Weather disruption
Winter weather is causing disruption to services in some parts of the county. Find out what services may be affected in your area.
The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme is a government programme that aims to provide healthy food and enriching activities to children and young people aged 5 to 16 who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals. HAF is funded by the Department for Education.
Grants are available to deliver activities in the Easter, summer, or Christmas school holidays.
We are looking for a range of different providers so our families have access to a varied and accessible mix of enriching activities to suit all ages, interests, needs, and abilities.
To receive a grant, you must provide:
You can run sessions at any time of the day and as often as you like. For example, some providers offer activities for 2 evenings a week, others offer 5 mornings a week.
If you'd like to be part of our HAF programme in Dorset but cannot run sessions yourself, for example you're a local caterer or a travelling artist, email us to discuss.
All children in the Dorset Council area who get benefits-related free school meals are eligible to take part in the HAF activities at no cost to them or their families.
It's best practice to make sure your activities are open to fee-paying families too. This promotes inclusivity and reduces stigma for the other families.
All providers must meet the minimum due diligence requirements. You will find a checklist and declaration included in the grant application form. We also ask you to sign our grant agreement before we release funding.
Email our HAF team if you'd like more information on our requirements before you start your grant application.
Applications for Winter in Dorset 2024 grants are now open.
We will award grants to organisations who are able to demonstrate their ability to:
All providers must meet our minimum due diligence requirements to make sure they have the correct insurances, policies and procedures in place. These include:
email: holidayactivities@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
telephone: 01305 221157