Newham Council has allocated £956,000 to fund holiday activities and food for children and young people this summer. The funding will provide 38,415 places at holiday clubs during the school break, offering nutritious meals and engaging activities.
The Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) aims to support children in Newham who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals. The grant will also provide free or subsidised places for other children who the council believes could benefit. The initiative is part of the council's Young People and Food Security Strategy, addressing food insecurity and holiday hunger.
According to the Officer Key Decision meeting held on Tuesday, 24 June 2025, Laura Eden, Corporate Director for Children and Young People, was delegated the authority to award the contracts following a Cabinet Meeting on 4th February 2025. The report pack details the recommendations for awarding these contracts.
The summer programme is divided into three categories: universal provision for primary school children, universal provision for secondary school children, and specialist provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Providers were able to apply to multiple lots. The contracts, detailed in Appendix 1 of the report, cover the summer period from 21 July to 6 September.
The council received applications totaling over £1.5 million, with 32 meeting the minimum criteria. The evaluation panel assessed bids based on quality (50%), price (40%), social value (5%), and sustainability (5%). The additional funding was available due to an underspend in the Easter programme because of lower attendances.
The HAF programme is expected to contribute to building a fairer Newham and giving children the best start in life. Alternative options, such as limiting delivery to the council's internal team or funding only local authority-maintained schools, were considered and rejected as they would not provide sufficient provision or a diverse range of activities and would require the council to pay back Department for Education (DfE) funding.