holiday - Community comes together to provide summer activities for children and young people (1) (1)

More than 2,000 children and young people across Cheshire East have participated in hundreds of free summer holiday activities.

Activities were funded by the government’s Holiday Activity Programme, coordinated by Cheshire East Council.

They have been delivered by 40 community organisations, charities and schools in nearly 80 locations.

The programme aimed to help vulnerable children and young people eat more healthily and be more active over the school holidays.

They learned about health nutrition and enjoyed time with other children.

£880,000 was made available to Cheshire East Council by the Department for Education to coordinate free holiday activities including the provision of healthy meals.

The programme is one way the council has been helping children and families in need during the pandemic.

More than 50,000 supermarket and utility bill vouchers have also been distributed to families, funded by the government’s Covid support grant.

Feedback from parents and carers on the holiday activities has been extremely positive.

Ali Stathers-Tracey, director of early help and prevention at Cheshire East Council, said: “We recognise that school holidays can be particular pressure points for some families because of increased costs, such as food and childcare and reduced income.

“We also know that Covid has disproportionately affected some of our most vulnerable children and families.

“Hearing the positive feedback on the programme is so lovely to hear and I’d like to thank everyone involved in coming together to support our children and young people over the summer.

“As we begin to recover from this awful pandemic, it’s been a joy to see, first-hand, children having fun, making new friends and enjoying a healthy meal.”

Activities continue to run up to September 2 and there are a few spaces still available for parents and carers of children and young people eligible for free school meals.

For more information visit www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/HAF

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