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Holiday Activities and Food Programme 2026

Winter Holiday Activities and Food Programme #HAF2026

FREE activities and food for children and young people eligible for Targeted Free School Meals 

Children showing crops they have harvested

What is planned for Winter HAF programme 2026:

The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme offers free holiday sessions for children and young people aged 4–16 years who are eligible for Targeted benefit related free school meals

We're delighted to announce that the Winter HAF Programme will run from 21 December to 30 December 2026, providing 8,000 free activity and meal places for eligible children, young people and their families. 

Bookings will open on 22 November 2026. 

From festive experiences and pantomimes to sports activities, animal encounters, family events and more, we hope there is something for everyone. 

What is the HAF Winter Holiday Activities and Food programme? 

The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme provides a range of free activities and healthy meals for school-aged children and young people aged 4 to 16 who are eligible through Targeted Free School Meals (FSM). 

Activities taking place across Milton Keynes include: 

  • Multi-sports clubs 
  • Pantomime experiences 
  • Animal encounters 
  • Winter Meal boxes
  • Outdoor and enrichment activities 
  • Land of Lights experience
  • SEND-specific and inclusive provision 

The programme has been designed to provide exciting, enriching opportunities during the school holidays while supporting children's wellbeing, social connections and access to healthy food.  

Where can I find the activity programme? 

All HAF activities can be viewed and booked through our online booking system. 

Bookings open on 22 November 2026. 

How do eligible families in receipt of Targeted Free School Meals access provision? 

Eligible families will receive a voucher through the Holiday Activities (Wonde) platform. 

  • Eligible children must receive a voucher before activities can be booked. 
  • Vouchers will be issued from hello@holidayactivities.com on 22 November 2026. 
  • Families can then log into the booking system and book activities using their voucher code. 
  • Each eligible child can access up to 4 Winter HAF sessions. 

If you believe your child is eligible and have not received a voucher, please contact your child's school in the first instance. 

Free School Meals, who is eligible?

From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, Free School Meal eligibility is expanding to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit regardless of household earnings. Free school meals are available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits: 

  • Universal Credit
  • support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

A pupil is only eligible to receive a free school meal where both:

  • a claim for this support has been made
  • their eligibility has been verified by the school where they are enrolled or by the local authority 

Households may also be entitled to a meal if they:

However, eligibility for the HAF Programme remains limited to children who meet the Targeted Free School Meals criteria. Eligible children will be identified through school data and issued with a HAF voucher. 

Targeted FSM

Children from households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less will be eligible for Targeted FSM. In addition to receiving free meals, pupils eligible for targeted FSM will attract pupil premium and other disadvantage funding for their schools. 

Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF) is for children & young people in receipt of Targeted FSM

Households qualifying for free meals because they are in receipt of support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 will also be eligible for targeted FSM.

Households in receipt of Income-related Employment and Support Allowance or the guarantee element of Pension Credit or households with families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) may also be eligible for targeted FSM.

Expanded FSM

Children from households in receipt of Universal Credit, with annual household earnings exceeding £7,400 will be entitled to expanded FSM (meals only). Children and young people who receive Expanded FSM are not eligible to access HAF. 

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

Free school meals – Changes for September 2026 

Free school meals – Changes for September 2026
Please visit: MKCC Free School Meals for more information

 

 

HAF Activities and booking – FAQs 

All HAF sessions for children, young people, and their families who are in receipt of Targeted 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

Families eligible for the Winter HAF Programme will receive an Evoucher email from hello@holidayactivities.com on Sunday 22 November 2026. 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.

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 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.

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.

Each eligible child can access up to 5 free bookings 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

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.

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:

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 2026. 

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 2025-26

Please see information and family feedback on the HAF programme - HAF Annual Report 2025-26

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

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. 

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.

Holiday Activities and Food Programme #HAF2025

Holiday Activities and Food Programme #HAF2026 contact information

Also interested in

The DfE holiday activities and food programme guidance
School food standards

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