Free fun and healthy food for hundreds of Rossendale kids at Easter, Summer and Christmas

Free fun and healthy food will be provided for hundreds of young people and families after Rossendale Leisure Trust secured government funding.

The Holiday Activity and Food programme (HAF) was successfully run by the Leisure Trust, in conjunction with external providers, during Summer and Christmas holidays in 2021. Now the Department for Education has approved further funding of £200,000, which will enable the Leisure Trust to go ahead with two weeks of food and activities over Easter, four full weeks during the summer holidays and a further week at Christmas.

The project provides activities and food for eligible primary, secondary and special school students.

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Rossendale HAF Co-ordinator Paul Gallagher said: “This is brilliant news for families and young people across Rossendale, especially as many people are already facing challenging times with the cost-of-living escalating. The Leisure Trust has a proven track record of being able to successfully co-ordinate a range of providers to lead the HAF programme, and we are hoping to build on the success from the 2021 programme.

“The activities not only enrich, benefit and offer challenges to the participants, the programme ensures that everyone who attends can enjoy healthy food.”

Bookings are already coming in for the Easter activities, which will be based in different locations and venues across Rossendale. New to the programme this year will be the chance to ‘escape’ from Lucardo Escape Rooms in Rawtenstall. Other activities include hula hooping, multiskills, forest schools, dance and circus activities, a cooking workshop and animal handling.

Leisure Trust venues will also be used to provide swimming at both Marl Pits and Whitworth Leisure Centre, Laser tag, climbing, roller skating and gym workouts at the Adrenaline Centre, and skiing and tubing at The Hill Home of Ski Rossendale. Easter-themed events will also be held at Kay Street Baptist Church in Rawtenstall, and gymnastics and trampolining at The Valley Leadership Academy.

A separate special needs HAF includes a range of forest school activities at Cribden House, Rawtenstall.

Paul added: “We are looking forward to providing young people and families across Rossendale with invaluable opportunities to take part in free activities over the holidays and enjoy healthy food.”