Our Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme is back for summer 2026, offering a range of exciting and free activities throughout the school holidays.
Funded by the Department for Education, HAF provides holiday clubs for children and young people from Reception to Year 11 who receive benefits-related free school meals.
Children attending will also receive a free healthy meal at every session, while extra support will be signposted to families in need.
There are more than 9,800 HAF sessions from over 30 providers available at launch, including sports, art, drama, music, outdoor activities and more.  
Summer HAF bookings will go live on Tuesday 2 June at 10am. Anyone who registers interest will receive an email reminding them to complete their booking request. Participants can book up to 16 HAF sessions throughout the summer, with 1 HAF booking per day.
Places are limited and are available on a first-served basis, so we encourage you to book early. If your chosen activity becomes fully booked, you can join a waiting list to be made aware of any cancellations.
There is evidence of inequality in cycling participation and water safety risks, so this summer we’re proud to be offering even more swimming and cycling courses through HAF.
The council’s Travel Safety team will be providing Learn to Ride and Bikeability sessions. A bicycle can be supplied during training for children who do not have access to one.
Brighton Swimming School will be offering intensive swimming lessons to HAF participants throughout the summer alongside localised water safety workshops for families.
We want all young people to feel welcome and included at our HAF sessions, so we have several providers with 1:4 staff ratios in place for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Providers offering higher staff ratios include:
Additional funding is also available to support children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) where one-to-one support is needed, through the Childcare Inclusion Fund. We encourage families to contact providers to talk about their child’s needs as early as possible.
We have a range of sessions for teenagers that allow young people to take ownership by co-designing activities, offering greater independence, skills development and employability. These include:
Councillor Emma Daniel, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Youth Services, said: “Now in its sixth year, HAF has become a highlight of the school holidays for many families in Brighton & Hove, offering exciting activities for children that receive benefits-related free school meals.
“There’s something for everyone, with over 9,800 sessions available at launch, including a range of inclusive and accessible sessions for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
“Our full list of Summer HAF sessions can be viewed now, so we’re encouraging parents and carers to check out the jam-packed programme and register their interest before bookings go live next week.”
A new youth centre was officially opened in Knoll Park in Hove on Friday 10 April, providing a dedicated space for local children, young people and families.
A group of 100 year 8 students recently took part in the Brighton & Hove Young Speakers Challenge and attended a celebration ceremony at the University of Sussex.
The low carbon heating and hot water system at Peter Gladwin Primary School, delivered by a successful local partnership, is now fully up and running.