Holiday Activity and Food programme a summer success
Over 1,600 young people took part Wiltshire Council's FUEL programme over the summer holidays and enjoyed just under 17,000 nutritious meals.
Wiltshire Council's Holiday Activity and Food programme, branded FUEL, is funded by the Department of Education and provides children who are eligible for benefits related free school meals with free access to activity, food and nutritional education during school holidays.
The FUEL programme also partnered with the Dyson Foundation who provided participants with 530 food boxes and 130 recipe books as well as weekly science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) sessions. Wiltshire Council also received funding from the Waitrose 'Give a Little Love' campaign enabling the provision of additional food bags and recipe cards to FUEL families.
The programme took place in areas of the county where there is the greatest need for support and was delivered through ten activity camps run with providers Learn By Design, Occasional Kitchen and Purely Nutrition.
In addition, there were two FUEL camps specifically for children with a disability and five community camps, provided by local organisations who were awarded FUEL grants to deliver their own Holiday Activity and Food offer.
Each FUEL camp has provided the opportunity for participants to take part in a range of enriching activities, including bubble football, climbing, dance, circus skills, talent shows, arts and crafts workshops and a variety of sport and physical activity sessions.
FUEL participants also received a nutritious lunch and took part in fun nutritional workshops on healthy eating.
Cllr Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Education and Skills said; "I have been lucky enough to visit the FUEL camps a couple of times and what I see is very happy children having a fabulous time"
"The FUEL camps not only provide hot food, healthy eating advice and a range of activities, but also support the young people's overall wellbeing.
For further information about the Holiday Activity and Food Programme in Wiltshire please email fuelprogramme@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window) or visit https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/leisure/fuel-programme.