This summer, Fresh Futures was delighted to deliver another successful Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme, providing children and young people with a safe, engaging and enriching place to spend their holidays. From arts and crafts and cooking sessions to educational trips and wellbeing activities, the programme was packed with opportunities for children to learn, create, stay active and make lasting memories.
What made this year particularly special was the successful launch of our new HAF provision in Heckmondwike, alongside our established programme in Huddersfield. Expanding into a second location enabled us to reach and support even more children and families across Kirklees, and the positive response from the local community has been incredible.
Creativity at the Heart of Summer
Throughout the programme, children explored their creativity through a wide variety of arts and crafts activities. Sessions included diamond art bookmarks, picture frame decorating, pebble art, personalised bracelet making, clay modelling, keyring creation, canvas painting, graffiti art, tile printing, mask decorating, seed planting and team mural projects.
Children also took part in mindfulness-focused activities such as mandala colouring and pop art projects, helping them to express themselves while developing confidence and creativity.
We were also pleased to welcome volunteers from CAMHS to both sites, who delivered engaging wellbeing workshops. Children created colourful pinwheels and bracelets whilst participating in activities designed to encourage positive mental wellbeing and self-expression.
Learning Through Cooking and Baking
Food education remained a key part of the programme, with children taking part in numerous cooking and baking sessions throughout the summer.
Together they prepared a variety of recipes including pizza naan breads, tortilla pizzas, calzones, bread making, chicken and vegetable skewers, cupcakes, cookies, chocolate treats, mug cakes, salads and fruit platters.
These activities helped children develop practical cooking skills, teamwork, confidence in the kitchen and an understanding of healthy eating in a fun and supportive environment.
Building Life Skills
One of the highlights of the summer was a life-skills project delivered in Huddersfield, where children created shopping lists, planned budgets and visited a local supermarket to purchase ingredients for a bake sale.
The children then worked together to organise and run a successful bake sale, with funds raised helping to support future treats and activities. This experience gave participants a valuable insight into budgeting, planning, teamwork and enterprise skills while boosting their confidence and independence.
Exploring Our Local Community
Getting out and about was an important part of the programme, and children enjoyed a variety of educational and recreational trips throughout the summer.
Alongside twice-weekly visits to local parks, children explored:
- Greenhead Park
- Wilton Park
- Bagshaw Museum
- Oakwell Hall Country Park
- Tenpin Laser Quest in Dewsbury
These outings gave children the opportunity to learn about local history, connect with nature, build friendships and create positive summer memories outside of their usual environments.
The end-of-summer visit to Tenpin Laser Quest was a particular favourite, and we are grateful to the team for generously providing discounted ice creams for our young people.
Staying Active Every Day
Physical activity was incorporated into daily programming, with children encouraged to take part in at least 30 to 60 minutes of exercise each day.
Activities included football, basketball, tennis, rounders, boxing fitness, Thai pad training, team games and guided walks. Breathing exercises and mindfulness activities were also integrated into outdoor sessions.
We were fortunate to have support from Shabana, a qualified Personal Trainer, who delivered mini workout sessions both onsite and in local parks, helping children develop healthy habits whilst having fun.
In addition to organised activities, children had access to recreational facilities including table tennis, pool tables, basketball hoops, interactive boxing games, board games, card games, supervised Xbox sessions in Heckmondwike and a cinema room in Huddersfield.
Community Support Makes a Difference
The success of the programme was strengthened by the incredible generosity of local businesses and community partners.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to:
- Greggs, who donated bread loaves weekly for four weeks, with surplus bread distributed to families and caregivers.
- UKFC, who donated chicken and chips meals for children and staff.
- Burger Avenue, who kindly donated pizza and chips.
- Pizza Hut, who donated pizzas for participants.
- West Coast Super Store, who provided treats for children during a community visit.
- Tenpin Dewsbury, for supporting our end-of-summer trip.
These contributions helped ensure children had access to additional food, treats and memorable experiences throughout the programme.
Looking Back on a Fantastic Summer
This year’s HAF Summer Programme was filled with creativity, learning, laughter and new opportunities. Most importantly, it provided children with a place to feel safe, supported and valued while developing friendships, confidence and life skills.
The successful expansion into Heckmondwike marks an exciting step forward for Fresh Futures, and we are incredibly proud of the positive impact achieved across both locations.
A huge thank you goes to our staff, volunteers, partners, supporters, children and families who helped make this summer such a success.
We look forward to building on this momentum and creating even more opportunities for children and young people in the future. ☀️💙
Hear what the children thought below!