The Officer Non-Key Decision, made on Thursday 25 September 2025 by Laura Eden, Corporate Director for Children and Young People under delegated authority, approved the outcome of a mini-competition for the Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) for Christmas 2025. This decision will see £269,406.71 awarded to 14 organisations to deliver 10,089 places for children and young people across the borough.

Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) Christmas 2025

The decision approved the award of contracts totalling £269,406.71 for the delivery of the Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) during the Christmas 2025 holidays. This funding will provide 10,089 places for children and young people in Newham who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals. The programme aims to offer nutritious meals and a range of physical and enriching activities during the school holidays, aligning with the Council's commitment to building a fairer Newham and tackling food insecurity.

The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed a maximum grant of £2,049,110 for Newham's HAF provision in 2025. A mini-competition was held to select providers for the Christmas programme, which was divided into three lots: universal provision for primary school children, universal provision for secondary school children, and specialist provision for children with significant special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Fourteen organisations were selected to deliver the HAF programmes at 27 locations across the borough. These providers met or exceeded minimum scoring requirements based on quality, price, social value, and sustainability. The funding awarded is within the Council's budget and is funded by the DfE grant. The decision was made by Laura Eden, Corporate Director for Children and Young People, under delegated authority from the Cabinet.

The HAF programme is a key part of the Council's Young People and Food Security Strategy, aiming to support vulnerable children and young people and mitigate the impact of holiday hunger. Alternative options considered, such as not running the programme or limiting it to local authority-maintained schools, were rejected as they would not meet the DfE grant requirements or provide sufficient provision and diversity of activities. The decision is compliant with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the Council's Contract Standing Orders. An Equalities Impact Assessment has been conducted and is kept under review, recognising the programme's links to class, race, and disability.

The successful organisations and their respective locations for the Christmas 2025 programme are detailed in Appendix 1 of the report¹.