Pictured: Cllr Zoe Nolan, Cabinet Member for Children and Families at Climb Quest in Kingston – one of several SEND friendly venues for the winter activity programme
Following on from announcing a £5.5m package of cost-of-living support in its Winter Plan, Milton Keynes City Council is funding a programme of FREE activity sessions and meals to give extra support to local families during the Christmas school holidays.
The activity sessions are exclusively available to children, young people, and their families in receipt of benefit related Free School Meals.
Between 2 – 5 January, a huge range of indoor and outside activities have been organised including theatre trips, gymnastics, film-making and multi-sports clubs. The winter activity programme, developed and funded by Milton Keynes City Council, is available to view online.
8,000 individual play sessions will be running across MK in the first week of January. Eligible families simply need to browse the online programme and contact providers directly to make a booking. Most of the activities take place within 4-hour sessions and include nutritious meals unless stated on the programme. Most providers will be able to cater their events for attendees with special educational needs or disabilities.
In addition, families of children who are entitled to free school meals will be given £15 of supermarket credit per child for each week of the two-week Christmas holiday.
“Winter can be a tough time for many families with rising bills and limited options for things to do. We hope this package of activities and food will help some of our young people to get the most from their time away from school. Please encourage friends and family who may be eligible to check out our programme.”
The city council is working with 27 local clubs, schools, charities and organisations to provide the activities as well as holding events in its own Children and Family Centres and Music Hub.
The programme builds on the hugely successful Summer of Play where local families took part in 23,000 fully funded activity sessions during August with each including a free healthy meal and snack.
For FAQs and more information about the Winter Holiday Activities and Food programme, visit www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/haf
Find details of other support and advice at www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/cost-living-support