Young people to FUEL up during the Christmas holidays

The Christmas FUEL programme includes the delivery of ten face-to-face holiday activity camps, which will take place in areas of the county where there is the greatest need for the programme. Over 750 participants are booked onto the programme and will take part in a range of enriching activities, including drumming workshops, team games, football speed cage, reaction wall, dance, talent shows, and arts and crafts workshops, to name but a few.

The children will receive a nutritious lunch each day they attend, and the programme will include fun nutritional sessions on healthy eating and festive food workshops.

The ten camps will take place in Amesbury, Calne, Chippenham, Devizes, Melksham, Royal Wootton Bassett, Salisbury, Trowbridge, Warminster and Westbury.

There will also be two FUEL Christmas camps for children with a disability which will take place at Springfield Community Campus in Corsham and at Five Rivers Health and Wellbeing centre in Salisbury. All eligible children will be able to attend free of charge.

Cllr Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Children's Services said, "School holidays can be pressure points for some families because of increased costs, such as food and childcare, and reduced incomes. We are very proud of the FUEL Holiday Activity and Food programme and the support it offers to families in Wiltshire who face financial challenges during school holiday periods.

"The Government have confirmed that funding will be made available to continue the Holiday Activity and Food programme beyond 2021, which further highlights the growing issue of holiday hunger, but which also provides us with the necessary resource to support families who most need our help during school holiday periods."

Cllr Ian Blair-Pilling, Cabinet Member for Leisure said, "The FUEL programme has already made a significant difference to families during the Easter and summer holidays. We will be continuing to support families over the Christmas holidays, enabling them to stay active while providing them with healthy food on each day of the camp."

During 2021, Wiltshire Council has delivered the Government's Holiday Activity and Food programme in Wiltshire, funded by the Department for Education (DfE). Branded FUEL, Wiltshire's programme provides children who are eligible for benefits related free school meals with free activity and food provision during school holiday periods.

Activity camps were run for four weeks during the summer holidays and activity packs and meals were provided during the Easter holidays. Throughout the Easter and Summer provision, just under 30,000 meals were provided to over 4,200 individual participants.

This Christmas face-to-face activity camps will again be provided for a week during the holidays. The programme has been delivered in Wiltshire in partnership with Learn By Design, Occasional Kitchen and Purely Nutrition.

For further information about the Holiday Activity and Food Programme in Wiltshire please email hafcentral@bydesign-group.co.uk (opens new window).