Over 33,000 HAPpy Summer Camp Places Attended

The Holiday Activity and Food Programme (HAF) is a Department for Education-funded scheme for school-age children who get benefits-related free school meals. It’s designed to bridge the holiday hunger and experience gaps felt by many young people and in Hertfordshire it’s branded as the Holiday Activity Programme, also called ‘HAPpy’. This summer a total of 33,377 HAPpy places were attended across the county.

Hertfordshire County Council (HCC), in association with Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership (HSP) and Hertfordshire Community Foundation, worked to orchestrate the camps and ensure they all offered the right blend of food, physical activity and enrichment opportunities. 67 trusted providers were recruited to take care of delivery on the ground, offering 214 different camps across the county. A wide variety of camp content was on offer, including a range of sports, science and technology-based activities; dance and drama; arts and crafts; and even bushcraft. A huge thanks go to each and every provider for once again making this a special summer for so many children.

From the feedback the Partnership has received, we can see that HAPpy Camps have once again had a hugely positive impact, not just for the individual children attending, but in many cases for their families and the wider community too.

Camp Participant Feedback:

"I'm happy when I come here because if I didn't, I would be sleeping or sitting on the sofa at home watching TV."

"The staff were really encouraging which made me enjoy it more. I got involved with everything."

"Food is good. Is so different from what I have at home and there is stuff I've never tried before."

"I enjoy it here, it's my safe place."

The next round of HAPpy delivery is fast approaching with booking for winter camps going live in late November. Eligible children can expect to get their unique booking codes via emails from their school following the October half-term. For more information about HAPpy, including a link to the bookings page, click here.