CAMDEN HOLIDAY, ACTIVITIES & FOOD PROGRAMME
The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme is a Department for Education (DfE) funded programme for children and young people from Reception to Year 11, eligible for benefits related Free School Meals (FSM).
The programme offers children and young people free access to a range of physical and creative activities, including some specialist SEND provisions. It takes place during the Spring, Summer and Winter school holidays and includes a free nutritious meal each day.
Camden Council has received funding from the DfE to deliver the HAF programme in the borough – working in partnership with the Young Camden Foundation.
Bookings for HAF Summer 2026 will be opening on our booking platform Plinth in June.
What's the focus of the programme?
- Encouraging children and young people to make healthy food choices.
- Encouraging physical activity.
- Encouraging participation in stimulating activities that promote resilience, character development, and well-being, as well as broader educational achievement.
- Ensuring safety and reducing social isolation.
- Improving knowledge of health and nutrition.
- Increasing engagement with school and local services.
HAF 2024 key stats...
Frequently asked questions
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Who is the programme for?
To qualify for a free place in the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme, you have to meet the following criteria:
- The child / young person must be of school age – from Reception up to Year 11
- The child/young person must be living and/or attending school in Camden
- The child must be in receipt of benefits tested Free School Meals*
- *This programme is primarily aimed at those eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) benefits related - but not exclusively as we aim to include any child experiencing economic and social disadvantage.
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Where do I check if I'm eligible for Free School Meals, benefits related?
Check if your child can get free school meals in England and find out how to apply on your local authority’s website.
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How to send a booking request?
You can search activities and make bookings on our plinth booking site.
You will need to make an account and complete a registration form before you can book a child / young person on to activities. The registration form should take less than 10 minutes to complete and only needs to be filled out once.
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Who manages my booking request?
Bookings are made through your Plinth account. You can manage these by cancelling and booking a new activity at any time. When you book onto an activity, the organiser will be able to see your registration form details.
Organisers have the right to cancel bookings, but will only do this in rare circumstances, such as if a child/young person doesn’t turn up for a few days and they don’t hear from you.
If your child/young person has specific support needs, please contact the organiser to make sure they can provide any support or reasonable adjustments needed. If they cannot provider this, they may ask you to cancel your booking.
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How to cancel my bookings?
You can cancel bookings at any time on your Plinth account.
To do this please log in to your Plinth account.
If your child can no longer attend an activity, please cancel the booking, so someone else has the chance to attend.
If you are unable to cancel through Plinth please contact the provider.
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What happens if my child/children don't go to the activity?
If your child/children can’t go to the activities you booked, please cancel the booking on your Plinth account ASAP, so another child can attend in their place.
The HAF organiser has a right to cancel your entire booking if your child/children don't go to the HAF activities in the first few days and do not contact them.
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What to do when I don’t get a response from the HAF organiser?
If you have contacted a provider to discuss the activity they are running and you don’t hear back within 5 working days, please contact info@youngcamdenfoundation.org.uk
Contact information can be found on the activity page.
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When can I book HAF activities?
HAF programme activities run during the Spring, Summer, and Winter school holidays only. You can book activities roughly a month before the programme starts (mid-March, beginning of July and beginning of Dec approx.).
The booking website is here.
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Can my booking request be declined?
No, but an organiser can delete your booking if they need to (this only happens on rare occasions).
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Can my child attend more than one HAF programme per school holidays?
- Some organisers allow you to book one day at a time. Others require a minimum of one full week when booking, depending on their programme.
- We encourage people to attend the same organisation for at least one full week, so they can get the most from the experience.
- Each child/Young Person can book on to 4 days (Spring & Winter) or16 days (Summer) of activities in total. Your Plinth account will automatically assign you the number of ‘credits’ each term, and you can search and add activities to your basket up to that limit, even if this involves two different providers.
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What happens if my child has a dietary requirement/allergy?
Please add any dietary requirements or allergies your child has to the registration form. HAF activity organisers will be able to see this information.
If you want to ask more questions or check they received the information, you can contact providers directly. Their contact details can be found on the Plinth activity booking pages.
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Can my child bring a packed lunch?
Yes, your child/children and bring their packed lunch but please let the HAF organiser know. Even though your child/children bring their packed lunch they are still entitled to a free healthy meal a day during the HAF activities.
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Can I book a place even though I'm not eligible for Free School Meals?
- This programme is primarily aimed at those eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) benefits related - but not exclusively as we aim to include any child experiencing economic and social disadvantage.
- If your child/children don’t qualify for FSM but you want to enquire about the possibility of booking a place, please contact the HAF organiser directly.
- Please note that this is a free provision for children and young people from Reception to Year 11, living and/or going to school in Camden
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How HAF providers cater for children with SEND?
Most of our providers can support children with low-level SEND needs within their universal settings. We encourage you to contact the organiser before making the booking to check they can make reasonable adjustments and keep your child safe.
We also fund several specialist organisations to run programmes for children with complex SEND. Please contact info@youngcamdenfoundation.org.uk
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How to apply for funding to help deliver HAF
- If you're an activity or food provider interested in being part of Camden’s HAF programme please complete our 2026 HAF Provider Application Form. Or send an email to info@youngcamdenfoundation.org.uk to request more information.
- Interested organisations will be added to the provider distribution list for all future HAF funding opportunities.
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If you are a professional, how can you make a referral for a child?
You can also register a child/Young Person for activities via the Plinth booking page. You will need the child’s parent/guardian/carer details and emergency contact details to complete this booking.
You can also contact providers directly and they can book the Child/Young person on to their activities once bookings open.
The summer HAF programme was really beneficial and life changing for my daughter. She grew in confidence and experienced new activities and made new friends. I would recommend the HAF programme to everyone.”
If you are a local business and would like to discuss how you can support HAF, email haf@youngcamdenfoundation.org.uk to chat to the team.
