Holiday Activities and Food annual report

Physical activity

Gateshead Council's Community Physical Activity Team is strongly represented on the HAF steering group and through delivery of their branch of the project they are able to liaise with and utilise the expertise of several local community sport organisations.

Additionally, they have a number of sports clubs who apply directly for funding. This allows the HAF programme to include high-quality, engaging sports activity with experienced, national governing body qualified coaches. Some activities also take place at venues that may otherwise feel inaccessible to the target group, such as Gateshead International Stadium, and it is rewarding to see local children so excited to be participating in the same arena that has hosted international stars. Additionally, the programme has offered multi-sports camps, some that have the option of daily swimming to further enrich the activities available.

The Gateshead HAF Team feels that such a breadth of activities offers inclusivity through choice, but recognises that some children will not engage with a more formal physical activity setting and delivery format.

Although not directly linked to physical activity, it is worth noting that the sports activities are an excellent opportunity for young coaches to gain experience, contributing towards developing their life skills and increasing their employability.

For HAFplus, teenagers could freely access Gateshead's gyms and tennis courts, hence harnessing our internal relationships with other Council services.