As Easter approaches, many of us begin to think about time off, family traditions and the small joys that come with the arrival of Spring. For some, it is a chance to slow down – to share meals, spend time together and take a break from the usual routines of school and work.
But for many families across Liverpool, the school holidays can also bring uncertainty – particularly when it comes to food.
During term time, schools provide far more than education. They offer structure, routine and, for many children, access to a reliable, nutritious meal through Free School Meals. When schools close, that support disappears and the pressure on families increases.
It is within this context that the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme has become such an important part of the support landscape.
From Pilots to a National Programme
The HAF programme began as a series of pilot schemes in 2018 in response to growing evidence that school holidays were a significant ‘pressure point’ for families on low incomes. Indeed, research highlighted that during these periods, children were more likely to experience hunger, reduced physical activity and social isolation as a result of facing the ‘holiday experience gap’.
These early pilots tested a simple idea: that providing free holiday activities alongside nutritious meals could help mitigate some of the challenges families face when schools are closed.
Following their success – and alongside increasing national attention on child food poverty – the programme was expanded across England in 2021, backed by over £200 million in annual Government funding. Since then, the HAF programme has become a nationwide initiative delivered through local authorities, schools and community organisations.
Between 2022 and 2024 alone, the programme delivered more than 15 million days of support to children and young people during the Winter, Easter and Summer holidays.
At its core, the HAF programme reflects a recognition that access to food, opportunities and safe spaces should not stop when the school term ends.
More Than Food: What HAF Provides
While the provision of a healthy meal is central to HAF, the programme has always been about more than just food.
Across the country, HAF brings together local partners to deliver a wide range of activities – from sports and arts to cooking, gardening and trips – that are all designed to support children’s physical health, wellbeing and development.
Evidence from national evaluation shows that children who attend HAF programmes:
- Eat more regularly and are more likely to try new foods
- Take part in more physical activity
- Build confidence, socials skills and friendships
For families, the benefits are equally significant. Surveys show that the vast majority of parents feel that the HAF programme helps reduce financial pressure during the holidays, while also providing reassurance that their children are in safe, supportive environments.
Crucially, HAF programmes often act as a gateway to wider support. Through trusted community settings, families can be connected to advice services, local organisations and longer-term support networks – helping to address not just immediate needs, but underlying challenges they may be facing.
In this way, the HAF programme is not simply a holiday scheme. It is part of a wider system of support that brings together food, activity and community.
The HAF Programme in Liverpool
In Liverpool, the HAF programme is delivered at scale, reaching thousands of children and young people each year through a wide network of community organisations, schools and voluntary sector partners.
The programme is open to children aged 4 – 16 who are eligible for benefits-related Free School Meals, providing access to free activities and a nutritious meal during the Easter, Summer and Winter holidays.
Delivery across Liverpool is coordinated by Liverpool City Council alongside partners such as Merseyside Play Action Council, with provision taking place in community centres, schools, youth hubs and local organisations across the city. This community-based model is key – ensuring that activities are delivered in familiar, trusted spaces were children and families already feel comfortable.
The scale of delivery is significant. Recent figures from April 2024 to March 2025 show that in Liverpool:
- Around 13,500 children and young people took part in HAF provision
- Over 240,000 meals were provided
- More than 99,000 activity places were delivered
These numbers reflect not just the reach of the programme, but the level of need it is responding to across the city.
However, what sits behind these figures is equally important.
Provision in Liverpool is intentionally diverse – ranging from sports and outdoor activities to arts, cooking sessions and food education. This reflects a recognition that HAF is not just about addressing hunger, but also about supporting children’s wider wellbeing, confidence and development.
Food plays a central role in this.
As highlighted in the Liverpool HAF Annual Report, the programme creates opportunities for children to engage positively with food in ways that go beyong simply receiving a meal. One provider reflected:
Children really enjoyed this aspect (food) of the programme, as it led to great discussions on what activities they would like to do (e.g. more cooking activities and even planting and growing their own fruit and vegetables). They were also keen to help with preparing their lunches and, by the end of the week, didn’t mind trying new foods that they wouldn’t normally eat. The impact of the food element on the programme was very positive.
This highlights an important shift – from food as emergency provision to food as a tool for learning, confidence and enjoyment. Indeed, across many Liverpool programmes, children are involved in preparing meals, learning about ingredients and building practical skills; this not only supports healthier eating habits, but helps to create positive, shared experiences around food.
The report also highlights the importance of safe and inclusive environments where children feel supported and able to take part. For many, these spaces offer more than just activities – they provide stability, routine and a sense of belonging during the school holidays.
Feeding Liverpool plays an important role within this wider system.
Working alongside Liverpool City Council and delivery partners, Feeding Liverpool helps to connect HAF provision into the city’s broader food system, ensuring that it does not operate in isolation. This includes linking programmes with community food spaces, promoting good food standards and supporting collaboration across organisations.
By strengthening these connections, the HAF programme becomes more than a holiday intervention. It becomes part of a wider, joined-up approach to tackling food insecurity in Liverpool – one that recognises the importance of dignity, access and long-term change.
Taken together, HAF in Liverpool is a city-wide effort; rooted in community, shaped by local knowledge and increasingly embedded within a system working to ensure that everyone can access good food.
Impact and Ongoing Challenges
There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating the impact of the HAF programme. In Liverpool, this impact is particularly significant when viewed alongside the wider challenges children and families face.
Rates of child excess weight in Liverpool are higher than the national average and increasing at a faster pace. In 2022/2023, 1,375 children aged between 4 – 5 and 2,205 children aged between 10 – 11 were classified as overweight, with obesity rates more than doubling in children between Reception and Year 6 age – rising from 12.2% to 28.1%. Children in the most deprived areas of the city are disproportinately affected, with excess weight prevalence 1.4 times higher than in the least deprived communities.
At the same time, levels of physical activity among children and young people in Liverpool are above the national average (55.2% comapred to 47.2%), highlighting the importance of maintaining access to opportunities to be active – particularly during the school holidays.
This is where the HAF programme plays a vital role. By providing free, structured activities alongside nutritious meals, the programme supports children to stay active, engaged and well-nourished outside of term time, while also helping to reduce pressure on families during the holidays.
In Liverpool, these impacts are strengthened by the way the programme is delivered – through trusted community organisations, in familiar spaces and often alongside wider support.
However, challenges remain.
While demand for HAF provision is high, access to the programme is not always equal, with some eligible children – particularly those most in need – still missing out. While some families may simply not be aware of the programme, others face barriers such as transport, digital access or confidence in attending new spaces. Stigma in accessing this support also plays a role, particularly when provision is perceived as being targeted only at those in need. This gap has been partially adddressed through interventions such as Feeding Britain’s top-up funding for holiday clubs, enabling providers to support children who are not eligible for statutory schemes like HAF but remain in need.
There are also broader structural challenges that need to be addressed. Limitations in data sharing between local authorities, schools and central government can make it more difficult to identify and reach all eligible families.
At the same time, organisations delivering the HAF programme are operating within a challenging context. As the cost of living continues to rise, demand for support is also increasing; organisations delivering the HAF programme often have to operate within constrained resources as a result – balancing the need for quality provision with limited funding and capacity.
Together, these challenges highlight that while the HAF programme is making a meaningful difference for children and families across Liverpool, it sits within a wider system where food and financial insecurity remain significant issues.
Where Next For The HAF Programme?
Now in its fifth year, the HAF programme is no longer a pilot or a temporary intervention – it is an established and essential part of the support available to children and families. In Liverpool, it is a key part of how school holiday provision is delivered – helping to ensure that children can access food, activities and safe spaces beyond the school term.
The continuation of Government funding has provided a level of stability, allowing local authorities and delivery partners to plan ahead and build on what has already been achieved.
However, as the programme continues to develop, there is a growing recognition that it cannot operate in isolation.
While it plays a vital role in responding to immediate need, the challenges it seeks to address – including food insecurity, health inequalities and financial pressure – are long-term and deeply rooted. This raises important questions about how the programme can be sustained and strengthened as part of a wider, more joined-up approach.
Looking ahead, there is an opportunity to build on the success of the HAF programme by:
- Improving access so that all eligible children – particularly those most at risk – are able to take part
- Strengthening connections between the programme and wider services, including community food spaces, schools and family support centres
- Embedding food education, physical activity and wellbeing more consistently across provision
At the same time, there is a need to ensure that the organisations delivering the HAF programme are supported to do so sustainably. This includes recognising the pressures they face – from rising demand to limited resources – and ensuring that funding and infrastructure enable high-quality, inclusive provision to continue.
For Feeding Liverpool, this means continuing to play a role in connecting partners across the city – supporting collaboration, sharing learning and heloing to embed the programme within Liverpool’s wider food system.
Ultimately, the HAF programme has shown what is possible when investment is made in children and communities. But it also highlights the importance of going further – towards a system where access to good food, opportunities and support is not limited to holiday periods, but available to all children all year round.
Looking Ahead This Easter
As the Easter holidays begin, HAF programmes across Liverpool will once again open their doors – providing meals, activities and support to thousands of children and families across the city.
Helping to bridge the gap left by the absence of Free School Meals, these spaces offer not only nutritious food, but opportunities for children to stay active, build confidence and connect with others in their communities.
In a city where inequalities in health and access to food remain significant, this provision matters. It supports children to develop positive relationships with food, maintains their access to physical activity and provides reassurance to families during what can be a challenging time of year.
The HAF programme, however, is also part of something bigger.
It reflects the strength of Liverpool’s community networks, the commitment of organisations working on the ground and the value of a joined-up approach to supporting children and families. At the same time, it highlights the ongoing challenges – from unequal access to wider structural issues – that cannot be addressed by holiday provision alone.
As we look ahead, the programme continues to play a vital role. But it also points towards a wider ambition; a city where access to good food, opportunities and support is not limited to the school term or holiday periods, but is a consistent part of everyday life.
That is the direction of travel – and this Easter, the HAF programme remains an important step along that journey.