Holiday Activities and Food Programme

Holiday activities for children

Children and young people across the district may be eligible for free school holiday club places and a meal.

The government’s Holiday Activities and Food Programme takes place during Easter, the summer holidays, and Christmas.

We have provided additional money so that there are further holiday activities during the February, May and October half terms.

The programme enables children and young people to enjoy fun activities with friends, and develop new skills.

Who is eligible?

The activities are for those who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals.

Other eligibility can include:

  • children assessed by the local authority as being in need, at risk or vulnerable
  • young carers
  • looked-after children or previously looked after children
  • children with an education, health and care (EHC) plan
  • children who have low attendance rates at school, or who are at risk of exclusion
  • children living in areas of high deprivation, or from low-income households, who are not in receipt of free school meals
  • children in transition phases between nursery and primary school or primary and secondary school

If a child is not eligible, most providers offer paid for spaces.

How can I book activities?

We use the online booking system Eequ. Guardians of eligible children can book spaces for HAF activities through our Eequ profile:

Book a holiday activity online

If you have any queries, please email HAFenquiries@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk.

Contact us

If you need any support, please contact our HAF Coordinator Rachel Cattermole on HAFenquiries@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk

Community Fun Days

BMSDC are excited to be partnering with Abbeycroft to provide 4 amazing family days from 10am-2pm at the following locations:

  • Monday 21st July – Belle Vue Park, Sudbury
  • Thursday 24th July – New Green Community Centre, Thurston
  • Friday 25th July – Easthouse Meadow (Hadleigh Pool & Leisure), Hadleigh
  • Monday 28th July – Stowmarket Recreation Ground

There will be a wide range of FREE activities for children of all ages. Come along and bring a picnic. There will be climbing, axe throwing, bouncy castles and lots more. If your children received Means Tested Free School Meals you can pre-book a FREE Packed Lunch as well as early bird spaces on our Climbing and Axe Throwing Activities. Spaces are limited and booked on a first come first served basis.

Find out more and book your spaces here

Timetable of activities

We update this webpage with information about holiday activities available for children, as and when they happen.

Book a holiday activity online

Activities available

Please note that the table below details activities taking place in the districts of both Babergh and Mid Suffolk.

Dates

Summary

Provider

Venue

Contact

Booking Link

30th March - 10th April

Holiday club involving multi-sports, arts, and crafts. 9am – 5pm (early drop-off and late pick-up available)

Kicks and Tricks

Grace Cook Primary School, Stowmarket IP14 1XJ

Visit Kicks and Tricks’ website
Email info@kicksandtricks.co.uk
Phone 01449 401630

Kicks and Tricks Grace Cook, Stowmarket with Kicks and Tricks Ltd · Eequ

30th March - 10th April

Holiday club involving multi-sports, arts, and crafts. 9am – 5pm (early drop-off and late pick-up available)

Kicks and Tricks

Beaumont Primary School, Hadleigh IP7 6GD

Visit Kicks and Tricks’ website
Email info@kicksandtricks.co.uk
Phone 01449 401630

Kicks and Tricks at Beaumont, Hadleigh with Kicks and Tricks Ltd · Eequ

30th March - 10th April

Multi-activity courses including a range of sports, activities, arts and crafts. For 5-12 year olds

Premier Education (Eye)

St Peter's and St Pauls Primary School, Church Street, Eye, Suffolk IP23 7BD

Visit Premier Education's website

Email info@premier-education.com

Phone 01953 499040

Premier HAF Camp - St Peter and St Pauls, Eye with Premier Education · Eequ

30th, 31st March, 1st & 2nd April

Multi-activity courses including a variety of sports, enriching activities, and arts and crafts.

Premier Education (West Suffolk & Essex)

Thurston Academy Primary School, Pond Field Road, Thurston, Bury St. Edmunds, IP31 3FT

Visit Premier Education's website

Email info@premier-education.com

Phone 07500 301043

PREMIER EDUCATION - THURSTON ACADEMY with Premier Education West Suffolk (OP19) · Eequ

30th March - 10th April

Family swim session, and Playworld. Gymnastics, Roller Disco, Climbing and Junior Gym memberships

Everyone Active

Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre, Gainsborough Road, Stowmarket IP14 1LH

Visit Everyone Active's website

Email trinityrose@everyoneactive.com

Phone 01449 674980

Everyone Active Holiday Activities – Stowmarket – Eequ

30th March - 10th April

Multi-activity holiday camp including sports, arts & crafts, nature, and team games.

Tayplay

Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre, Gainsborough Road, Stowmarket IP14 1LH

Visit TayPlay's website 
Email
info@tayplayactivitycamps.co.uk 
Phone
01284 757495

Tayplay - Multi Activity Camp Mid Suffolk with TayPlay Activity Camps · Eequ

7th, 8th, 9th, 10th April

Multi-sports activity camp

Limitless Activities

Cedars Park Primary School, Pintail Road, Stowmarket, IP14 5FP

Visit Limitless Activities’ website

Email info@limitlessactivities.co.uk

Phone 07956 674890

Limitless @ Cedar Park Stowmarket with Limitless Sports and Activities · Eequ

30th March - 10th April

Holiday club involving football, multi-sports, arts and crafts, mini chefs, dodgeball. For 5-12 year olds

Anglia Sports Management

Brantham Leisure Centre, Brantham CO11 1RZ

Visit Anglia Sports Management's website

Email info@angliasportsmanagement.com

Phone 01206 392506

HAF activity days at Brantham with Anglia Sports Management · Eequ

1st & 2nd April

Adventure days introducing alternative physical activity through outdoor activities. For 8-12 year olds

Abbeycroft

3rd Sudbury Scout Hut, 6 Quay Lane, Sudbury, CO10 2AN

Visit Abbeycroft's website
Email HAF@acleisure.com
Phone 01284 757495

Adventure Days Sudbury with Explore Outdoor (Abbeycroft) · Eequ

9th & 10th April

Adventure days introducing alternative physical activity through outdoor activities. For 8-12 year olds

Abbeycroft

1st Combs Scout Hut, Combs Wood Drive, Stowmarket, IP14 2RJ

Visit Abbeycroft's website
Email HAF@acleisure.com
Phone 01284 757495

Adventure Days Stowmarket with Explore Outdoor (Abbeycroft) · Eequ

7th & 8th April

Family Park Cooking- outdoor activity, and an outdoor cooking lesson using recipes from a top local chef.

Abbeycroft

3rd Sudbury Scout Hut, 6 Quay Lane, Sudbury, CO10 2AN

Visit Abbeycroft's website
Email HAF@acleisure.com
Phone 01284 757495

Family Park Cooking Sudbury with Explore Outdoor (Abbeycroft) · Eequ

31st March

Family Park Cooking- outdoor activity, and an outdoor cooking lesson using recipes from a top local chef.

Abbeycroft

Hadleigh Sea Scouts, Osbourne Hall, Layham Road Sports Ground, Hadleigh, IP7 5NE

Visit Abbeycroft's website
Email HAF@acleisure.com
Phone 01284 757495

Family Park Cooking Hadleigh with Explore Outdoor (Abbeycroft) · Eequ

1st & 2nd April

Family Park Cooking- outdoor activity, and an outdoor cooking lesson using recipes from a top local chef.

Abbeycroft

1st Combs Scout Hut, Combs Wood Drive, Stowmarket, IP14 2RJ

Visit Abbeycroft's website
Email HAF@acleisure.com
Phone 01284 757495

Family Park Cooking Stowmarket with Explore Outdoor (Abbeycroft) · Eequ

7th April

Family Park Cooking- outdoor activity, and an outdoor cooking lesson using recipes from a top local chef.

Abbeycroft

1st Eye Scout Group, Wellington Road, Eye, IP23 7HF

Visit Abbeycroft's website
Email HAF@acleisure.com
Phone 01284 757495

Family Park Cooking Eye with Explore Outdoor (Abbeycroft) · Eequ

29th, 31st March, 8th, 11th April

Swimming Family Offer & Teen Offer

Abbeycroft

Hadleigh Pool & Leisure Centre, Hadleigh, IP7 5BH

Visit Abbeycroft's website
Email HAF@acleisure.com
Phone 01284 757495

HAF Hadleigh- Free swim and lunch with Abbeycroft · Eequ

28th, 30th March, 7th, 10th April

Swimming Family Offer & Teen Offer

Abbeycroft

Kingfisher Leisure Centre, Sudbury, CO10 2SU

Visit Abbeycroft's website
Email HAF@acleisure.com
Phone 01284 757495

HAF Sudbury Kingfisher- Swim & Lunch with Abbeycroft · Eequ

30th March - 9th April

Multi-sports, nerf, football, and dance camps

Maxim Sports

Wells Hall Primary School, Great Cornard, CO10 0NH

Cornard Leisure Centre, Great Cornard, CO10 0JU

Visit Maxim Sport's website
Email info@maximsportscoaching.co.uk
Phone 07973 885971

Maxim Sports Activity camps - Great Cornard - Eequ

10th April

Football Development Day, for skill development, fitness and team-based fun

Maxim Sports

AFC Sudbury, CO10 7HN

Visit Maxim Sport's website
Email info@maximsportscoaching.co.uk
Phone 07973 885971

Football Development Day with Maxim Sports Coaching · Eequ

31st March, 2nd, 7th, 9th April

Youth Centre activities including, pool table, table football, video & board games, garden, music, dancing & chat

Eden’s Project

Sudbury Youth Centre, 45 Gainsborough Street, Sudbury, CO10 2EU

Visit Eden Project's website 
Email
info@edensproject.co.uk 
Phone
01787 375247

Drop in session

30th March - 10th April

Holiday camp including crafts, baking, sports, swimming, and inflatables

School’s Out Activities

Ipswich High School, Woolverstone, Ipswich, IP9 1AZ

Visit School’s Out Activities’ website
Email info@schoolsoutactivities.co.uk
Phone 07931 988478

School's Out Act - Ipswich with School's Out Activities · Eequ

31st March & 7th April

Woodland based activity days, including traditional crafts, green wood work, bushcraft and archery

Queech Wood

Queech Wood, Hemingstone, Ipswich, IP6 0QF

Visit Queech Wood’s website
Email neil@queechwood.co.uk
Phone 07941 009256

Archery, Rifles food and fires with Queech Woodland Activities · Eequ

30th March - 10th April

Mario Kart, Arts & Crafts, Football, multi sports and Nerf Camps, Inflatable Fun.

Prestige Sports Development

Pot Kiln Primary School, Butt Road, Great Cornard, CO10 0DS

Visit Prestige’s website
Email info@prestigesportsdevelopment.co.uk
Phone 07494 002352

Easter HAF Mega Sports Camps -Pot Kiln Primary with Prestige Sports Development · Eequ

30th, 31st March, 1st, 2nd April

Theatre Workshop that involves singing, acting, dancing and arts and crafts inspired by a theme

Little Voices

Stowupland Sports Centre, Church Road, Stowupland, Stowmarket, IP14 4BQ

Visit Little Voice’s website
Email evie@littlevoices.org.uk   
Phone 07362 429298

Little Voices Theatre Week - Stowupland with Little Voices Suffolk · Eequ

31st March, 9th April

Football and inflatables

Ipswich Town Foundation

Stowupland Sports Centre, Church Road, Stowupland, IP14 4BQ

Visit Ipswich Foundation’s website 
Email community@itfcfoundation.co.uk 
Phone 01473 400980 

Soccer School Stowupland with Ipswich Town Foundation · Eequ

2nd, 8th April

Creative workshops

Creation Station

Capel St Mary Primary School, The Street, Capel St Mary, IP9 2EG

Visit Creation Station’s website
Email fran.aldous@thecreationstation.co.uk  
Phone 07525 467007

Create Club Holiday Camps with The Creation Station South and East Ipswich · Eequ

30th March - 9th April

Holiday Club with games from tennis, badminton and swing ball to arts and crafts and treasure hunts

Sunflowers Childcare

The Cabin, Stone Street Road, Boxford, CO10 5NP

Visit Sunflower Childcare’s website 
Email info@sunflowers-childcare.co.uk   
Phone 01787 211363 

Easter Holiday club 2026 with Sunflowers Childcare C.I.C · Eequ

Become a provider

We were allocated £134,892.59 for the 2023-2024 Holiday Activities and Food Programme.

There are 2,220 means tested free school meal children (March 2022 statistics).

How can I become a provider?

If you are interested in providing activities for us, then you will need to apply for funding by completing an online application. 

  • If you are a new provider, please complete both Form A and Form B
  • If you have previously completed Form A within the last financial year - and have been approved - please complete Form B

Please see the deadlines for each application period:

  • Easter – application deadline 10 February 2025
  • Summer – application deadline 9 June 2025
  • Christmas – application deadline 20 October 2025

If you have any questions about the application process, please email HAFenquiries@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk

What are the requirements?

The requirements follow the Department for Education’s minimum standards, which include:

  • A school standard meal (ideally a hot meal)
  • Four hours of activities
  • One hour of physical activity
  • Some form of nutritional education
  • Providing signposting to families onto further services, if needed

Where can I learn more?

The Department for Education have published information about the HAF programme.

How we use your information

We will use the information you provide only for the purpose of this grant funds application. We will store the information securely in line with data protection laws. Please read our privacy policy for more information.