HvH Arts HAF Story

HvH ARTS supported 87 unique children every day during our Summer HAF programme and 75 unique children every day on our Easter programme this year 2023. Before the HAF programme started, we could only support 30 to 35 children on our programme funded through our campaigns, donations, and grants. The difference the HAF programme makes is crucial in the fact that we can support nearly 3 times the number of children and young people, being able to provide them with a fantastic lunch, creating new friendships, bringing local children together from different schools, all while learning excellent skills in the Arts, Photography, Music, Film, Sculpture, Cooking, Dance, Fashion/Textiles design and Drama.

Around 70% of 11–16-year-olds who attend our HAF courses go on to accredited further study in the arts - whether it’s a formal arts education such as GCSE or arts college, or an accredited extracurricular activity such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. We also offer the opportunity for our young people to become Youth Ambassadors and be awarded a scholarship in the Arts. In the last year, 3 young people who attended our HAF courses, who were not originally planning to study the arts at school, have taken up GCSE Art, Drama, or Music.

The HAF programme is the difference between our children spending their holidays in overcrowded homes or out on the streets, missing the healthy meal that they'd get at school - or with us at HvH ARTS, safe and not hungry, learning new skills, developing their creativity, having fun, making new friends, and producing art which inspires them and others around them.

I would like to thank the Department of Education in developing the HAF programme, and long may it continue. I personally feel that the HAF programme is one of the most essential funded programme needed to support children and young people living in disadvantaged areas. The difference this programme is making to our beneficiaries is of the utmost importance in supporting good mental health, physical wellbeing and being educated in the arts whilst not in school.

What do young people and parents think of HvH Arts?

"It was such fun and I learned a lot of stuff we don't get to do at school"

"Thank you so much for running summer holiday camp! My kid was so nervous going somewhere new without his friends from school but all staff members are so kind, nice and friendly and he really enjoyed! Thank you!"

" The most fun I've had throughout the summer, because you get to see your friends and make new friends. Nice meeting the new teachers too. The activities were fun and you got to learn new skills"

"I loved it. Thank you so much. I am so happy I made new friends"

To find out more about HvH Arts and the work they do, visit their website.