Dozens of free activities to help keep children entertained during the Christmas holiday have been lined up by Stroud District Council.
The council’s Health and Wellbeing team is running a winter version of the summer’s hugely successful Holiday Activity and Food Programme (HAF) for children eligible for free school meals, and a Holiday Activity Programme for all children in the district.
The scheme is funded by the Department of Education in partnership with Gloucestershire County Council.
The activities will take place between Monday, December 20 and Thursday, December 23.
To sign up for HAF, visit https://www.stroud.gov.uk/community-health-and-wellbeing/holiday-activity-food-programme-2021/holiday-activity-food-programme-haf
To sign up for HAP, visit https://www.stroud.gov.uk/community-health-and-wellbeing/holiday-activity-food-programme-2021/holiday-activity-programme-hap
There is also a free-of-charge activity booklet available, details of offers across Gloucestershire, and food advice – the council is also distributing 600 lunch hampers to families of children eligible for free school meals. Details of all are at https://www.stroud.gov.uk/community-health-and-wellbeing/holiday-activity-food-programme-2021
HAF offers include martial arts, crazy golf, swimming sessions, art and craft sessions, jewellery making, cinema tickets and football and play camps.
The HAP offer also includes karting, Bristol Aquarium and We the Curious tickets in addition to some of the above activities.
“Our summer programme was very popular and I expect this will be too,” said Councillor Chris Brine, Chair of Community Services and Licensing Committee. “In our new Council Plan, one of our top three priorities is Community Resilience and Wellbeing – Strengthening and supporting our communities so people feel included and connected, and this is a great example of how we are doing just that.”
