Latest news with #HolidayActivitiesandFood
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Five ways parents can get help with summer holiday costs including childcare and food if you're on Universal Credit
Find out how you can get free food, activities and vouchers HELPING HAND Five ways parents can get help with summer holiday costs including childcare and food if you're on Universal Credit Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SUMMER holidays can end up costly for parents, especially those already struggling with the cost of living. Parents can find themselves forking out an extra £1,000 a week over the summer break. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 The school holidays can end up expensive for parents but we've got tips that can help Credit: Getty If they choose to go on holiday, the average price of a getaway for a family of four is more than £3,600. But there are some ways you can keep the costs down - especially if you're on benefits like Universal Credit. The Sun explains what you can do... 'Kids eat free' offers Over the summer holidays you'll find plenty of cafe and restaurant chains run 'kids eat free' offers. These are especially common in supermarket cafes and in restaurant chains aimed at families. For example, Tesco gives children a free meal over the holidays as long as you buy something from the adult menu. Asda offers kids' meals for £1 but you don't need to buy anything else to get the deal. Other chains like Pizza Express, TGI Fridays, Franco Manca and Bill's also usually offer deals over the holidays. These tend to apply to any parents - not just those on Universal Credit or other benefits. Free clubs Low income families can get help from their local council through the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. I've saved £15k on trips to Ibiza, Mallorca & Turkey with term time holidays - I'll never stop, fines are a tax on the working class It can be used to sign children up to sports, music and arts clubs, and it also offers them a nutritious meal each day for free. The help on offer varies by council but families who receive free school meals are usually eligible. In some areas you can get holiday club places for the equivalent of at least four hours a day. You should contact your local authority to see what's available, whether you're eligible and how to apply. Am I entitled to Universal Credit? According to the GOV website, if you're on a low income or need help with your living costs, then you could be entitled to Universal Credit. To claim, you must live in the UK, be aged 18 or over (with some exceptions if you're 15 to 17), be under State Pension age, and have £16,000 or less in money, savings and investments. Other circumstances are if you are out of work, or unable to work, for example because of a health condition. Food and energy bills vouchers Another scheme run by local councils is the Household Support Fund (HSF). Councils across England have been allocated a share of a huge £742million pot that can be spent on helping struggling residents. The latest round of funding is running until March 2026. Local authorities can choose how to spend their share of the fund, but many are transferring cash to the bank accounts of low-income households or offering vouchers that can be spent on energy bills or at supermarkets. You usually qualify for help if you are on a low income, benefits or classed as vulnerable. You should contact your local council to find out what's on offer and whether you qualify for support. Use an app for free or discounted food Some apps can help you get hold of free or heavily discounted food that would otherwise go to waste. Olio lets businesses and households offer up food that would be going into the bin. It's often on a first-come-first-served basis so you'll need to be quick to snap up any items you want. Another app you can try is Too Good To Go, which gives you 'surprise bags' of food at a discounted price. Bear in mind you won't know what you're getting beforehand. Free activities Loads of UK attractions offer heavily discounted or even free admissions for people on Universal Credit or other key benefits. Some of these include ZSL London Zoo, which offers tickets for just £3 for those on Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, or Jobseeker's Allowance. Peak tickets usually start from £33. Meanwhile you can get in for free at York Castle Museum, or for just £1 at Kew Gardens or any of the Historic Royal Palaces. You can see the full list of places here. Cut childcare costs You may be able to get tax-free childcare that can save you 20% on childcare costs over the summer. If you have two kids in clubs for five weeks, that's worth about £300. The help is available for children aged under 12, or 17 if your child has a disability. Eligible parents get up to £500 every three months — a total of £2,000 per year — per child to help with care such as nurseries and after-school clubs. You can also use it toward the cost of holiday clubs. You cannot use the scheme if you are on Universal Credit or receive tax credits - and you risk losing your benefits if you apply. However you can claim for help with childcare costs separately through Universal Credit instead.
Scottish Sun
13-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
I live in the water park capital of the UK – we can visit 5 of the country's best on a day trip from just £8
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LIVING in a landlocked part of the country, as far away from the sea as we can be, we have a raft of fantastic water parks to make up for our lack of coastline. I can drive less than 90 minutes in any direction and get to some of the best indoor splash parks in the UK. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Despite being landlocked, there are many waterparks in and close to Leicestershire 6 American holiday chain Great Wolf Lodge, is also due to create a waterpark near Bicester From our home in Leicestershire, we can visit five water parks on day trips, including Alton Towers, The Wave Coventry, Waterworld in Stoke-on-Trent and two Center Parcs. My boys love a splash about and what we look for in a great waterpark is a wave pool, a variety of slides and flumes and a splashpad with fountains and jets for little ones who might be too small for some of the bigger rides. An outdoor space with rapids or a lazy river is an added bonus. So we're excited that American holiday chain Great Wolf Lodge, which has 23 resorts overseas, could be bringing one of its epic waterparks to neighbouring Derbyshire, after already getting planning permission to build one near Bicester. That'll mean my boys have access to eight indoor waterparks in driving distance, as well as several great outdoor options, like Twinlakes near Melton Mowbray and Wheelgate up near Nottingham. The new Therme Manchester, due to open in 2027, and Blackpool's Sandcastle are only a couple of hours away too. Our favourite is actually a council-run park as it's just such a cost-effective option for a few hours of fun. Moorways in Derby only opened its indoor splashpad with slides and rides in 2022 and it often has deals that drop the price down to £8 per person, even during school holidays. With free parking and a huge aqua inflatable course in the main pool included in the price for some sessions, it really is incredible value for money. There's a soft play on site and other sports facilities too, so you can make a day of it. If you decide to head to one of the other options, there's ways to keep costs down so you don't end up paying over the odds for a day of water fun. The perfect Haven holiday park for a kid-friendly break - with direct beach access, indoor waterpark and neighbouring seaside theme park At Alton Towers, you can get a parent and toddler waterpark ticket for £23 on term-time midweek dates if you're visiting with a little one aged five or under. That's quite a saving compared to around £25 per person normally. If you have Blue Light Card membership, you can visit the waterpark from £15, depending on the date. At the Wave in Coventry, if your children are on benefits-related free school meals, you could use your Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) code to get family entry free for certain sessions in the school holidays. And while you can't visit Center Parcs just for the day unless you know someone who is on holiday there, it's worth an ask if you've got family members or friends who have a break booked. If my family of five book a lodge, we have a spare sixth space that we could assign to a friend or relative, even if they're only coming for the day. 6 Parent and toddler waterpark tickets cost from £23 on term-time midweek dates at Alton Towers Credit: Alamy 6 Waterworld in Stoke-on-Trent has a 'tornado alley' of waterslides Credit: Alamy 6 Center Parcs also have good waterpark options And there was recently a midweek term-time deal that included two free day visit passes, so it's worth keeping an eye open in case that pops up again. I can't wait to see how the plans to bring Great Wolf Lodge to the UK progress. Work is already underway at the site near Bicester, which will include accommodation and other attractions as well as the waterpark. And now discussions with Bolsover Council in Derbyshire to bring a second resort to Clowne near Chesterfield means we could get a park an hour north of us, as well as an hour south of us, as we are exactly in between the two Great Wolf spots. Hopefully the American ethos of bigger is better will be in full force when Great Wolf unveils its plans. The Sun has also listed the UK's best outdoor water parks and lidos – as temperatures rise. Plus, the £75million indoor tropical waterpark that nearly opened in the UK.
BBC News
09-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Easter holiday scheme launched for Peterborough children
Children are being encouraged to take part in free sports and creative sessions during the Easter Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, led by Peterborough City Council, aimed to provide healthy food and activities for primary and secondary school pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (Send).Between 7 and 21 April, eligible children could enjoy free, four-hour sessions, at 50 venues across the with children who are eligible for free school meals can book a slot from Monday. All sessions are funded by the Department for Katy Cole, cabinet member for children's services, said: "I'm delighted that we are once again offering these sessions which have previously proved very popular. There are a wide range of different activities on offer throughout the Easter holidays which children of all ages can enjoy."These sessions provide healthy food and activities that enable children to interact with other children and encourage them to try out new things. "If your child is eligible, then please have a look at what is on offer near you. For parents with children with Send, I'd urge you to look on the website and call those providers you are interested in to see what they can offer you and your child." Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
08-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Plymouth children to get free meals during activity days
Children in Plymouth will have another chance to enjoy fun activities as well as free meals during the school City Council has received government funding to continue its Fit and Fed scheme supports families with children who receive free school meals, giving them the opportunity to keep active and eat nutritious 2024, 2,750 free lunches were handed out while 1,000 teenagers were given the opportunity to take part in activities including trampolining and karting. The project is funded by the Department for Education's Holiday Activities and Food 2024 more than 30,000 children aged between 5 and 16 years old took part in activities such as football, dance and water programme will run in the Easter, summer and Christmas breaks. 'Vital support' Plymouth councillor Sue Dann said she was pleased to receive funding for the project."Fit and Fed is an incredibly important programme and we're delighted to have received confirmation that the funding will continue because it offers vital support to families throughout the school holidays," she said."Not only do children and young people receive a healthy lunch, they're also given the opportunity to get physically active, meet new friends and make special memories." Louise Kelley MBE, from Plymouth Active Leisure, said the funding made "a real difference to families" in the city. "We are all aware of the ongoing challenges many families in the city face with the cost of living, so having access to fun, enjoyable activities in a safe and supported environment is essential."
