a particular focus in 2023. Our regular infographic series for our providers included 'Flex your Water' advice which has seen Creative Water Stations popping up at clubs across Gateshead. Following our focus on this in 2023, we were pleased to see a marked improvement in 2024, with little to no fizzy or sugary drinks on offer to children.

Chicken or vegetable fajitas remain the most popular meal across the clubs in Gateshead perhaps because they are so colourful as well as tasty, with pasta bolognese of course coming a close second. Clubs continue to provide children with a range of healthy snacks, including fresh fruit and vegetables.

At Christmas, we once again were able to send the majority of HAF club attendees home with 2 DishUp recipe boxes, as part of our permitted remote provision. These boxes contain everything a family needs to cook a meal for 4 using low-fuel. All recipes are vegetarian and contain easy-to-follow recipe cards, supplemented by videos on social media. These boxes were accompanied by a Wild for Life box that contained several activities which could be carried out in the children's homes. This was a very popular addition to our Christmas provision. 

Additional funding and support

We would like to thank the following organisations for their support during the HAF and HAF Plus programme over 2024. With their support, we were able to provide additional fun-filled activities and provisions for the children and young people.

• Greggs Foundation
• Albany Contract Furniture
• Morrisons
• Savills

Breakfast club food

Breakfast club

Breakfast club food

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