A successful free holiday activities and food programme helping children eligible for free school meals is returning to the Royal Borough this Easter.
The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead’s programme is called Feed Ur Everyday Lives (FUEL) and aims to provide additional support to vulnerable children.
It is delivered by Achieving for Children, the council’s children’s services partner, with funding from the Department for Education. It is for children aged five to 16 years old who are eligible for free school meals.
The programme will offer a range of activities across the Easter holidays, as well as during the summer break and Christmas holidays this year – the same as last year’s programme.
Activities include sports sessions and the opportunity to learn outdoor skills including forest den building, firelighting and campfire cooking. There will also be performing arts, arts and crafts, indoor games, food education, an escape room activity and sensory activities for children with special education needs.
Councillor Stuart Carroll, cabinet member for adult social care, children’s services, health, mental health and transformation, said: “A critical priority of the council is protecting vulnerable people and ensuring all children have excellent opportunities and life chances. The FUEL programme is a critical part of our ongoing commitment to supporting some of our most disadvantaged and vulnerable families in the borough.
“I’m delighted to see it return for 2022 and that we’re able to offer this throughout the rest of the year during the identified school holidays. These periods can be times of added financial pressure for families, with increased costs on childcare and food, and this extra support will be especially welcomed particularly with the current rising costs of living. We hope FUEL’s offer of nutritious meals and fun and engaging activities will help our hardest-hit families.
“Last year we had almost 5,000 attendances, made up of 945 children taking part in the activities. This demonstrates how vital this support is to families in the borough who need it most.”
The aim is that the children who attend will be supported:
• To understand nutrition and how to eat healthily at home
• To be more active through engaging and enriching activities
• To be safe and not to be socially isolated
• To learn more about the different services that are available in the local area.
To view the Easter programme and book, visit https://rbwm.afcinfo.org.uk/pages/community-information/information-and-advice/fuel-holiday-activities-and-food-programme/fuel-providers.
For support with the online application process, please contact the FUEL co-ordinator at HAF@achievingforchildren.org.uk.