The free Christmas activity programme for young people returns to Torbay during the festive school break.

Healthy Holidays returns after five successful programmes over the last couple of years.

Parents and carers whose primary and secondary school aged children receive benefits-related free school meals will be eligible to take advantage of the free activity programme.

The majority of this year’s sessions take place between Monday 19 December and Thursday 22 December.

Eligible children will get to enjoy fun activities with friends and learn and develop new skills.

We're sharing out nearly £550,000 received as part of the national Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme to local providers. The scheme helps to alleviate social isolation and some of the parental financial stresses that school holidays can bring. 

Sessions are taking place around Torbay. This year’s providers are:

• Shear Soccer
• Kinetic Sports Group
• Turning Heads
• Roselands Nursery
• Taleblazers
• Great Parks Community Centre with Imagine Torbay Multicultural Group
• Nova Street

Each session includes a healthy meal.

Activities on offer over Christmas include sports, Christmas arts and crafts, storytelling, cooking, film making and drama sessions.

During the last summer holidays, 17 projects were run in Torbay under the scheme by providers, in partnership with other local activity-based organisations. In total, 2,001 children and young people who were eligible attended over the summer and benefitted greatly from the activities offered.

Councillor Cordelia Law, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services at Torbay Council, said: “Our Healthy Holidays programme is extremely popular with children and young people. It’s a great opportunity for them to meet friends and make new ones, take part in fun activities and learn new skills.

“It’s also reassuring for parents. This Christmas, as the cost of living crisis really takes hold, rising food and fuel prices will hit families hard. This is on top of the usual festive demands on wallets so knowing their children are getting a meal will help to ease the financial pressure.”

All activities are run by qualified staff and aim to have a positive effect on the young person's health and wellbeing, as well as helping them to develop new skills.

Find and book a healthy holidays event False

There are just 420 places on the scheme and demand is expected to be high, so early booking is essential.