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The Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF) is a Government funded programme that provides free holiday clubs for reception to year 11 pupils in receipt of benefits-related free school meals in Lincolnshire over the summer, Christmas and Easter holidays.
Benefits related free school meals are different to Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM). Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 receive UIFSM in government funded schools.
The HAF programme is designed to ensure a high-quality experience for children that will result in receiving healthy and nutritious meals and maintaining a healthy level of physical activity.
Children who attend HAF develop a greater understanding of food, nutrition and other health-related issues and have the opportunity to take part in fun and engaging activities.
Children and young people attending a HAF club will also have the opportunity to have fun, meet new friends, socialise, learn new skills, encounter new experiences and gain confidence whilst enjoying happy, healthy holidays.
Eligibility
School aged children from reception to Year 11 in receipt of benefits related free school meals in Lincolnshire, have priority in accessing government funded HAF clubs for free.
If you are unsure whether you are eligible, please apply for free school meals.
Attendance at HAF provision in Lincolnshire
The Local Authority requires that children attend Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) provision that has been commissioned, approved, and quality-assured through its established processes. This approach ensures that all delivery partners meet the safeguarding, welfare, and quality standards set out by the Department for Education (DfE) HAF Programme guidance.
By limiting attendance to approved HAF providers, the Local Authority can robustly monitor and assure compliance with statutory safeguarding requirements, staff suitability checks, health and safety expectations, and the provision of appropriate, enriching activities and nutritious meals. It also enables consistent oversight, performance monitoring, and continuous improvement across the programme.
This requirement is not intended to restrict parental choice, but to fulfil the Local Authority’s duty to ensure that all publicly funded provision operates within the framework of the DfE HAF Programme and meets the standards necessary to protect children and deliver positive outcomes.
Only provision that meets these requirements can be included within the Local Authority’s HAF offer.
Other children and families
Lincolnshire schools may allocate a limited number of HAF places to children who are not in receipt of benefit related (targeted) Free School Meals, but who would benefit from additional support to help strengthen routines and improve school attendance, under the following criteria:
- Children with low or at‑risk attendance (85% or below)
- Children in Reception who are at risk of low attendance
This approach also supports Lincolnshire’s Best Start in Life Strategy, which aims for 76.7% of children to achieve a Good Level of Development (GLD) at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage by 2028.
Summer delivery dates
The next HAF delivery will take place during the summer holidays from Thursday 23 July to Wednesday 2 September.
New booking system
We’re pleased to announce that Lincolnshire HAF has moved to a new booking platform, called Eequ.
With this change, all children and young people who receive benefit-related Free School Meals (FSM) will now be automatically eligible and accepted within the booking system. This means families no longer receive a HAF voucher.
Families can now simply log in to the Eequ platform to browse and book available HAF clubs across Lincolnshire.
The opening of summer bookings will be Wednesday 24 June at 11:00am.
