Bulwell parents can now book Nottingham City Council activity club places for October half-term

More than 25,000 places were provided for pupils who receive free school meals (FSM) over the summer holiday in Nottingham this year.

A total of 59 community groups put on activities at 79 different venues.

The clubs will run again both weeks of the October half-term from October 17 to October 24 as part of a continued link-up between the council and Nottingham Forest Community Trust as its lead project partner this year.

More activities will also take place at Christmas.

The council secured £1.8 million from the Government’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, which has been used to provide clubs for the 17,800 city pupils eligible for FSM.

Children all receive a free lunch, alongside a programme of activities focused on healthy eating, fitness and mental health.

There are also a limited number of places available for children who aren’t eligible for FSM and these will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

The list of clubs, and the parts of the city they serve, are now available to view and book online through the Ask Lion website here.

The £1,814,460 HAF grant has been allocated from the Department for Education with certain criteria attached.

This stipulates that tackling holiday hunger should be through pupils who receive FSM attending holiday clubs.

The council has consistently made £15-per-week supermarket vouchers available to all FSM children over holiday periods and these will again be allocated to eligible pupils automatically ahead of October half-term.

The support comes as people continue to face a challenging time because of the increased cost of living and energy bills, plus high inflation and rising interest rates.

Coun David Mellen (Lab), city council leader, said: “With household costs rising everywhere for families at the moment, which is a real concern for so many people, activity clubs like these can be a lifeline.

“It’s so important that the Government continues this vital funding.

"In areas like Nottingham there remains a genuine need for this kind of support.

“We have close to 18,000 children eligible for free school meals and many of these families are really feeling the strain at the moment.

"It is right and proper that we are given this funding to ensure healthy meals for children in need.”

Graham Moran BEM, chief executive of Nottingham Forest Community Trust, added: “We again saw incredible numbers of children joining our sessions across the city this summer.

"More than 12,000 youngsters took part, while we served more than 30,000 hot meals and 22,000 sandwiches.

“The feedback we’ve received from children and parents has been incredible.

"The positive impact we have been able to give thousands of families across Nottingham reiterates our purpose and the reason we exist.

"Also, the benefit of Nottingham’s third-sector collaborating on such a large scale bringing joy to thousands of young people.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank the council and all of our partners, providers and organisations who supported us in the delivery of this programme.”