Holiday activities and food programme

Days until our HAF Summer programme begins

Funded by the Department for Education, our FREE holiday activities and food (HAF) programme provides healthy food and enriching activities for primary and secondary school-aged children eligible for benefits-related free school meals.

The aim of the programme is to:

• support children to eat healthier and be more active over the school holidays
• give children a greater knowledge of health and nutrition
• enable children to become more engaged with school and other local services.

If your child is aged 4-18 and eligible for benefit related free school meal sand would like to attend, please see our list of providers who will be running the activities. Children who are in receipt of a support plan or EHCP are also eligible for the HAF programme.

Take a look at our HAF Summer 2026 Guide (PDF, 7 MB) to see what is happening near you. The guide is presented in a handy calendar format to help you plan activities for each day during the school holidays.

Find FREE events and activities suitable for you using the age ranges next to the listings. 

We have endeavoured to ensure that all sessions are SEND friendly, but would advise you to pre-book sessions and speak to the facilitator for further information on suitability and individual requirements for your children.

The below video has been produced by the Deafness Resource Centre and provides an overview of the Summer HAF programme in BSL.

Book your place

As part of our Summer 2026 Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme, four Family Hub trips will take place.

Museum of Illusions, Manchester - Friday 7 August

• Places are only open to families who meet the eligibility criteria for the HAF Programme
• There are 46 places available. 
• Coaches will be departing from Central Link Family Hub at 10.30am and are due back at approximately 3pm
• Please note, prams are not allowed in the museum
• If you would like to register your places, which are subject to availability and will be confirmed once eligibility checks have been completed, please call 01744 673445/ 671788 or call into one of our Family Hubs or Children's Centres from 2pm on Thursday 16 July 2026
• We will also operate a waiting list in the event of cancellations.

Knowsley Safari Park - Wednesday 12 August

• Places are only open to families who meet the eligibility criteria for the HAF Programme
• There are 47 places available in addition to 47 SEND places
• Coaches will be departing from Central Link Family Hub at 9.45am and are due back at approximately 3pm
• Please note, prams are not allowed in the museum
• If you would like to register your places, which are subject to availability and will be confirmed once eligibility checks have been completed, please call 01744 673445/ 671788 or call into one of our Family Hubs or Children's Centres from 2pm on Friday 17 July 2026
• We will also operate a waiting list in the event of cancellations.

Crocky Trail - Wednesday 19 August

• Places are only open to families who meet the eligibility criteria for the HAF Programme
• There are 47 places available in addition to 47 SEND places
• Coaches will be departing from Central Link Family Hub at 9.45am and are due back at approximately 4pm
• If you would like to register your places, which are subject to availability and will be confirmed once eligibility checks have been completed, please call 01744 673445/ 671788 or call into one of our Family Hubs or Children's Centres from 2pm on Monday 20 July 2026
• We will also operate a waiting list in the event of cancellations.

Go Ape's Treetop Adventure, Delamere Forest - Tuesday 25 August

• Places are only open to families who meet the eligibility criteria for the HAF Programme
• There are 50 places available
• Children must be 1 metre or taller to take part in the ziplining activity and must be accompanied by a parent/carer
• Coaches will be departing from Central Link Family Hub at 9.15am and are due back at approximately 2pm
• If you would like to register your places, which are subject to availability and will be confirmed once eligibility checks have been completed, please call 01744 673445/ 671788 or call into one of our Family Hubs or Children's Centres from 2pm on Tuesday 21 July 2026
• We will also operate a waiting list in the event of cancellations.

Click the images below to view activities taking place between Monday 27 July to Saturday 29 August 2026 or view the HAF Summer 2026 Guide (PDF, 7 MB).

The HAF programme is primarily for children aged 4-18 years who are eligible for and receiving benefits-related free school meals. Children are also eligible if:

• they are in receipt of a support plan via Early Help, Child In Need or Children We Look After
• they have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP)
• they receive additional hours at school
• they are an asylum seeker or refugee

Not all activity providers will be able to accommodate the full age range of the programme. Please check with the provider what age group is appropriate to their activity.

We have SEND specific and SEND accessible activities for children across the programme. Look out for this key guide:

• SS - SEND Specific: solely for children and young people with SEND and their families (mild to moderate additional needs)
• S - SEND Friendly: venue or event where providers have general SEND awareness and small adjustments can be made
• SA - SEND Accessible: physically accessible venue or event
• SE - SEND Expertise: solely for children and young people with SEND and their families (complex additional needs)
• F - Family Friendly: accessible for all families.

To access the programme, simply book a place through one of the providers we list. Please note that booking details differ depending on each provider.

Find out more about the HAF Summer Programme 2026

Watch the video below to hear some of the feedback we've received from those who have taken part in HAF activities.

For any enquiries relating to our HAF programme please email holidayfun@sthelens.gov.uk or call Central Link Family Hub on 01744 673445.