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LGA - Holiday Activities and Food programme extension – LGA response
Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children, Young People and Families Committee responds to the Government’s announcement that it will be investing £600 million to extend the Holiday Activities and Food programme for another three years
“We are pleased the Government has acted on our call to extend the Holiday Activities and Food programme. This has been essential in supporting vulnerable children, offering healthy, nutritious and affordable food while also providing vital wraparound, holistic support for families.
“The programme has proven highly effective by encouraging children to engage in higher levels of physical activity, improving their diets, as well as increasing their confidence, wellbeing and feeling of social connection, in particular reaching pupils who are persistent school absentees or at risk of absence.
“Councils would not have been able to replace this funding if it was discontinued, which would have impacted on the most vulnerable children in their communities and risked losing experienced staff without adequate time to plan for future provision. Extending the funding provides much-needed certainty and safeguards valuable support and expertise.”
