Kedington Parish Council
Please see the attached poster for details of the HAF scheme and free discretionary places and see the below information from West Suffolk Council.
What is HAF and who is it for?
HAF is a national programme funded by the Department for Education and coordinated locally by West Suffolk Council on behalf of Suffolk County Council.
It is primarily targeted at children or young people who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals. Activities are free and sessions include a healthy meal and snacks. Eligible families should have already received information through their school or college about HAF in their area.
There are discretionary free places available to other families with children or young people who could do with a little bit of extra support at this time. As before, we are allowed to use up to 15 per cent of our local funding to these places available.
What activities are available?
This Summer we are working with 30 activity providers, including six who are new to our HAF offer. In total we are offering 5,035 places across 444 sessions taking place in many of our towns and several of our villages.
Activities include acrobatics, roller disco, paddle boarding in Brandon, fitness, mindfulness, Newmarket pony care and grooming, swimming, football, crafts, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and more.
These activities are being targeted in the areas where there is greatest need, i.e. more students who receive benefits related free school meals. There may be a small number of pupils who are eligible and live in areas where there isn’t local provision. These families should have received a letter from their school or college telling them how to book onto the activities on offer in West Suffolk. If transport is an issue, Suffolk County Council may be able to help. If you receive a query on this, please ask them to contact HAFenquiries@suffolk.gov.uk
How do people find out more and book their place?
The HAF programme is already being marketed through schools, colleges and partner organisations to children or young people who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals. They can book their places through an online platform called Eequ at Search learning experiences · Eequ which details all the provisions across the county. Schools and colleges will have been given information to help any parents who cannot access online to book.
Families applying for discretionary spaces will need prior approval before they try to book through the Eequ link, otherwise their application may be rejected. To apply they should contact the activity provider for the activities that they are interested in. They can find the contact details for these either on the Eequ link or through the council’s #westsuffolksummerhaf26 posts on Facebook and Instagram.
Discretionary places are limited and will be decided by Suffolk County Council on a first come first served basis.
