Wandsworth not for profit Enable helped bring exciting activities and workshops to the Henry Prince Estate during the Easter Holidays. Enable delivered the programme which was funded by DfE (Dept. for Education) and coordinated by Wandsworth Council as part of the local HAF – the Holiday, Activity and Food programme.

HAF is an initiative from Central Government which provides free holiday provision including healthy hot meals and enriching activities for young people. Named Easter Unlocked 2022 in Wandsworth, it saw Wandsworth Council partner with local providers, youth clubs and other venues around the borough.

Research has shown that school holidays can be pressure points for families receiving benefits and for children who experience food poverty particularly at these times, holidays can also mean a holiday experience gap, with children from low-income households being; less likely to access organised out-of-school activities, more likely to experience ‘unhealthy holidays’ in terms of nutrition and physical health and more likely to experience social isolation.

Easter Unlocked, for young people aged 4 – 19 and in receipt of free school meals took place during the Easter holiday on the Henry Prince Estate and included a range of enriching activities such as film making workshops, multi-sports sessions, art classes and a trip to Wimbledon Park Watersports Centre. These valuable endeavours provided local young people with an opportunity to develop brand new skills as well as encounter new experiences with their peers during the school break. The HAF programme means that Enable, can support children and their families throughout the school holidays when access to activities and meals may become challenging, helping Wandsworth youth and their families to overcome these barriers.

Funding for the HAF programme went live 9th May and the closing date for providers is 27th May for Summer Unlocked 2022. Parents and carers can find information and updates on the Family Information Service- look out for Summer Unlocked. Families whose children receive free school meals, can book places for their child/ren with a provider of their choice.

For enquiries contact wandsworthunlocked@wandsworth.gov.uk