Holidays Are Fun annual report 2025 to 2026

During 2025 to 2026, a total of 35 organisations delivered one or more Holidays Are Fun (HAF) clubs across Stockton-on-Tees. These providers represented a diverse range of sectors, including schools, sports and dance organisations, charities, childcare providers, and private companies.

Providers worked collaboratively with the local authority to deliver high-quality, engaging, and enriching holiday provision in safe and welcoming environments. Activities were designed to enable children and young people to have fun, develop new skills, build confidence, and form positive friendships, contributing to their overall wellbeing and personal development.

Activities

HAF providers delivered a wide variety of enriching activities, including sport, music, theatre, filmmaking, cinema, dance, outdoor learning, STEM activities, and cookery. In addition, many providers organised day trips to libraries, museums, local landmarks and attractions, and coastal areas such as beaches. Feedback from children and families highlighted that many would not have otherwise had the opportunity to access these experiences without the HAF programme. Session lengths varied, typically ranging from two to six hours.

All HAF providers were expected to incorporate a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity within each session. Across the programme, a broad and inclusive range of physical activities was available, including martial arts, boxing, football, multi-sports, climbing, swimming, ice skating, water sports, dance, bushcraft, gymnastics, and horse riding. Booking data indicates that these activities were particularly popular among children and young people, with many exceeding the minimum requirement for daily physical activity.

Physical activities were designed to be inclusive and were adapted where necessary to ensure that all children, including those with additional needs, were able to participate fully across a range of settings and venues.