Funding worth £9m allocated for summer 2019 holiday clubs

The aim of the holiday clubs is to provide poor pupils with free meals and activities during the long summer break and the government has opened a £9 million funding pot.

Last summer a £2 million programme saw groups providing meals and activities such as football, play sessions, and cooking lessons. Around 18,000 young people are estimated to have taken part.

Among the charities granted funding in 2018 were StreetGames, which brings sport to disadvantaged children, and OnSide Youth Zones, which runs a network of clubs for young people to socialise, take part in enriching activities and learn new skills.

There will be local co-ordinators for the funding whose role it is to ensure there are enough high-quality clubs in their area, working with providers to improve what is on offer, and raising awareness of what is available for the families who need it most.