Pictured: Children and young people enjoying a party with local community group, Locals of the Lakes in Bletchley
Milton Keynes City Council funded more than 32,000 hours of free activities plus healthy meals and snacks for children who usually receive free school meals through the Christmas school holidays.
The City Council’s winter activity programme ran for the last week of the school holidays and offered indoor and outdoor events for children and their families in more than 55 locations, including 10 with dedicated support for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
The City Council worked with schools, clubs and charities to provide sports, music, education and crafts, with children and young people learning skills from painting and cookery to climbing and film-making. More than 8,000 individual sessions took place with each including a free healthy meal and snack.
"We are delighted that so many families got involved in our winter activity week and local providers offered a fantastic range of events and fresh food. I was lucky enough to attend the pantomime trip to MK Theatre and it was lovely to see so many smiling faces. This week was part of our larger programme for children and families who are struggling, and we’ll keep looking at ways we can support families in the year ahead.”
The winter activity week followed the City Council’s highly popular Summer of Play and spring activity week, during which families took part in a total of 38,000 free activity sessions plus free meals.
It’s part of the city council’s wider work to help families who are struggling with the cost of living crisis, and last year Milton Keynes City Council set out a £5.5m package of support for the winter from energy savings to supermarket vouchers, alongside extra funding for charities and organisations to help more people. Find details of other support and advice at www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/cost-living-support
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