The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme forms part of Nottingham City Council’s childcare offer for school‑aged children. It aims to support the wellbeing of children aged 5 to 16 by providing a range of activities and nutritious meals during school holidays.
Eligible children across the city can access these activities and meals throughout the holiday periods.
The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme is funded by the Department for Education and is designed to support the wellbeing of children aged 5 to 16. It focuses on both physical and mental wellbeing by offering a range of activities during school holiday periods.
Local activity providers deliver face‑to‑face sessions that are fully funded for children and young people aged 5 to 16 who receive benefits‑related free school meals. Many holiday clubs also offer additional paid places.
Each session includes a meal—usually breakfast or lunch—depending on what the programme offers.
The programme aims to:
- support children to eat healthily
- help children stay active during the school holidays
- increase children’s understanding of health and nutrition
- encourage families to connect with local support services
If you believe you may be eligible, please contact the HAF team: HAF@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
There are lots of great activities taking place across the city as part of the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. Sessions run during the spring (Easter), summer, autumn (October), and winter school holidays.
Children and young people can access:
- 4 days of face‑to‑face activities in spring (Easter)
- 12 days of face‑to‑face activities in summer
- 4 days of face‑to‑face activities in autumn (October half‑term)
- 4 days of face‑to‑face activities in winter
Bookings for the Easter holidays open on Friday 13 March. All approved Nottingham City holiday clubs are listed on an external booking system called Eequ, where you can also make your bookings. You will need to create an account to book.
All Nottingham City approved programmes will show ‘Funded by Nottingham City Council’ in orange text on the listing. Any programme that does not display this orange label is not part of the Nottingham City HAF programme, so please check carefully before booking.
You can watch a video guide on how the Eequ system works—either on a mobile or tablet, or on a desktop/laptop.
Full details of our providers will be available from 13th March 2026
It is very important for providers to know if the child you are booking has any additional needs. Providers strive to deliver a high‑quality, fully inclusive programme, so understanding any special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) allows them to make appropriate reasonable adjustments.
If a child attends a holiday club without full information about their support needs, the provider may be unable to offer the level of support required. In some cases, this may mean the place cannot be continued.
Fun activities for children to do at home over the holidays.
Use the resources below to find out more about some fun and exciting low cost/no cost activity ideas for you and your family to do together in the holidays.
Please check you do live within Nottingham city's boundary. If you aren't sure which local authority you are in, you can check on the government's 'find your local council' search.
For the Nottinghamshire County Council HAF programme please contact: haf@nottinghamshire.gov.uk
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