Winter Holiday, Activities and Food Programme #HAF2025

FREE activities and food from 29 December - 2 January 2026 for school aged children, young people and their families who are in receipt of benefit related Free School Meals 

What is planned for winter 2025? 

 

 

A range of free activities and food for school aged children, young people from 4 – 16 years who are in receipt of benefit related Free School Meals (FSM) to access from 29 December - 2 January 2026. 

 

Funded by the Department for Education, the aim of the HAF programme is to offer free holiday clubs or activity places over the school holidays to children who are in receive benefits-related free school meals. 

 

Across Milton Keynes, we have 7,000 individual sessions planned for the Winter Holidays. To book your activities, simply browse our programme and contact your chosen providers through the online booking system from Sunday 23 November 2025. 

From fun activities to Multi-Activity camps, Pantomimes, Teen basketball camps, Football camps, Film making, Animal experience sessions, Roast dinner meal boxes and the Land of Lights, we hope there is something for everyone. 

Where can I find the activity programme?

Evouchers for the Winter HAF Programme will be distributed to all children and young people identified through your child’s school management (MIS) information system as being in receipt of benefit-related Free School Meals (FSM).

Evouchers will be sent from hello@holidayactivities.com on Sunday 23 November and will include a unique winter code and direct link to the booking system, allowing you to select up to 4 bookings for your child. Please ensure you include your winter code on your booking, to allow for a faster processing time. 

Please keep an eye on your inbox (and check your junk/spam folder just in case). If you do not receive your voucher by Monday 24 November, please contact your child's school to check eligibility.

Please email us at HAF@milton-keynes.gov.uk if you have any questions.  

Free School Meals, who is eligible?

You must be in receipt of one of the below benefits to be eligible for free school meals for your child/children.

• Income Support
• Employment and Support Allowance – Income related
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance (not Contribution Based JSA)
• Child Tax Credit only (with a combined family income of less than £16,190 per annum as assessed by HM Revenues & Customs) Please note, anyone receiving Working Tax Credit, regardless of income, will not qualify for free school meals.
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you receive)
• National Asylum Seekers Support (NASS)
• Guaranteed Element of Pension Tax Credit

If your child is eligible for free school meals, they’ll remain eligible until they finish that phase of schooling (primary or secondary).

If you think you may be eligible for Free School Meals, please contact your child's school or click the link below to apply.

Milton Keynes Council Free School Meals Application

HAF Activities and booking – FAQs 

• How much do these activities cost? 

All HAF sessions for children, young people, and their families who are in receipt of benefit-related Free School Meals (FSM) are free to attend.

While these sessions are free for families, they do carry a cost to the programme. To help us make the best use of available funding and ensure as many children as possible can benefit, we kindly ask that you only book sessions you are confident your child will attend.

This helps us:

• Avoid unused places
• Support providers with accurate planning
• Maximise attendance, which strengthens future programme funding and availability

• How do I book on to HAF sessions? 

Families eligible for the Winter HAF Programme will receive an Evoucher email from hello@holidayactivities.com on Sunday 23 November. This email will contain a 16-digit code and a link to the EEQU booking system.

To book a session:

1. Open the email and click the link to access the EEQU booking site.
2. Browse available activities in your area and choose the sessions that suit your child.
3. When prompted, enter your 16-digit Evoucher code to unlock free access to eligible sessions.
4. Complete the booking form with your child’s details and confirm your selections.
5. You’ll receive a confirmation email once your booking is successful.

• My child has additional needs, will HAF sessions be suitable? 

If your child has special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), we encourage you to speak directly with individual providers when booking. Providers are often able to adapt their sessions to meet specific needs, but they will require detailed information in advance to ensure the right support is in place.

We offer a range of inclusive sessions and SEND-specific places across the Winter HAF Programme. These are designed to ensure all children and young people can access enriching activities in a safe and supportive environment.

To find a suitable HAF session:

1. Visit the booking site via the link in your Evoucher email.
2. Use filters or keywords such as “SEND”, “inclusive”, or “accessible” to narrow your search.
3. Review session descriptions carefully and contact providers directly if you have questions or need to discuss your child’s support needs.

If you need help navigating the booking system or identifying appropriate sessions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

• Is food provided at HAF sessions? 

All HAF sessions include a healthy meal for every child attending.

To ensure meals are suitable for your child’s needs, please make sure to complete the dietary requirements section during the booking process. This allows providers to cater appropriately and safely for any allergies, intolerances, cultural preferences, or other specific needs.

Providing this information in advance helps:

• Ensure your child receives a safe and enjoyable meal
• Support providers in planning and preparation
• Avoid last-minute issues that could affect your child’s experience

Thank you for helping us deliver inclusive and nutritious HAF sessions for all children.

• Is there a limit to the number of HAF sessions you can book? 

Each eligible child can access up to 4 free booking during the Winter HAF Programme.

We’ve worked hard to ensure there’s something for everyone in our offer, and we hope your child enjoys taking part in a variety of activities.

However, we kindly ask that you only book sessions you are confident your child will attend. Booking sessions “just in case” can prevent other families from accessing opportunities, especially during the winter period when places are more limited.

By booking responsibly, you help:

• Ensure fair access for all families
• Support providers with accurate planning
• Maximise attendance, which strengthens future programme funding and availability

• The HAF session I want for my child is fully booked. Should I contact them anyway? 

If the HAF session you'd like to attend is currently fully booked, you can now add yourself to the waiting list via the online booking system.

Here’s how it works:

1. Select the session you’re interested in.
2. If it’s full, you’ll see an option to join the waiting list.
3. If a space becomes available, the system will automatically notify you by email, giving you the opportunity to book, on a first come, first served basis.

This feature helps ensure that unused places can be reallocated fairly and efficiently, giving more families the chance to take part.

• I can no longer attend the session I booked. What should I do?  

If you have booked a HAF session that you can no longer attend, please make sure to cancel your booking as soon as possible.

We have limited places available, and sessions that are booked but not attended incur a cost to the programme and may prevent other eligible families from accessing these valuable opportunities.

To cancel a session:

• Click this link: How do I cancel a booking? | EEQU Help Center
• Or contact the provider directly using the contact details listed on your booking confirmation.

Thank you for helping us ensure that HAF sessions are used effectively and fairly.

 

How is the HAF programme funded? 

The council has been awarded grant funding, by the Department for Education (DfE), to coordinate free activities and food, for children in receipt of benefit-related Free School Meals (FSM), during the three main school holidays in Summer, Summer, and Winter 2025. 

We want to offer a diverse range of events this Summer to meet the local interests and needs of children, young people, and their families. We hope this programme of activities will help children and young people to: 

• eat more healthily over the school holidays
• be more active during the school holidays
• take part in engaging and enriching activities
• be safe and not to be socially isolated
• have greater knowledge of health and nutrition; and to be more engaged with school and other local services 

HAF Annual report 2024-25

Please see information and family feedback on the HAF programme - HAF Annual Report 2024-25

Cost of living support

If you are worried about your finances and how you are going to make ends meet, there is help available. Please find below links to some of the support available to the residents of Milton Keynes. Read our cost of living help factsheet. 

Help with paying your rent and Council Tax

• Housing Benefit and Council Tax reduction – Make a new claim for Council Tax Reduction or report a change in circumstances
• Discretionary Council Tax Reduction Scheme – MKC funded to provide additional support to those experiencing financial hardship.
• Discretionary Housing Payments – An additional payment to individuals on Housing Benefit that are struggling to meet a shortfall in their rent.

Help with essential costs including food and energy  

• Local Welfare Provision – MKC funded to provide essential support in the event of an emergency
• Food Bank - The provision of food, fuel, and small essential items, mostly in partnership with voluntary and charity groups
• SOFEA - support with food through community larders,  as well as wellbeing support.

Benefits calculator

Not on benefits or need to apply for another benefit

If you are not already receiving a benefit, the first thing you should do is make a new claim. Use the benefit calculator to work out which benefit you should claim.

You can also use this link if you are already receiving a benefit but wish to know if you should claim another benefit, such as Universal Credit.

Other government support

There are benefits you may be entitled to if your income is low or has gone down. 

• Cost of Living Hub - find out what support is available to help with the cost of living. This includes income and disability benefits, bills and allowances, childcare, housing and travel.
• Universal Credit – tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Read more on the GOV.UK Universal Credit web page.
• Job Seekers Allowance – tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Read more on the GOV.UK Job Seeker’s Allowance web page.
• Income Support – tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Read more on the GOV.UK Income Support web page.
• Employment and Support Allowance – tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Read more on the GOV.UK Employment Support web page.
• Tax Credits – tell Her Majesties Revenues & Customs (HMRC). Read more on the GOV.UK Report Changes that Affect your Tax Credits web page.

NHS Healthy Start scheme

If you are pregnant, or have a child under 4, and you are claiming certain benefits you may be able to get financial help to buy healthy foods and milk under the NHS Healthy Start scheme.

If you’re eligible (check your eligibility here), then you’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use at supermarkets, local shops and markets stocking fresh, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables. You can also take your card to a local children’s centre to collect free vitamins for babies and young children.

It’s much easier to apply, now the scheme has been revised so families can apply online. A list of frequently asked questions can be found here.