This summer Wyre Council launched its first free Holiday Activity and Food clubs, which over 500 children and young people have enjoyed over the last four weeks.
Funded by the Department for Education, the local summer holiday clubs were held at venues across Wyre for both primary and secondary aged children who are eligible for free school meals. Paid for places were also available for children who weren’t eligible to attend for free.
Together Wyre Council, Fylde Council, Fylde Coast YMCA, Flakefleet High School, St Aidan’s High School, Fylde Coast Holiday club, Acorn activity club in Hambleton, Fleetwood Town Football Club, the Play Inclusion Project and Lancashire Targeted Youth Support have hosted over 250 sessions during the summer holidays.
Activities to get involved in ranged from arts and crafts to cooking, bowling, kayaking, football and much more, as well as activities for children with special education needs or disabilities. Each day the children could have fun, meet new friends, gain new skills and enjoy a free meal. Sessions were held at sites across the borough so that as many eligible children as possible could attend.
On Thursday 19 August, Councillor Lynne Bowen, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Health and Community Engagement at Wyre Council and Councillor Andrea Kay, Wyre’s Mayor and Lead Member for Children and Young People visited Thornton YMCA to see a session in action and speak to some of the young people who came along. The children were taking part in a variety of fun activities including bowling and other sports. Type 2 Kitchen also came along and did a demonstration for the children on healthy eating, talking about how to choose healthy foods, giving them some simple recipe ideas and getting them up and active.
Councillor Bowen said, “It’s been really good to see lots of children here today enjoying themselves, meeting new friends and learning about healthy eating. It’s been a team effort to host such a varied calendar of activities and I’d like to thank all the providers that we’ve worked with.
“I’d also like to thank Morrisons in Thornton-Cleveleys and ASDA in Fleetwood for donating food for healthy lunches. They were a great support to the food bank throughout the pandemic and it’s been really good to work with them again to help people in our area.”
Councillor Kay said, “What a great day I’ve had today seeing one of the holiday clubs in action. Thank you to Wyre Council and our partners for bringing this together for young people. And thank you to Evie (pictured) one of the children at today’s club who had a game of bowling with me! These clubs have allowed us to support parents over the summer holidays. They were able to bring their children here knowing they are safe, having fun and learning something new. It’s so important for children to socialise especially after such a long time in lockdown, it’s great preparation for going back to school in September.”
Wyre Council hopes to offer HAF clubs again in the Christmas holidays and full details will be available at www.wyre.gov.uk