Holiday Activities and Food Programme

Holiday activities for children

Children and young people across the district may be eligible for free school holiday club places and a meal.

The government’s Holiday Activities and Food Programme takes place during:

  • Easter
  • Summer
  • Christmas

We have provided additional money to provide further holiday activities during the following half terms:

  • February
  • May
  • October

HAF enables children and young people to enjoy fun activities with friends and develop new skills.

Who is eligible?

The activities are for those who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals.

Other eligibility can include:

  • Children assessed by the local authority as being in need, at risk or vulnerable.
  • Young carers.
  • Looked-after children or previously looked after children.
  • Children with an EHC (education, health and care) plan
  • Children who have low attendance rates at school or who are at risk of exclusion.
  • Children living in areas of high deprivation or from low-income households who are not in receipt of free school meals.
  • Children in transition phases between nursery and primary school or primary and secondary school.

If a child is not eligible, most providers offer paid for spaces.

How can I book activities?

For children during Easter holidays, summer holidays, and the Christmas holidays:

  • Schools send out a code to all eligible children.
  • This code will provide you a website link to Infolink- HAF where you will find all the activities across Suffolk which can be booked with the code.
  • You can use the code for activities outside your district.

If you think that you are eligible to receive a code, then please speak with your school.

Children in secondary school do not need a code.

Codes are not needed for half terms. Providers will ask for eligibility.

Contact us

If you need any support, please contact our HAF Coordinator Rachel Cattermole on HAFenquiries@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk

Timetable of activities

We will update this webpage with information about holiday activities available for children, as and when they happen.

Holiday activities
Dates Summary Activity provider and address of venue Contact details
Monday 23 – Friday 27 October Holiday club involving arts, crafts, baking. For 4-11 year olds Woolpit Arc, Heath Road, Bury St Edmunds, IP30 9RU Visit Woolpit Arc's website

Email Woolpit Arc

Phone 01359 245868
Monday 23 – Friday 27 October Swimming sessions including inflatables and standard swimming pool time. For primary and secondary school age Kingfisher Leisure Centre, Station Road, Sudbury, CO10 2SU Visit Abbeycroft Leisure's website

Email Abbeycroft Leisure

Phone 01284 757495
Monday 23 – Friday 27 October Swimming sessions including inflatables and standard swimming pool time. For primary and secondary school age Hadleigh Pool and Leisure, Stonehouse Road, Hadleigh, IP7 5BH Visit Abbeycroft Leisure's website

Email Abbeycroft Leisure

Phone 01284 757495
Monday 23 – Friday 27 October Holiday club involving multi-sports, arts, and crafts. 9am – 5pm. Early drop-off and late pick-up available Stowupland Sports Centre, Stowupland, IP14 4BQ Visit Kicks and Tricks’ Website

Email Kicks and Tricks

Phone 01449 401630
Monday 23 – Thursday 26 October Family park cooking involving family activities, an outdoor cooking class and a food box for a family of 4. For 5+ years 1st Combs Scout Hall, Combs Wood Drive, Stowmarket IP14 2RJ Visit Abbeycroft Leisure's website

Email Abbeycroft Leisure

Phone 01284 757495
Wednesday 25 October Family park cooking involving family activities, an outdoor cooking class and a food box for a family of 4. For 5+ years Eye Cricket Club, Ludgate Causeway, Eye, IP23 7NH Visit Abbeycroft Leisure's website

Email Abbeycroft Leisure

Phone 01284 757495
Monday 23 – Friday 27 October Activity club involving multi-sports, inflatables and arts and crafts Ormiston Sudbury Academy, 12a Hitchcock Place, Sudbury, CO10 1NW Visit Prestige Sports’ Website

Email Prestige Sports

Phone 07494 002352
Wednesday 25 October Activity drop-in including pool table, table football, video game consoles, board games, garden, music, chat. For 11-16 year olds Eden’s Project, 45 Gainsborough Street, Sudbury CO10 2EU Visit Eden's Project website

Email Eden's Project

Phone 01787 375247
Tuesday 24 – Friday 27 October Dance, football, and 'Nerf style' camps. For 4–11-year-olds, depending on activity. Great Cornard Leisure Centre, Head Lane, Great Cornard CO10 0JU Visit Maxim Sports Coaching's website

Email Maxim Sports

Phone 07973950276
Monday 23 – Friday 27 October Family swim session and Playworld. For primary and secondary school age Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre, Gainsborough Road, Stowmarket, IP14 1LH Visit Everyone Active’s Website

Email Everyone Active

Phone 01449 674980
Friday 27 October Soccer school involving football skills session, inflatable games and mini matches. Ages 6-16 Stowupland Sports Centre, Stowupland, IP14 4BQ Visit Ipswich Town Football Club's Website

Email Ipswich Town Football Club

Phone 01473 400980
Monday 23 – Thursday 26 October An action-packed holiday club for those aged 5-12 involving: football, multi-sports, arts and crafts, mini chefs, dodgeball and fun! Brantham Leisure Centre, Brantham, CO11 1RZ Visit Anglia Sports Management’s Website

Email Anglia Sports Management

Phone 01206 392506

Become a provider

We have been allocated £134,892.59 for the 2023-2024 Holiday Activities and Food Programme.

There are 2,349 means tested free school meal children in the district (March 2022 statistics).

How can I become a provider?

If you are interested in providing activities for us, then you will need to apply for funding by completing an online application. 

  • If you are a new provider, please complete both Form A and Form B
  • If you have previously completed Form A within the last financial year - and have been approved - please complete Form B

Please see the deadlines for each application period:

  • Easter – application deadline 10 February
  • Summer – application deadline 9 June
  • Christmas – application deadline 20 October

If you have any questions about the application process, please email HAFenquiries@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk

What are the requirements?

The requirements follow the Department for Education’s minimum standards, which include:

  • A school standard meal (ideally a hot meal)
  • Four hours of activities
  • One hour of physical activity
  • Some form of nutritional education
  • Providing signposting to families onto further services, if needed

Where can I learn more?

The Department for Education have published information about the HAF programme.

How we use your information

We will use the information you provide only for the purpose of this grant funds application. We will store the information securely in line with data protection laws. Please read our privacy policy for more information.