New booking system makes it easier for parents to access Holiday Activities and Food programme

We’ve introduced a new booking system for parents to access and book sessions on their Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. It’s been designed with feedback from parents, to make it quicker, less complicated, and more convenient to use from mobile phones and tablets, as well as laptops and PCs.

The new system, partnered with EEQU, presents the full range of holiday activities available to parents, with links to each activity for further information including where and when the activity is, directions to it, and other important information about the activity. Parents can also register interest in attending it.

Once a parent has expressed an interest in their child attending the activity, the booking system will carry out an instant assessment of their eligibility to attend. If eligible, they will receive a confirmation of their booking, and be sent reminders in the lead up to the session. If a parent needs to cancel the session for whatever reason, they can do so easily using the new booking system, which will enable other children on the waiting list to attend.

The Holiday Activities and Food programme is a government-funded initiative targeted at providing free activities and a nutritional meal to children and young people who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals during term time. In Devon, that equates to around 20,000 eligible free school meal children.

We have been delivering the HAF programme since 2018, and now work with over a 100 holiday activity providers around Devon that provide a wide range of activities for children and young people with all abilities.

The government has recently awarded us £1.9 million to fund the HAF programme in 2025/26.

The activities run in school holiday time, covering 4 days in Spring, 16 days in the Summer, and 4 days in the winter. The HAF programme does not run in half-term holidays.

For more information about Devon’s HAF programme, please visit our website.

Read the full article in the Devon County Council news bulletin.

The new booking system is now live.