Knowsley’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) funded places are accessible across the borough during Easter, Summer, and Christmas school holidays. The programme offers a wide range of free activities, with a meal included as part of each session.
The programme is designed primarily to provide opportunities for children and young people who are eligible for means-tested free school meals. HAF is co-ordinated by local organisation One Knowsley. Please see their website for further details about activities taking place: Holiday activities and food for children and young people
Play, Eat, Thrive - because every child deserves a healthy, happy holiday.
Every school holiday, thousands of children and young people across Knowsley benefit from our Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme—an initiative designed to support families by providing healthy meals and enriching activities for school years Reception – Year 11.
Funded by the Department for Education, the programme is open to families in receipt of benefits-related free school meals. Since 2021, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council has proudly delivered HAF across the borough with our Co-ordinating Partner, One Knowsley.
The programme is committed to working with One Knowsley and our delivery organisations to create safe, fun, and nourishing environments where children can Play, Eat & Thrive—because every child deserves a healthy, happy holiday.
Aims of the programme
As a result of this programme, we want children who attend this provision to:
- eat healthily over the school holidays
- be active during the school holidays
- take part in engaging and enriching activities which support the development of resilience, character and wellbeing along with their wider educational attainment
- be safe and not to be socially isolated
- have a greater knowledge of health and nutrition
- be more engaged with school and other local services.
We also want to ensure that the families who participate in this programme:
- develop their understanding of nutrition and food budgeting
- are signposted towards other information and support, for example, health, employment, education, early help and social care.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible children and young people must be in recipient of benefit related free school meals.
Parents of children in Knowsley Schools will be issued with a voucher prior to the Easter, Summer and Christmas holidays which can be redeemed against the activities displayed on the One Knowsley website (Holiday activities and food for children and young people)
Currently all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 can receive free school meals -regardless of household income – this does not make you eligible for HAF. However, if you receive one of the qualifying incomes (see below) you will need to register for benefit related free school meals. Once registered, the system will recognise that your child is eligible for a HAF place. We encourage all eligible families to ensure that contact details provided to schools (such as email addresses and mobile numbers), are accurate and up to date, so that vouchers can be issued with ease.
Your child may qualify for free school meals if you get any of the following:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- The guaranteed part of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (if your annual gross income is £16,190 or less and you don’t get Working Tax Credit)
- Working Tax Credit run-off after you come off Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit that you applied for on, or after, 1 April 2018. As long as your household income is less than £7,400 a year after tax, not including any benefits.
- You may also qualify if you are an asylum seeker, or if a child receives any of these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian.
Think you are Eligible and don’t already claim your entailment?
Apply for free school meals | Knowsley Council
What about other school holidays?
HAF only operates during the main Easter, Summer and Christmas holidays. However activities are also funded for eligible pupils during the half term breaks these are also published on the One Knowsley website (Holiday activities and food for children and young people). You do not require a voucher from your school to book these activities.
DfE Annual Report
A copy of the DfE 2024/2025 annual report can be viewed below;