HAF Key Information, Guidance & Criteria

Home / HAF Key Information, Guidance & Criteria

Here you will find our key information, guidance and criteria. This will help you to understand what makes up our Essex ActivAte HAF programme along with the Department for Education guidelines. Here you will find information on what you're a part of, how you can achieve it and how to keep updated with all things Essex ActivAte.

Essex ActivAte is the name for the Holiday Activity and Food (#HAF2024) programme across Essex, run by Active Essex, Essex County Council and Thurrock Council, on behalf of the Department for Education. Additional funding is provided by Essex County Council to extend the offer to low income working families who also require support during the school holidays. This programme takes place during the Easter, Summer and Winter holidays. Where possible, Essex County Council and Basildon Borough Council provide additional support families during the smaller half terms as well.

Department of Education (DofE) Guidance

The Department of Education are the key funders of Essex ActivAte and therefore have their own guidance relating to the Holiday Activities and Food programme. Please see here the guidance which contains the framework and expectations that we are set to achieve through our delivery

Watch our Essex ActivAte 2024 overview webinar here!

Essex ActivAte Overview Webinar Slides

Download our 2024 overview webinar slides here.

The Wonde booking system is imperative to the delivery of our programme. For more information on training please click here.

How to get involved in our Essex ActivAte HAF Programme

Applications are now closed for 2024 involvement, however if you would like to be involved in 2025 please let us know by contacting haf@activeessex.org

Essex ActivAte Explained Flyer

Click here to find out more about our half term and holiday programmes, including how they’re funded, who’s eligible and what our clubs offer!

Essex ActivAte Application FAQs

Please see here for all FAQ’s relating to the application process.

Essex ActivAte 15% Referral Process

As part of the programme we are able to use a small amount of the funded spaces for children who fall outside of the FSM eligibility requirement, yet would benefit from attending a club to support their wellbeing.

We are now managing this via a referral process working with our Child and Family support services who are in direct contact with those children who would benefit.

If you work with children of school age who you believe would benefit from attending a club over the Summer Holidays where they will receive a nutritious meal, you are able to refer them to our programme. Please contact us to get the necessary form: haf@activeessex.org

Those suitable would be:

- Vulnerable child / Child in Need (CiN) Plan 
– Care experienced child/ previously care experienced child 
- Transition phase between nursery/primary or primary/secondary (access to the programme for the holiday before your child starts school) 
- Education, health and care plan (EHCP) 
– Young carer  
- Child protection plan / known to social services 
- At risk of school exclusion or Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA) 
- Lives in an area of high deprivation / from a low income household not in receipt of income related free school meals 
- Refugee status / asylum seeker  

Once we receive your referral, we will check the eligibility against the list highlighted above and then raise a unique code for the child with 20 credits for the Summer provision. A unique code will be sent direct to the parent / or the referral partners in order to make the booking.

Please see here a visual to support your understanding.

Essex ActivAte Cancellation Policy

Cancellation and No-Show Policy – Click here for a downloaded version of the no shows policy.

During Easter 2023 we had a fantastic amount of bookings through the Holiday Activities booking platform, however of the spaces booked, we then had just under a third of spaces cancelled last minute or children simply not showing up. This meant that 1,820 eligible children missed out on attending a free Holiday Club and resulted in a large amount of food wastage.

What to do if you can’t attend:

We appreciate that plans may change and there may be times where your child/ren can’t attend. If this happens, please cancel their place/s and give the holiday club provider as much notice as possible, preferably 48 hours. This allows another child/ren the opportunity to attend the club and benefit from the programme. It is easy to cancel a booking on Holiday Activities, just follow this link to tell you how – Parent FAQ’s: https://help.holidayactivities.com/hc/en-gb/categories/14823946082705-I-m-a-parent

New Rules on non-attendance:

If a child doesn’t attend two or more booked sessions over Summer and their place isn’t cancelled in advance, this will result in all bookings being cancelled for the remainder of the holiday with that Essex ActivAte Club. This will enable other child/ren to be offered the place(s).

If you have any questions regarding the Essex ActivAte holiday clubs, please contact haf@activeessex.org

Essex ActivAte Impact

We always like to hear about your success stories during your delivery of the programme. Please use this form and send in your case studies should you wish to share them with the team.

Thank you to all HAF providers for their incredible sessions, activities and support for families and children across the county! Your effort and hard work is hugely appreciated, and we have loved seeing the progress of all clubs. We welcome you to use the below graphics in order to support you on sharing what you have been a part of.