HAF summer programme for youngsters a big hit

Hundreds of children have been having fun at holiday activities and food (HAF) clubs taking place across Lancashire over the summer holidays.

The HAF programme provides at least four hours of activities a day, including a meal, over four days of the school holiday, until September 1.

Clubs deliver a diverse range of activities, including football, tennis, rugby, gymnastics, swimming, paddleboarding, canoeing and fishing. Children can also take part in dance, drama and arts groups, music, games, forest schools and cooking.

To get a free place, a family needs to be eligible for free school meals, although some children may be eligible for a place using discretionary criteria.

Additional paid places are available to all children.

County Coun Cosima Towneley, Lancashire County Council's cabinet member for children and families, who has visited several of the clubs this summer, said: "The sessions offered different things depending on the age ranges that they were targeting and there really was something for everyone."

More information at www.lancashire.gov.uk/haf