Healthy Holidays Calderdale helps thousands of children thrive during the school holidays
Every school holiday, thousands of children across Calderdale enjoy opportunities to play, create, learn, make friends and enjoy nutritious meals through Healthy Holidays Calderdale.
Delivered in partnership by Calderdale Council and Community Foundation for Calderdale, and funded by the Department for Education’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme, Healthy Holidays Calderdale continues to provide children eligible for free school meals with enriching experiences that support their health, wellbeing and development.
Our newly published 2025 – 2026 Annual Impact Report celebrates another incredible year of partnership working and the difference the programme is making to children, families and communities across the borough.
During Summer 2025 alone:
- 7,101 children eligible for free school meals took part.
- 21,321 sessions were attended.
- 92.6% attendance was achieved across the programme.
- 1,292 children with SEND accessed inclusive provision.
Across the year, children enjoyed everything from forest school, sports and performing arts to STEM workshops, cooking, mindfulness and outdoor learning.
For many, these opportunities simply wouldn’t have been possible without Healthy Holidays Calderdale.
One parent said:
“As someone on a low income, I cannot afford to do many days out so it has been an absolute godsend having her attend holiday club. I don’t know how we would get through the holidays without it.”
Another shared:
“The holiday club provided stimulation and interaction for my children in a nurturing environment and provided a cooked meal.”
More than holiday activities
Healthy Holidays Calderdale is about much more than keeping children busy. It gives children opportunities to build confidence, make new friends and learn socialisation skills, stay active, and experience activities they may never otherwise have the chance to access.
One particularly memorable moment came during the Christmas programme, when hundreds of children attended the pantomime at Halifax Victoria Theatre. For many, it was their first visit to the theatre, an experience providers described as allowing children to simply enjoy being children, free from the pressures some face in everyday life.
Working together for Calderdale
The programme succeeds because of strong partnership working, not just between CFFC and Calderdale Council, but between the collaboration between providers as well. Schools, community organisations, providers, volunteers and local businesses all play an important role in creating opportunities for children and young people.
As financial pressures continue to affect families, collaboration has never been more important.
Could your business help?
We’re inviting local businesses to become part of the Healthy Holidays Calderdale story.
Whether you can:
- donate money to pay towards additional activities for groups
- provide food or healthy snacks
- donate arts, crafts or sports equipment
- Donate laptops for coding workshops for children
- offer resources or experiences
- or simply visit a programme to see the impact for yourself
We would love to hear from you. Come and see the impact for yourself. Together, we can help even more children enjoy happy, healthy and enriching school holidays.
To find out more or arrange a visit, please get in touch with Jess Johnson at Jess.Johnson@calderdale.gov.uk.
