Thousands of children in Plymouth will once again enjoy healthy lunches and activities at free ‘Fit and Fed’ holiday clubs this year.
Plymouth City Council has welcomed the confirmation of funding from the Department for Education’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme for 2025, which means the popular Fit and Fed programme will return during the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays.
The HAF programme aims to support families with children that receive benefits-related free school meals. Eligible children and young people are given the opportunity to get active, try new activities and enjoy healthy, nutritious meals at free clubs during the school holidays.
In 2024, more than 30,000 holiday club places were provided to children aged between 5 and 16 years old with a huge range of activities on offer including football, dance and water sports.
More than 1,000 ‘Teen Taster’ activity sessions were also offered specifically to teenagers, with activities including trampolining, bowling, go karting and adventure golf.
At Christmas, new family activities were also offered with 700 activity sessions for parents and carers to enjoy with their children for free, which included ice skating, swimming sessions and trips to the National Marine Aquarium.
Each summer, Fit and Fed goes on tour to parks and green spaces across the city to provide free fun days that are open to all families. Last year 2,750 healthy lunches were handed out at the four events, which also saw a number of local organisations provide advice on a huge range of topics including road safety, dental hygiene, healthy relationships and the cost of living.
Councillor Sue Dann, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Sport, Leisure and HR and OD, said: “Fit and Fed is an incredibly important programme and we’re delighted to have received confirmation that the funding will continue this year because it offers vital support to families throughout the school holidays.
“Not only do children and young people receive a healthy lunch, they’re also given the opportunity to get physically active, meet new friends and make special memories and we know that this all has a hugely positive impact.”
One parent of a child who attended a Fit and Fed club last year commented: “I am extremely grateful that my daughter was given this opportunity. It has certainly helped to grow her confidence and self-esteem.”
Louise Kelley MBE, Head of Active Wellbeing and Sport at Plymouth Active Leisure, welcomed the news. She said: “This funding makes a really difference to families in Plymouth. We are all aware of the ongoing challenges many families in the city face with the cost of living, so having access to fun, enjoyable activities in a safe and supported environment are essential.”
More information about this year’s Fit and Fed programme will be shared on the Council’s website later this year: www.plymouth.gov.uk/fit-and-fed.
If any organisation or holiday club provider would like be involved in Fit and Fed this year, please contact the Active Lifestyles team at Plymouth Active on [email protected].