Children who receive benefits-related free school meals can enjoy a wide range of free activities this summer as the popular Fit and Fed programme returns to Plymouth.
Fit and Fed offers eligible children access to free holiday clubs, where they are encouraged to get active and receive a nutritious lunch each day.
The summer activity programme for 2025 is now available to view, with holiday club bookings opening from Monday 30 June.
There’s a huge range of holiday clubs on offer for eligible children aged between four and 16-years-old. Activities include circus skills, football, dance, karate, water sports and more creative pursuits too, including filmmaking, photography and arts and crafts. There are also SEND specific holiday clubs to support children with more complex needs.
Young people between 12 and 16-years-old can also sign up for Teen Taster activities, giving them the opportunity to try new activities such as go karting, adventure golf and trampolining.
There’s also a range of family activity sessions on offer, so children can enjoy a day out with their parents or carers. These sessions include bowling, tennis, bike rides and golf.
New for this year, Plymouth Active Leisure are offering a huge range of free activities to eligible children too, with the chance to swim at one of the indoor pools or Tinside Lido. Other activities include bouldering, junior gym sessions, pickle ball and bowls.
Every year, Fit and Fed also goes on tour. While the bookable activities are only available to children who receive benefits-related free school meals, the ‘on tour’ sessions are held in parks and green spaces across Plymouth and everyone is welcome to attend. The fun days feature a huge range of free activities, and children are provided with a healthy lunch. This year, the programme will visit:
- Victoria Park on Tuesday 5 August
- Ernesettle Green on Tuesday 12 August
- Tothill Park on Tuesday 19 August
- Central Park on Tuesday 26 August.
Councillor Sue Dann, Cabinet Member for Sport and Leisure, said: “It’s fantastic to see the Fit and Fed programme will be returning this year with even more activities for children, young people and their families to enjoy.
“It’s such an important programme, which not only helps children by encouraging them to get active, try new things and make amazing memories with new friends, but also supports families by helping to alleviate some of the financial pressures of the school holidays by giving children access to healthy lunches and activities that may otherwise be unaffordable.”
Fit and Fed is funded by the Department for Education’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. The aim is to provide children with healthy and nutritious meals during the school holidays, while also encouraging physical activity and giving children and young people the opportunity to have fun and meet new friends.
In summer 2024, more than 2,400 children and young people took part in holiday clubs while thousands more attended the Fit and Fed on Tour events where 1,900 packed lunches were handed out.
For more information about this year’s Fit and Fed programme, please see: www.plymouth.gov.uk/fit-and-fed.