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The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
The ultimate family guide to cutting the cost of the summer holidays – from free childcare to £1 meals
SUMMER holidays are expensive - but there are ways to give your children a magical summer they'll remember forever without spending loads of cash. From free clubs and exercises sessions to cheap cinema trips and even cash you can claim to fund your fun, we explain. The summer holidays cost families an average £175 a week per child, or more than £1,000 over a six-week break, according to childcare provider Coram Family and Childcare. Sun Savers editor Lana Clements explains how you can have fun on a budget. Free clubs and food Families who usually receive free school meals can tap into the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. Backed by England football star Marcus Rashford, this is offered by most councils in England to help provide childcare, activities and healthy meals to children from low-income families. It can be used to sign up children to sports, music and arts clubs, as well as enjoy a nutritious meal each day for free. The help on offer varies by council. For example, in some areas you could be offered holiday club places for the equivalent of at least four hours a day. Others may run a standard 8am-3pm day for free. Contact your local authority to see exactly what is available and how to apply. Tax-free childcare If you're a working parent, you can cut the cost of holiday clubs by paying through a tax-free childcare account. Many parents use it to pay for nursery or childcare but forget that it can also be used for some holiday clubs. The scheme gives parents an extra £2 from the government for every £8 paid in if your child is 11 or under and usually lives with you. You can get an extra £2,000 towards costs while parents of disabled children can get up to £4,000 more. You'll qualify if you and your partner (if you have one) each expect to earn at least £2,539 over the next three months. Or £2,080 if you're aged 18 to 20, and £1,570 if you're under 18. However, you could earn less and qualify if you're self-employed and started your business less than 12 months ago. Ask camps if they accept tax-free childcare before booking on. You can also find an approved list of childcare providers at You'll find that your local council, school or nursery will usually have a list of local camps and clubs happening. I'm always looking for free activites Mum-of-three Genevieve Roberts reveals how she manages to cut down costs over the summer holidays. The author lives in Hove, East Susses with Astrid, 8, Xavi, 6, and Juno, 2. She told The Sun: 'Entertaining the kids over the summer holidays can get expensive, so, living on the coast, I like to take advantage of the free activities on my doorstep. "Taking three children to do activities can add up to be quite an expense. I could easily spend £100 in a week during the holidays by taking them to paid play centres and things like that. "Instead the children and I love to spend the day at the beach, swimming, playing games and building sandcastles. "To save money, I make sure to avoid expensive beachfront food, always making sure to bring a packed lunch and plenty of snacks." During the summer holidays, Genevieve's savings add up to £600. 'I'm lucky to have work flexibility which enables me to balance the pressures of childcare with long-term financial planning, such as building my pension. "To maximise time with my kids over the holidays, I often opt to work in the evenings, freeing up my days to enjoy the sun and have quality family time. "I save at least £100 a week by working this way and saving on holiday clubs." "Over a six-week holiday period it really adds up." The money she saves goes towards securing her financial future including saving into her pension. Kids CAN eat for free There are loads of chains that run "kids eat free" or "kids eat for £1" offers over the school holidays. You can use these to enjoy a treat meal out for the family for less and you can take a break from cooking lunch or dinner. However, it's worth being aware that some are a better deal than others. Often an adult will need to buy a meal or spend a certain amount to qualify for each 'free' meal which can be a little pricey. But this isn't always the case. 4 One of the best offers is Asda where children can eat for just £1 in its cafes. You'll also get a free Ella's baby food pouch with any purchase for children under 18 months old. The kid's menu includes penne pasta with meatballs, fish fingers, chicken nuggets and all-day breakfast. The hot meal also comes with a piece of fruit. There's no minimum spend or requirement to purchase an adult meal to get the offer. This deal is not limited to the holidays so handy to remember for weekends too. I'd also pick out Dunelm's Pausa cafes where you can get a free mini meal for kids if you spend £4. The offer is available all day every day. Or Ikea offers good value where kids can tuck into Mac n Cheese, soft drink and piece of fruit for 95p at the Swedish chain every day, except Friday, from 11am. You can also get cut-price food through apps that distribute perfectly good grub that would otherwise be binned by local restaurants and shops. Olio offers up items that can be taken on a first come first served basis. Or through Too Good To Go you can get 'surprise bags' of food at a discounted price. However, you won't know what you are getting beforehand so best for non-fussy eaters. Full list of kids eat free offers THERE are plenty of chains to choose from offering kids eat free programmes during school holidays. Choose from any of the following... Angus Steakhouse – Kids under 8 and under eat free from the children's menu when an adult orders a meal; available daily from 12pm–5pm. Ask Italian - During school holidays, kids eat for £1 when an adult buys a main. You'll need to get a code for the promotion by filling in a short form on the chain's website. Asda Cafés – Kids' meals for £1 all day, every day across 205 stores nationwide. There's no minimum spend needed. Bar + Block – Up to two children under 16 eat breakfast free with each adult buying one all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast for £10.99. Beefeater – Two kids under 16 can eat free with every adult breakfast bought for £10.99. Bellia Italia - Kids eat free every Thursday and for £1 until 6pm, from Sunday to Wednesday when an adult meal is bought. Bill's – Up to two kids eat free from Monday to Friday, when one adult orders any main dish breakfast, lunch or dinner. Brewdog - One free kids meal for under 13s, when purchasing an adults main meal over summer holidays. Brewers Fayre - Two kids under 16 eat free with every adult breakfast for £10.99. Dobbies Garden Centres – Kids eat for £1 with the purchase of an adult main course,available every day. Chiquito - One kid eats free with every adult main purchased overthe school holidays. Côte Brasserie - Children aged 12 and under can tuck into two complimentary courses when parents spend a minimum of £20 over the school holidays. Farmhouse Inns – Two kids eat free with one paying adult. Franco Manca - One kid 12 and under get a complimentary individual kids pizza for every full-priced adult main meal from Monday to Thursday during the holidays. Frankie & Benny's - Kids can eat for free every day when any adult meal is purchased. IKEA – Kids meals start at 95p for pasta and tomato sauce available daily from 11am in restaurants. Las Iguanas – Kids under 12 eat free with the My Las Iguanas App during the holidays. Morrisons Cafés – One free kids' meal with any adult meal over £4.50. The offer is available daily. Pausa Cafés at Dunelm – Kids eat free with every £4 spent in the café all day, everyday. Premier Inn – Up to two kids eat free breakfast with an adult breakfast, £10.99. PIzza Express - Kids get a free meal Monday to Friday when an adult meal is purchased during school holidays. Sizzling Pubs – Kids eat for £1 with the purchase of an adult main meal, Monday to Friday between 3–7pm. Tesco - Kids eat free, worth £4, when you purchase anything from the menu including fruit for 65p if you're a Clubcard holder TGI Fridays – Kids eat free with any adult main meal for Stripes loyalty members, available all day, every day. The Real Greek – Kids under 12 eat free with every £15 adult spend on Sundays only. Yo! Sushi - Kids eat free all day with a full-paying adult during local school holidays. Whitbread Inns - Two kids under 16 eat breakfast free with every adult full breakfast, £20.99. Cheap cinema tickets Heading to the flicks for a day is always a winner for kids - especially when the weather isn't cooperating and the heavens have opened. Check perks that you can already access through as banks, insurers and phone providers all offer deals. For example, Vodafone customers get four Odeon tickets for £16 through VeryMe Rewards on the MyVodafone app. Three customers can use the Three+ rewards app for £3 Cineworld tickets. And O2 users are offered two cinema tickets at Vue for £6 or 4 for £12 Vue tickets on the Priority app every Monday at 10am. Otherwise, try an experiences website offering discounted cinema tickets nationwide. And very importantly take your own refreshments to the cinema to avoid extortionately expensive costs for drinks and snacks. Free museums There are plenty of free museums to visit across the UK, which is a great resource to tap into, especially when the weather isn't great. In London some of the top museums can be accessed without paying a penny including The National History Museum and The Science Museum. Just beware that some exhibitions or selected areas can charged. However, there are more museums in the capital that are free to enter than charge. But it's not just London where there are freebies - you should have somewhere free to visit near you, no matter where in the country you live including the The Museum of Liverpool and the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. There's a full list of free museums at Just remember to pack a few snacks and drinks to avoid buying pricey refreshments on the go. Rainy day activities Fine and sunny weather typically makes it easier to keep kids entertained for cheap. Buy when the weather takes a turn you can try one of these activities instead... Library Join your local library for free and you can easily while away a few hours picking out books and reading with children. You'll also usually find a summer reading challenge from your local library where kids can try to complete a list of suitable books - helping to keep them off screens. Many larger libraries will also put on free events such as story time or sing along sessions. Get Baking Hit two birds with one stone and create some tasty and nutritious grub while keeping the kids entertained. Tesco Real Food is a gold mine for family friendly recipes. Try this fresh pasta recipe and serve with their favourite sauce: Add 200g of 00 grade flour (1kg bag £1.60 at Tesco) into a large bowl, then create a well in the centre. Mix two beaten eggs in until you have a dough. Tip on to a clean surface and knead for ten minutes until it becomes a smooth ball. Put it back in a bowl and leave to rest for 20 minutes. Using children's scissors, get the kids to cut off small chunks of pasta and you can place directly into a pan of boiling water. Then Cook for around seven or eight minutes. Cheap crafts Crafts are always a winner for kids. Save dry and clean recycling items, such as cardboard boxes, and ask kids to junk model their creations. You can help younger ones with sticking or cutting pieces. You can also download free colouring sheets from the Hobbycraft website. The retailer also has stacks of easy craft ideas that you can try your hand at with children. Or you can make ceramic style hand prints or decoarations from an easy salt dough recipe. Simply mix 250g of plain flour with 125g of table salt and 125ml of water. Then roll out and use cookie cutters or a child-friendly knife to create shapes. When finished bake on a lined baking sheet for three hours at 50 degrees. Movie afternoon Creating a cosy den for watching films is a great way to make an everyday activity a bit more fun and exciting. Use cushions, duvets and blankets in the lounge and maybe some fairy lights if you have some. You could then cook up a big bowl of popcorn together and mix in favourite sweets as a special treat. Loyalty pays If you collect Clubcard points at Tesco, the summer holidays are the perfect opportunity to cash in. Points are swapped to vouchers which can be spent at Tesco for face value, but if you choose to spend with a reward partner, the value doubles turning £2.50 into £5 to spend. You can use the vouchers on a load of family fun days out including big attraction venues including Thorpe Park, Cadbury World and Colchester Zoo. Taking a family of four (over 1.2m tall) costs well over £100 to go to Thorpe Park during peak periods so the savings are substantial. Meanwhile, Nectar points can be exchanged for tickets to attractions such as Longleat Safari Park and other family-friendly destinations. One Nectar point is worth 0.5p, meaning 100 points are worth 50p and 200 points are worth £1 at Sainsbury's. Unfortunately, you don't get the option to double up but it can still be a good way to spend those hard saved points. Free attraction tickets You can get 2-for-1 entry at 350 attractions across the UK, making one ticket completely free. This is all through National Rail's Days Out Guide with The London Dungeon, The Blackpool Tower Eye, The ArcelorMittal Orbit, and Warwick Castle among the places you can visit through the initiative. To bag 2-for-1 tickets you will need to travel via train to the destination. 4 First, head to the Days Out Guide website and click on "UK Days Out". Then pick the attraction you'd like to visit and download or print, the 2-for-1 voucher. Vouchers and train tickets will then need to be presented to staff at the venue for the promotion to be accepted. Many local farms or animal sanctuaries offer free open hours where kids can see animals and get up close to tractors and more. For example, The Woodland Farm Trust in London or Goodall's of Tong in Yorkshire. You can find one near you by searching on google or look at Find a freebie There are often loads of small free events happening right under your nose but without a big budget for advertising these can be harder to find. Try searching through for local gems going under the radar. You can filter by activity type, as well as search for only the activities that are free. Facebook also has plenty of suggested events you can scroll through where you can search 'near me' or choose a location, as well as date. And check the notice boards of local supermarkets, gyms, libraries and doctor surgeries. Website also has a tool where you can search for activities by postcode and signup to its newsletter to see whats happening in your area. Turn your outdoor area to a play haven SUN Savers Editor LANA CLEMENTS explains how she has turned her garden into a play area to save money. LAST year I invested in making my garden more entertaining for my four-year-old daughter CAN WE NAME THEM? and six-year-old son. They love heading to the local trampoline park, but it costs more than £20 every time we go. Instead, I bought an 8ft trampoline for £90. Yes, it's a hefty upfront cost and you could probably buy cheaper second hand if you can find one and it takes up a huge space in our garden - but it's hands down the best thing I've bought them. Last summer, they spent hours jumping, burning energy and playing in there. I've made back the £90 easily in saved cash from the trampoline park and soft play sessions. But you don't need to spend that much to transform your outside space. Facebook Marketplace and Car boot sales are great places to start to buy furniture and second-hand toys. My kids also love making 'obstacle courses' out of toys and furniture - or we'll play the 'floor is lava' with a few cushions and mats to jump between. Try handing them a pack of chalk and they'll soon be drawing pictures on a patio. Or challenge them to create a 'bug hotel' out of leaves and sticks. On hot days, you can freeze small toys such as dinosaurs in ice and they'll be entertained and keep cool trying to 'set them free'. You can even turn them into mini gardeners, asking them to help water flowers or planting fruit and veg which they'll love to watch grow. Of course, we are lucky enough to have outside space. You can find shared garden spaces nearby or even try and get an allotment to help entertain your kids this summer. Hit the shops Dragging kids round the shops doesn't instantly sounds like a good idea, but if you know where to head it can be fun for free. Pets at Home runs free workshops during school holidays where little ones can learn and meet small animals. See Garden centre chain Dobbies also runs its Little Seedlings Clubs with free workshops on a range of gardening topics suitable for children aged 4-10 years. See Ikea loyalty members can also book on to free workshops for children but these do tend to be popular so you'll need to move quick. Dates and events vary by store look up your neatest at Local pet or aquarium shops are also an easy way to burn a morning or afternoon without spending a penny. If you can find a place selling snakes, spiders or lizards - they'll be enthralled. Friendly retailers are usually more than happy for kids to have a hold and give facts about the And the child-sized trolleys at Lidl are a great way to get your weekly shop done while your mini-me follows and helps pick out items for dinner. Free sports and lessons It's great to get kids up and moving over the holidays. Sports clubs are often fairly pricey but there are plenty of sporting freebies you can take advantage of. Families can play tennis for free at one of the LTA's Big Tennis weekends. These nationwide events are a great way to get inspired with coaching, games and competitions throughout the summer. Find your nearest at McDonald's also offers free Fun Football sessions over the summer. McDonald's Fun Football sessions offer coaching at 1,600 locations to 1 million kids across the UK. Parents can register for free with sessions running until July 27. Sign up at Parkplay is a nationwide scheme offering two hours of free community ball play Saturday mornings in a park or public space. Games are adapted and inclusive, with all generations playing together. Find your nearest at It's worth looking up local big clubs which often give back to the community with cheap or free sessions. For example, Manchester United Foundation's Street Reds offers free sessions to selected kids. Contact your local team to see what is on offer. Or for a bit of running, Junior Park Run is a free weekly 2km event for children aged four–14.. Register at and they can practice each week. Free breaks for kids The cost of a getaway during the school holidays is staggeringly expensive as providers hike prices. However, there are charities who will offer subsidised or even free breaks for low income families, especially those who have never been able to afford the cost of going away. Check out the Family Holiday Charity to see if you could qualify, as well as the Family Fund if you have a disabled child. Benefit information site Turn2us also provides tools for finding grants and charitable support for holidays. Household Support Fund Low income families can get help with essential bills such as energy and food through the Household Support Fund. Every council in England has cash from the government to give out to households battling with the cost of living over the coming financial year. Each local authority distributes the funding slightly different so what you can get and whether you qualify depends on where you live. You may be offered vouchers or cash payments straight in to your bank account. However, the value of support is nothing to be sniffed at and is often worth hundreds of pounds to those who qualify. You'll typically find you could unlock the help if you're on benefits such as Universal Credit. But the cash is not guaranteed - once your council has dished out the funding it's gone so contact authorities as soon as possible to see if you could apply.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Families face £1,076 bill per child for summer holiday childcare
Families paying for childcare over the six-week summer holiday now face a bill of £1,076 per child on average – a rise of 4% on last year, a report has found. Councils have reported a shortage of holiday childcare places – especially for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send), according to research by the Coram Family and Childcare charity. It suggests families in the UK pay on average £1,076 for six weeks at a holiday childcare club for a school-age child, which is £677 more than they would pay for six weeks in an after-school club during term time. The research, based on surveys of local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales between April and June, suggests the average cost of a holiday childcare club has risen by 4% in a year to £179 per week. Wales has the highest weekly price at £210, followed by England at £178 and Scotland at £168. There is significant variation in holiday club prices across England, ranging from £196 per week in the South East to £162 per week in the North West. The report also found that the average cost of a childminder during the holidays is £234 per week in the UK. Inner London has the highest childminder price at £306 per week, compared to the South West where the childminder cost is £191 per week. In England, only 9% of local authorities said they had enough holiday childcare for at least three quarters of children with Send in their area. This figure falls to 0% for three regions in England – the East Midlands, the East of England and Inner London, the report said. The charity is calling on the Government to provide more funding, training and support to holiday childcare providers to meet the needs of Send children. The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme – which funds local authorities to provide holiday childcare, activities and food for children eligible for free school meals – should also be maintained after March 2026 to ensure disadvantaged children have childcare during school holidays, it added. The expansion of funded childcare – which was introduced by the Conservative government – began being rolled out in England in April last year for working parents of two-year-olds. Working parents of children older than nine months are now able to access 15 hours of funded childcare a week during term time, before the full rollout of 30 hours a week to all eligible families in September. The report said: 'It is encouraging to see increasing recognition that childcare is essential for facilitating parental workplace participation, with the continued expansion of funded childcare in early years, support to develop wraparound childcare before and after school, and the introduction of free breakfast clubs. 'There is no longer an assumption that parents and employers are able to fit their work around the school day, or an expectation that they will do so. 'However, outside of school term time, the situation is very different. 'Holiday childcare remains the unspoken outlier of childcare policy and the gap that parents must bridge every school holiday.' Lydia Hodges, head of Coram Family and Childcare, said: 'The need for childcare doesn't finish at the end of term. 'Holiday childcare not only helps parents to work but gives children the chance to have fun, make friends and stay active during the school breaks. 'Yet all too often it is missing from childcare conversations. 'Whilst the increase in government-funded early education has reduced childcare costs for working parents of under-fives in England, prices for holiday childcare are going up for school-age children. 'This risks encouraging parents to work while their children are young, only to find it is not sustainable once their child starts school. 'Availability of holiday childcare is an ongoing issue and without a clear picture of how much holiday childcare there is in each area, we cannot be sure that children – particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities – are not missing out.' Arooj Shah, chairwoman of the Local Government Association's (LGA) children and young people board, said: 'While councils recognise the importance of ensuring there is sufficient provision available for children with Send, it can be difficult to ensure the right provision is available, particularly given the challenging situation that many providers face at the moment. 'Councils work closely with providers to improve access to holiday childcare provision for children with Send but without investment and recruitment of quality staff this will be difficult to deliver.' A Government spokesperson said: 'We recognise the school holidays can be a pressurised time for parents, which is why this government is putting pounds back in parents' pockets both during the holidays and in term time. 'We are expanding free school meals to all children whose households are on universal credit, introducing free breakfast clubs in primary schools, and rolling out 30 government funded hours of early education from September – saving families money and helping them balance work with family life. 'We are also continuing to fund free holiday clubs through the Holiday Activities and Food programme which provides six weeks of activities and meals for any child from a low-income family who needs it.'
The Independent
16-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
Families face £1,076 bill per child for summer holiday childcare
Families paying for childcare over the six-week summer holiday now face a bill of £1,076 per child on average – a rise of 4% on last year, a report has found. Councils have reported a shortage of holiday childcare places – especially for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send), according to research by the Coram Family and Childcare charity. It suggests families in the UK pay on average £1,076 for six weeks at a holiday childcare club for a school-age child, which is £677 more than they would pay for six weeks in an after-school club during term time. The research, based on surveys of local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales between April and June, suggests the average cost of a holiday childcare club has risen by 4% in a year to £179 per week. Wales has the highest weekly price at £210, followed by England at £178 and Scotland at £168. There is significant variation in holiday club prices across England, ranging from £196 per week in the South East to £162 per week in the North West. The report also found that the average cost of a childminder during the holidays is £234 per week in the UK. Inner London has the highest childminder price at £306 per week, compared to the South West where the childminder cost is £191 per week. In England, only 9% of local authorities said they had enough holiday childcare for at least three quarters of children with Send in their area. This figure falls to 0% for three regions in England – the East Midlands, the East of England and Inner London, the report said. The charity is calling on the Government to provide more funding, training and support to holiday childcare providers to meet the needs of Send children. The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme – which funds local authorities to provide holiday childcare, activities and food for children eligible for free school meals – should also be maintained after March 2026 to ensure disadvantaged children have childcare during school holidays, it added. The expansion of funded childcare – which was introduced by the Conservative government – began being rolled out in England in April last year for working parents of two-year-olds. Working parents of children older than nine months are now able to access 15 hours of funded childcare a week during term time, before the full rollout of 30 hours a week to all eligible families in September. The report said: 'It is encouraging to see increasing recognition that childcare is essential for facilitating parental workplace participation, with the continued expansion of funded childcare in early years, support to develop wraparound childcare before and after school, and the introduction of free breakfast clubs. 'There is no longer an assumption that parents and employers are able to fit their work around the school day, or an expectation that they will do so. 'However, outside of school term time, the situation is very different. 'Holiday childcare remains the unspoken outlier of childcare policy and the gap that parents must bridge every school holiday.' Lydia Hodges, head of Coram Family and Childcare, said: 'The need for childcare doesn't finish at the end of term. 'Holiday childcare not only helps parents to work but gives children the chance to have fun, make friends and stay active during the school breaks. 'Yet all too often it is missing from childcare conversations. 'Whilst the increase in government-funded early education has reduced childcare costs for working parents of under-fives in England, prices for holiday childcare are going up for school-age children. 'This risks encouraging parents to work while their children are young, only to find it is not sustainable once their child starts school. 'Availability of holiday childcare is an ongoing issue and without a clear picture of how much holiday childcare there is in each area, we cannot be sure that children – particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities – are not missing out.' Arooj Shah, chairwoman of the Local Government Association's (LGA) children and young people board, said: 'While councils recognise the importance of ensuring there is sufficient provision available for children with Send, it can be difficult to ensure the right provision is available, particularly given the challenging situation that many providers face at the moment. 'Councils work closely with providers to improve access to holiday childcare provision for children with Send but without investment and recruitment of quality staff this will be difficult to deliver.' A Government spokesperson said: 'We recognise the school holidays can be a pressurised time for parents, which is why this government is putting pounds back in parents' pockets both during the holidays and in term time. 'We are expanding free school meals to all children whose households are on universal credit, introducing free breakfast clubs in primary schools, and rolling out 30 government funded hours of early education from September – saving families money and helping them balance work with family life. 'We are also continuing to fund free holiday clubs through the Holiday Activities and Food programme which provides six weeks of activities and meals for any child from a low-income family who needs it.'
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Summer holiday childcare costs now more than DOUBLE after-school clubs, averaging £179 a week
Summer holiday childcare costs are now more than double those of after-school clubs, averaging £179 a week according to a report. Families paying for childcare over the six-week summer holiday now face a bill of £1,076 per child on average – a rise of 4 per cent on last year. This compares with just £399 for six weeks of after-school club during term time. The report, by the Coram Family and Childcare charity, also found councils have reported a shortage of holiday childcare places. It was based on surveys of local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales about summer holiday clubs in their areas. Wales has the highest weekly price at £210, followed by England at £178 and Scotland at £168. There is significant variation in holiday club prices across England, ranging from £196 per week in the South East to £162 per week in the North West. The report also found that the average cost of a childminder during the holidays is £234 per week in the UK. Inner London has the highest childminder price at £306 per week, compared to the South West where the childminder cost is £191 per week. The lack of places was particularly accute for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In England, only 9 per cent of local authorities said they had enough holiday childcare for at least three quarters of children with SEND in their area. This figure falls to 0 per cent for three regions in England – the East Midlands, the East of England and Inner London, the report said. The charity is calling on the Government to provide more funding, training and support to holiday childcare providers to meet the needs of SEND children. The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme – which funds local authorities to provide holiday childcare, activities and food for children eligible for free school meals – should also be maintained after March 2026 to ensure disadvantaged children have childcare during school holidays, it added. The expansion of funded childcare – which was introduced by the Conservative government – began being rolled out in England in April last year for working parents of two-year-olds. Working parents of children older than nine months are now able to access 15 hours of funded childcare a week during term time, before the full rollout of 30 hours a week to all eligible families in September. The report said: 'It is encouraging to see increasing recognition that childcare is essential for facilitating parental workplace participation, with the continued expansion of funded childcare in early years, support to develop wraparound childcare before and after school, and the introduction of free breakfast clubs. 'There is no longer an assumption that parents and employers are able to fit their work around the school day, or an expectation that they will do so. 'However, outside of school term time, the situation is very different. 'Holiday childcare remains the unspoken outlier of childcare policy and the gap that parents must bridge every school holiday.' Lydia Hodges, head of Coram Family and Childcare, said: 'The need for childcare doesn't finish at the end of term. 'Holiday childcare not only helps parents to work but gives children the chance to have fun, make friends and stay active during the school breaks. 'Yet all too often it is missing from childcare conversations. 'Whilst the increase in government-funded early education has reduced childcare costs for working parents of under-fives in England, prices for holiday childcare are going up for school-age children. 'This risks encouraging parents to work while their children are young, only to find it is not sustainable once their child starts school. 'Availability of holiday childcare is an ongoing issue and without a clear picture of how much holiday childcare there is in each area, we cannot be sure that children – particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities – are not missing out.' Arooj Shah, chairman of the Local Government Association's (LGA) children and young people board, said: 'While councils recognise the importance of ensuring there is sufficient provision available for children with SEND, it can be difficult to ensure the right provision is available, particularly given the challenging situation that many providers face at the moment. 'Councils work closely with providers to improve access to holiday childcare provision for children with Send but without investment and recruitment of quality staff this will be difficult to deliver.'
The Sun
30-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Seven summer side hustles you can start now to make hundreds of pounds
PREPARE now for the expense of summer. July and August are among the costliest times of year. 4 4 Parents may fork out an extra £1,000 a week over the school summer break. The average price of a family holiday for four is more than £3,600. Childcare alone can add up to more than £1,000, found Coram Family and Childcare. But there are ways to ease the financial pain. Taking a job on the side could net you hundreds of pounds. On average, side-hustling Brits make around £320 per month – and you can do it too. MEL HUNTER explains how to boost your bank balance between now and the start of the summer holidays. SELL YOUR SKILLS One of the easiest ways to make extra money is by using the skills you already have. Are you a whizz at admin? There's a demand for office help as people take time off in the warmer months. If you're good at gardening, get paid to help people look after their patch. Psychic's path to manifesting money and getting rich | Talking Money Head to platforms like Fiverr, AirTasker and Nextdoor to find jobs or advertise what you can offer. Pioneering People matches vetted companies to temporary workers and promises to pay at least £13 an hour. If you've got the skills to help others learn – from biology to ballet – check out tutoring site superprof. RENT OUT YOUR THINGS Tap into the rental economy to make some extra money At this time of year, your garden and camping equipment is in demand at A four-person tent could net you around £15 a day. The web site takes a 25 per cent cut of the rental price. If you have a gorgeous dress, have a go at hiring it out through A £200 Reiss dress costs around £55 to hire for four-days. You can rent out almost anything. If you're the lucky owner of a Campervan, caravan or mobile home, you can make money instead of leaving it on your driveway. Mike and Sarah Jones, from Surrey, make £6,000 a year renting out their VW Campervan. They've travelled in the van with children Dan, now 23, and Emily, 20, but when lockdown hit, the van just sat in the driveway. IT manager Mike, 51, says: 'It made sense to sell it. The kids were older, and we didn't have time for trips like we used to. But I couldn't bear to part with it.' Mike found campervan rental platforms Camplify UK and got enquiries straight away. Four years on, the family has rented it out more than 200 times, from £79 a night, and made £24,000. They use the profits to help fund their own family holidays. 'We love the freedom a van offers and we're so glad we can share that magic with other people.' MAKE A DATE The summer season is jam-packed with special events, from small festivals to massive sporting events. Many of them take place before the school summer holidays and are a great opportunity to make some extra money. Jobs vary, from bar staff to set-up crews. Look at the jobs page on festival websites and check out 'festival jobs' on Facebook. 4 MAKE MONEY FROM YOUR HOME If you've got an empty bedroom, rent it out through a site like or offer it up for storage through Renting out a parking space is also an easy way to make cash. Amy Knight from the finance website Nerdwallet says: 'Summer 2025 is packed with major music and sporting events, giving homeowners a prime opportunity to rent out their driveway. 'Sports fans will flock to the Women's Rugby World Cup, which will take place across the country. 'Registering with a platform like YourParkingSpace or JustPark takes just minutes.' SELL YOUR STUFF It's the perfect time to sell off old clothes, shoes and accessories on sites like Depop, eBay or Vinted. Nerdwallet reckons you could make up to £540 by selling 30 items of clothes, 10 pairs of shoes and 15 toys, and make more from the most popular brands. You can sell old mobile phones at Sell My Mobile or Mazuma Mobile. Books, CDs and DVDs can be exchanged for cash on WeBuyBooks. Sell old tech or furniture on Facebook Marketplace. Even old cables and instruction booklets are bought by eBay buyers. For instant cash, it's car boot season. Setting up an early morning stall could boost your summer coffers. You could also try 'flipping' – buying something cheaply and then reselling it for profit. Melissa Howard, 36, from The Wirral, resells children's and vintage clothes on Vinted and eBay. The mum of two, who runs a creative agency and a photography studio (@itsmelissahoward), buys bales of second-hand clothes from online wholesalers, before photographing and listing them on the resale sites. From a £300 bale packed with 80 items, she expects to make £1,000 profit. She pays up to £50 extra to get them cleaned before they're delivered, and buys up to seven bales over the spring and summer. The extra earnings help pay for days out with her children Grayson, four, and Rowan, two, who also have expensive summer birthdays. Melissa says: 'I work hard for the profits, but I also get a real buzz from it. It also helps as my main businesses are quieter during the summer.' Top tips for selling on eBay NEW to eBay? It's head of secondhand, Emma Grant, reveals how to optimise your listings: Use key words - eBay automatically filters listing titles for key words, so it's crucial to use the terminology people search for - especially brand and product names. Choose the right category for your product - It might sound obvious but it's important to always choose the most specific category to sell in. Pictures are important - Most users will not bid on items they cannot see. For best results, take photos in natural light against a neutral background and be honest about any scratches or damage to the item. Be as detailed as possible - Be honest about the condition of the product and be sure to note any wear and tear. Look at past sold items - eBay has a function that allows you to search for the item you want to sell and then filter the results by sold items. Here, you can view the price the item has sold for and get insight into how others have listed it. Selling Sundays - Get the timing right. The busiest time for buyers is Sunday evenings, so schedule your listings to end around that time. Opt for seven-day auctions to ensure the max number of bids. The longer your item is listed, the more chance of people seeing it, so unless it's time-sensitive, pick seven days. December is the busiest month on eBay. Be realistic with pricing - Try searching for similar items on eBay, to make sure you're going for the right price and always ask yourself "would I pay this price for this item?" Donate to charity - When listing your item, consider donating a percentage of the sale to a cause of your choice – from 10% to 100% - you can donate the funds raised from your item straight from the platform. CUT YOUR COSTS Using tax free childcare could save you 20 per cent on childcare costs over the summer – that's around £300 if you have two kids in clubs for five weeks. It's available for children aged under 12, or 17 if your child has a disability. For the last half of term, if your child's school is one of the 750 piloting free breakfast clubs, enrol them for an early start. It will save you the cost of breakfast, give you an extra hour to earn and it's fun for them too. SEASONAL SIDE HUSTLES Think about the hottest ways to make money during the summer season. Advertise your services to water plants, feed cats or walk dogs when people go on holiday. Look for casual jobs with fruit farms, gardening firms, hotels, tourist attractions and theme parks. Clare Ford, who runs a teen coaching business, adds to her income by doing GCSE and A level exam invigilation in May and June, earning around £100 a week. The mum of two from Ashford, Kent, says: 'I've been doing it for six years and it's a helpful boost.' Max your side hustle income To maximise your profits, don't undersell yourself. If you provide a professional, reliable service, people will pay you more. Nerdwallet's Amy says: 'Use social media to raise the profile of your side hustle. 'If you're just looking for a short-term boost this summer, use your own network of contacts to spread the word online and offline.' And why stop at one side hustle? Having multiple ways of making money is becoming increasingly common. Amy says: 'If one income stream slows down, the others can pick up the slack.' But if you're already working a day job and juggling family life, making your side hustle something you enjoy makes it easier to stay motivated. Amy says: 'Monetising a hobby or existing skill could save you forking out for tools or materials, plus you'll be more confident marketing what you do.' Remember you may have to declare earnings over £1,000 to HMRC.
