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Council to get £1.4m for free holiday activities for children

Tuesday, 25 March 2025 08:25

By Joe Willis, Local Democracy Reporter

North Yorkshire Council HQ in Northallerton.

North Yorkshire Council is to get more than £1.4m to provide free holiday activities for children.

The government money will fund thousands of places for children from low-income homes as part of the Department for Education’s Holiday Activities and Food Programme scheme.

Free places will be offered to all means tested free school meal-eligible school age children up to the age of 16.

The programme will include non-subsidised fee-paying places for other children.

The scheme will offer four hours of activities per day for four days at Easter, 16 days during the summer holidays and then four days at Christmas.

This will be the fifth year the council has taken part in the scheme.

In North Yorkshire, the programme is delivered as a partnership between the council and local community providers.

The North Yorkshire programme – FEAST – is coordinated by North Yorkshire Together members, North Yorkshire Sport, North Yorkshire Youth and Rural Arts.

Marie-Ann Jackson, the council’s head of localities, said in a report for councillors:

“The programme is fully funded and offers valued free to access activities and food to children and families on low incomes when free school meals are not available.

“Without the grant these activities would not be available.”

The grant is set to be formally accepted at a meeting of senior councillors and officers from the children and young people’s service today (Tuesday).

FEAST vouchers for free places are sent to eligible children’s primary by email or text.

For details of activities, visit www.northyorkshiretogether.co.uk

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