Cardiff’s multi-award-winning Food and Fun programme will reach more children than ever this summer, helping to ease the financial pressures on many families across the city during the school holiday period.
The school holiday enrichment programme which provides healthy nutritious meals alongside opportunities to socialise, engage in physical activity and learn new skills, will this year be delivered to 29 of Cardiff’s schools, meaning that more than 1500 children and young people will access the provision.
The exciting programme of educational, skills and sports provision will be delivered by a number of city-wide partners with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board supporting the nutrition education sessions.
Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, Cllr Sarah Merry said: “Many people will be feeling the effects of the current cost of living crisis but for some families the impact is far greater, particularly with the added financial burden that the six-week school holiday brings.
“We recognise the need for and importance of Cardiff’sFood and Funscheme. Over the last seven years we have established successful partnership working which has played a key role in supporting positive health and wellbeing amongst those children who benefit from the scheme the most. Providing access to physical activity, healthy meals and nutrition and food sessions, the initiative offers a wide range of activities which some children may not usually have the opportunity to take part in.
“I am delighted that the scheme has grown year on year, and I am looking forward to visiting many of the sessions this summer to meet the children and some of our dedicated members of staff.”
New for this year and in a bid to support the increased use of locally grown produce in school meals,Food and Funis taking part in Food Cardiff’s Veg Pilot. Working together, local growers, Food Cardiff, Cardiff Council and the city’s school meal supplier Castell Howell, will explorehow more local produce could be incorporated into school meals through engagement with children and the supply chain. The initiative supports Cardiff’s commitment to supply two portions of veg in all school lunches.
TheFood and Funscheme was developed by Cardiff’s School Holiday Enrichment team in 2015 and was adopted by Welsh Government and rolled out to the rest of Wales during the following two years. It has been used as an example of Best Practice and has led to Wales being recognised as having the most advanced holiday provision in the UK.
Cllr Merry added: “This year Food and Fun will be delivered in collaboration with Cardiff’s Summer of Fun, our city-wide programme of activity and events which aim to celebrate Cardiff’s children and young people.”
