Holiday Activities and Food (HAF)
HAF provides a programme of funded activities during the school holidays. All participants are also provided with a meal.
HAF 2026
Brighton & Hove’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme has been awarded Crisis Resilience Funding to deliver family focused activities during October 2026 and February 2027 half-term.
This October we have three providers delivering HAF programmes to eligible families. The eligibility criteria will remain that half-term HAF is for school-aged children who receive Targeted (previously named ‘benefits-related’) free school meals, however they must have an adult accompanying them who will also be fed.
Each eligible HAF participant will be permitted to book on up to 2 HAF places over half-terms. This will be a much more limited offer than the longer school holidays and does not provide childcare.
The launch date for October Half-Term Family HAF bookings will be announced soon.
What HAF provides
Funded by the Department for Education, HAF provides a programme of funded activities during the school Easter, summer, and Christmas holidays, for people who receive Targeted (previously named ‘benefits-related’) free school meals. Activities include sports, arts, music, and more.
Children and young people also receive a free balanced meal and snacks as part of their day.
If you have questions about Brighton & Hove HAF or need support with booking, send an email to the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Team.
Watch our film below from a Brighton Table Tennis Club HAF holiday camp to get an idea of what HAF has to offer.
Sign up to our mailing list
To be the first to be updated on HAF activity, send an email to request to be added to our distribution list.
Contact the team for enquiries about booking a place on a holiday activity.
If you want us to stop sending you emails, ask and we'll delete your contact details from the distribution list.
HAF programmes are also running in East and West Sussex, with information available here:
Who's eligible for HAF
HAF is for children and young people in Reception to Year 11 who receive Targeted free school meals.
Please be aware that from September 2026 the Department for Education introduced national changes to free school meals.
Before the summer, your school should have notified you of the outcome of a review of your child’s free school meals status.
Targeted free school meals are for children from households receiving Universal Credit with annual earned income of £7,400 or less. These children remain eligible for free HAF activities.
Apply for Targeted free school meals.
Targeted free school meals are different from:
- Universal infant free school meals. Universal infant free school meals are not means-tested and provide free meals to all pupils in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2.
- Expanded free school meals, which are available to all children from households receiving Universal Credit but with annual earned income above £7,400.
Transitional Protection has also ended, meaning some children no longer qualify for free school meals.
Children must have also started attending school.
If you are unsure of your child's free school meals status, please contact your child's school directly for confirmation.
For further information on FSM eligibility, including changes from September 2026, see the Government's free school meals guidance for schools and local authorities.
There are no public discretionary HAF places. Targeted free school meals is the only eligibility criteria openly used in Brighton & Hove.
HAF standards
All HAF providers are required to demonstrate they meet the programme’s framework of standards as laid out by the Department for Education.
Providers are further supported to meet these standards through training and quality assurance visits.
Help and support for families
We know the school holidays can be expensive for some families and act as a pressure point. Below are some links that might help:
- Cost of living support – help for residents struggling with the cost of living.
- Family Help Online - Find advice and support for local families.
Best Start Family Hubs
Best Start Family Hubs support families in Brighton & Hove with children aged 0 to 19. Young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) can access our services up to age 25. We deliver services from various locations across Brighton & Hove.
Additional support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
We encourage those requesting a booking for a child with SEND to do this as soon as possible. We also encourage you to contact the provider to clarify what support would be required to fully integrate the child. All HAF providers are expected to make all reasonable adjustments. Failing to disclose information could lead to the placement breaking down.
Find out about inclusion funding for disabled children or those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This funding can provide additional support for children with an Education and Health Care Plan to attend Ofsted-registered childcare and HAF activities.
An alternative is to look at options available through the heavily subsidised Brighton & Hove SEND Short Break and School Activities Programme. The programme is for children and young people aged 4 years (Reception) to 25 years with SEND.
Learn more about the programme, or see what's available to book.
How to apply for funding to help deliver HAF
If you're an activity or food provider interested in being part of Brighton & Hove’s HAF programme, send an email to our team. We'll add you to our distribution list to keep you informed of future funding opportunities.
Contact the team for enquiries about booking a place on a holiday activity.
Information for schools
For information for schools, visit the schools’ portal on BEEM