Holiday Activity Fund Framework

Reading Borough Council have been awarded funding from the Department for Education to deliver the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme for three further years (April 2026 - March 2029). RBC has been awarded £450,000 for 2026 - 2027.

The HAF programme provides access to healthy meals and enriching activities for children and young people eligible for free school meals between the ages of 5 to 16. It addresses food insecurity, social isolation, and educational inequalities during school holidays.

Key benefits include:

• Reaching thousands of disadvantaged children each year with food, physical activity, and learning.
• Improved wellbeing, readiness to learn, and community engagement.
• Strengthened local partnerships across schools, the voluntary sector, and community organisations.
• Fulfilment of statutory duties and DfE expectations.

Investment appraisal indicates that continuing or enhancing the current service model is the most cost-effective and impactful use of the grant