Public Health Northamptonshire Holiday and Food Activity Program

School holidays can be particular pressure points for some families because of increased costs and reduced incomes. For some children especially children from disadvantaged families are:

• less likely to access organised out-of-school activities
• more likely to experience ‘unhealthy holidays’ in terms of nutrition and physical health
• more likely to experience social isolation

Free holiday clubs are a response to this issue and evidence suggests that they can have a positive impact on children and young people and that they work best when they:

• provide consistent and easily accessible enrichment activities
• cover more than just breakfast or lunch
• involve children (and parents) in food preparation

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The purpose of this Procurement is to identify an appropriate provider to co-ordinate a range of service provision in line with the Department for Education (DfES) Holiday Activity Food (HAF) programme guidelines to maintain the health and wellbeing of children and young people in the school holidays in Northamptonshire. There is an expectation that the Provider, and Northamptonshire Public Health will work together to identify and agree positive outcome based interventions, based on the best research and evidence available.

This service will support children and their families to: -

• eat more healthily over the school holidays
• be more active during the school holidays
• take part in engaging and enriching activities which support the development of resilience, character and wellbeing along with their wider educational attainment
• be safe and not to be socially isolated
• have a greater knowledge of health and nutrition
• be more engaged with school and other local services

The aim of the service is to programme manage the Holiday Activity and Food provision for the Summer and Christmas school holiday period.