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    Plans for HAF programme for 2024/25

    As part of our HAF programme in 2024, we offered a total of 26,139 day places across the Easter, Summer and Christmas holidays and engaged with children from across Gateshead.

    In Summer 2024, the HAF Plus programme was attended by 160 young people and a total of 2,046 individual activity days were available for booking through the HAF Plus app.

    In 2025, to ensure the HAF programme is further meeting the needs of HAF-eligible children, we will move to an e-vouchers system for club bookings, using the HolidayActivities website (opens new window). In doing so, we aim to reach increasing numbers of children who are eligible for support through the HAF programme. We will work with schools across Gateshead to ensure details of the HAF programme, and the new e-vouchers system, are communicated to the parents/guardians of all eligible children.

    For HAF Plus, the programme will once again be controlled by Gateshead's HAF Plus app.

    As before, every young person involved in the programme will be issued with a 4-week all-zone Tyne and Wear travel pass which is key to HAF Plus' independent travel model.

    We will expand on healthy lunches and refreshments, working with a variety of establishments to give young people an array of healthy food choices that can be acquired using vouchers. We will add venues across Gateshead where these vouchers can be redeemed.

    As in previous years, we will use feedback from the young people to shape the programme. Earlier in 2025, we held a conference at Newcastle United Foundation to gather feedback from young people on what they'd like to see as part of the HAF Plus programme in Summer. All the activities available during the 4 week programme will be tailored for young people.

    Activities for 2025 will include:

    • escape rooms at the Metrocentre
    • board game hangouts
    • creative writing at Baltic
    • graffiti wall

    In August 2025, we will hold a day of celebration at Northumbria University for our HAF Plus programme. We will be inviting young people who have previously participated in the HAF Plus programme and will have a range of activities on offer, as well as speakers on the day.