The Welsh Government has provided up to £4.85 million for the
provision of Food and Fun which is run by the Welsh Local
Government Association (WLGA) in schools over the summer holidays.
The sessions offer children and young people a healthy breakfast
and lunch, physical activity and enrichment sessions, and
information on food and nutrition.
The scheme is aimed at providing support to those from
disadvantaged areas, and this year the funding is expected to
provide around 8,000 places across 200 cohorts. There is also
provision to offer support for children with Additional Learning
Needs as part of the scheme, including 1:1 support.
Evaluation of the scheme from previous years has shown that these
sessions have helped to improve school engagement and the overall
well-being of those children and young people attending.
The Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, said:
The long summer holiday can be challenging for some for many
reasons, and it’s more important than ever that we do all we can
to support our children and young people. We know that there are
learners who struggle outside of the school routine, and with the
ongoing cost-of-living crisis families are feeling under
pressure.
The Food and Fun scheme makes the most of school facilities by
offering fun activities as well as healthy meals, and can also
play a role in helping children in disadvantaged areas to recover
from the impact of the pandemic by supporting their well-being
and education.
Our ambition is for all schools in Wales to be Community Focused
Schools which respond to the needs of their community and build
strong partnerships with families and other services. Food and
Fun is an excellent example of this, providing healthy meals and
activities for children and engaging with the wider community.
WLGA Education spokesperson, Councillor Ian Roberts said:
WLGA are very proud to run Food and Fun on behalf of Welsh
Government, a programme which supports families during the summer
holiday, a period that can prove challenging for many families in
Wales.
The programme, which is now in its eighth year, has gone from
strength to strength since launching and supports more families
than ever with a healthy and balanced diet across Wales.
Over the summer holidays this year, Food and Fun will provide
places for 8000 children each day and that’s a potential of
96,000 attendances at schemes across Wales.
We would like to thank the Welsh Government for funding the
scheme, and all partners across different local authorities who
work hard to make this programme possible and successful.
