The Executive Mayor of Croydon, Jason Perry, has written to the Secretary of State for Education to emphasise the importance of extending the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme next year, as it is crucial to continue providing this “vital support” to Croydon families.
The HAF programme provides families receiving benefits-related free school meals with access to free holiday programmes where children can enjoy safe, supported care, and healthy outdoor fun. However, the HAF programme’s current round of funding is due to end in March 2025.
The Executive Mayor expressed in his letter to the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson MP, that he has personally witnessed the “significant impact” that the HAF programme has had on children in the borough, which is why he believes it should continue beyond March 2025.
The HAF programme provides all participants with a hot healthy meal, alongside physical activity and extra-curricular opportunities. Parents and carers have also benefited with childcare support throughout the holiday because of the programme. The programme is delivered at over 50 different locations in Croydon, making it easily accessible for families.
This summer, HAF providers have engaged with a realm of different activities including visiting Costa Del Croydon, an urban beach recreated on the top floor of Centrale’s multi-storey car park, with beach-based activities such as a sandpit, games and family activities. Others have transformed a school’s growing garden, creating a new vegetable patch.
The Executive Mayor’s letter acknowledges that families require support through all school holidays, including Christmas. However, he points out that the overlap of public holidays, school schedules, and providing face-to-face services make it difficult to maintain the consistency and quality that the HAF programme deserves during Christmas.
Attendance over Christmas is lower, due to other family and community commitments. The Executive Mayor has therefore requested that the Christmas funding should be used for the October half term holidays, as this is a better time for HAF to run.
“The HAF programme has become an important source of support for many in our borough, providing vital services during the school holidays.
“As Executive Mayor, I have seen firsthand the significant impact of this programme. From engaging sports and creative activities to tailored support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), the HAF programme is not just a meal service – it provides vital support for our community.
“This is why I hope that the Secretary of State for Education will understand our need for the HAF programme’s valuable activities to continue after next March, as well as this October.”
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon
