Tuesday, 13 September 2022
The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, introduced by the government, provides funding for local councils to distribute to centres to provide activity days for children in receipt of free school meals.
With many equestrian centres joining the project, each child that takes part is provided the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities, meeting a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity per day, including- horse riding, horse management and other games, as well as creative activities. Nutritional education will also be part of the day where children will be involved in food preparation and cooking to learn more about the importance of healthy eating plus preparing and growing their own food.
The British Equestrian Participation Team has visited a range of centres who have been providing the HAF camps throughout the summer:
Many benefits have come from HAF camps, with centres involved feeling that it gives them a closer connection to the community and provides a safe space for the children to be involved in a fun learning environment. The HAF camps have allowed children with a love for horses get involved in doing something they're passionate about, as well as opened doors for those who have never experienced the joy of spending time with these incredible animals.
Adam Hughes, Strategic Lead and Relationships commented, “I am very grateful to the centres for providing us with the opportunity to visit them and see all the fun involved in the HAF camps. They each demonstrated their motivation to work with their local community and their commitment to getting more children involved in the wonderful world of horses.”
More information on the HAF camps can be found here: Holiday activities and food programme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
British Equestrian is calling for riding centres to get in touch if you’re currently running or have run HAF camps or would like to be involved moving forwards. If this interests you, please contact participaton@bef.co.uk.