For this year’s Essex Activate HAF summer booklet, the Children and Young People team at Active Essex teamed up with the Multi School Council to create Commonwealth Games themed exercise programme.
Essex ActivAte is the name for the Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) programme across Essex, run by Active Essex, Essex County Council and Thurrock Council, on behalf of the Department for Education. The programme supports the physical and mental wellbeing of primary and secondary school children, through a wide variety of activities, and provision of a nutritious school standard meal.
The Multi School Council is an organisation that aims to tackle issues experienced by children with SEND and mental health difficulties. They provide young people with a voice to share their experiences and how they can break down negative stigma. Active Essex works with The Multi School Council in supporting various activities and events aimed at reaching diversity and inclusion in sport.
The Multi School Council Director, Kierran Pearce, explained “Young people want to ensure other young people are active during the holidays, especially those with disabilities who may sometimes lack confidence because of how they feel they are seen by others. They wanted to help design a programme that anyone can get involved in. The impact on young people’s mental health post Covid 19 was a key issued raised and we know sport can play a positive role on this. We hope the programme motivates young people, especially with disabilities to get active this summer and find confidence so that they can continue to stay active.”
In celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the Commonwealth Games being held in Birmingham, we have designed a Commonwealth Passport programme for the Essex Activate booklet. The programme sees children travel to a different Commonwealth destination and participating in various exercises in relation to the location. Ensuring the programme is inclusive to all, children get the choice of two forms of activities for each country. Children are awarded a passport sticker for each exercise destination they successfully complete until they have a fully stamped passport by the end of the week. On their travels, the children learn fun facts about the landmark and the benefits physical activity has to the human body.
This programme will be provided to over 180 HAF clubs and makes it worthwhile being part of the Multi School Council by having their ideas not just listened to but built upon. Active Essex is always keen to follow up on the ideas of our young people which gives them the confidence to continue getting involved in activities.
You can find the programme and the EssexActivAte HAF Summer booklet by clicking here:
Find out more about the Multi Schools Council here
