School holidays bring extra costs as charities step in to help families

School holidays can be expensive for families already struggling to pay for food, childcare and everyday essentials.

When term ends, children lose the routine of the school day and some families lose access to meals, activities and support they rely on during the week.

Across the country, charities are responding with holiday clubs, food projects, family activities and advice. Their work ranges from large food distribution programmes to small community sessions where children can eat, play and spend time with others.

Feeding Britain combines meals with activities

Feeding Britain’s Healthy Holidays programme combines nutritious meals with activities such as sport, cooking, arts and crafts.

The charity says children are at greater risk of hunger and food insecurity during the school holidays, particularly when families lose access to free school meals.

In summer 2025, Feeding Britain created 33,743 holiday places, served 92,290 meals and reached 6,990 children through its programmes. Those figures are set out in its summer HAF programme update.

The charity works through local partners, so the support available differs from one area to another.

Its programmes are designed not only to provide food, but also to give children somewhere safe to spend time, meet others and take part in activities their families may not otherwise be able to afford.

FareShare supplies food to holiday projects

FareShare redistributes surplus food to charities and community groups running holiday clubs and children’s projects.

Its summer holiday projects campaign says more than 340 tonnes of food is needed to support over 400 projects and provide meals and snacks for more than 50,000 children a week.

FareShare also says it supplies food to thousands of after-school clubs, holiday clubs and children’s charities.

The food is used by local groups providing meals alongside play sessions, sports, trips and other activities. FareShare says the support can also help connect families with wider services in their communities.

The figures on the campaign page relate to FareShare’s published summer appeal and should not be presented as a confirmed total for summer 2026.

Family Action runs holiday hubs

Family Action’s Holiday Hubs provide food and activities for families during the school holidays.

The sessions are designed to give families the chance to eat, learn and play together. They can include activities linked to nutrition, exercise and healthy living.

The service is currently available in selected areas rather than across the whole country, including communities served by Family Action in Greater Manchester, Bristol and Southend.

Family Action also runs wider family and food support services. Its local provision can be found through the charity’s service finder.

In 2025, the charity’s Summer Fund supported events that brought together practical help, family activities and opportunities for local people to connect.

Sense warns disabled children are being excluded

The difficulties facing families during the holidays are not limited to food.

Research from disability charity Sense found that 57% of parent carers struggled to find an accessible holiday club.

More than a quarter said clubs or activities had been unwilling to include their disabled child, while almost half said their local authority would not fund suitable provision.

Only 6% of disabled children in the local authority areas examined were recorded as receiving holiday support.

Sense also found that one in three parent carers had been left financially worse off because suitable holiday provision was unavailable. Among those affected financially, one in five had left work altogether.

The full findings are available in Sense’s holiday club research for 2026.

The charity is calling for more accessible clubs, clearer information for families and more consistent support from councils.

Government-funded clubs rely on charities

In England, much of the formal holiday support is delivered through the Holiday Activities and Food programme, usually known as HAF.

Local authorities receive government funding to arrange free holiday places, mainly for children who receive benefits-related free school meals.

Councils often commission charities, schools and community groups to run the sessions.

The clubs are expected to provide healthy food and enriching activities during the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays.

Families usually need to apply through their local council, school or local provider. Eligibility, booking arrangements and the number of places available vary between areas.

Parents can find details by searching their council website for “Holiday Activities and Food programme” or asking their child’s school.

Local charities provide the final link

National charities may supply food, funding or programme models, but much of the work is carried out by smaller local organisations.

These groups may operate from community centres, churches, mosques, schools or youth clubs.

They often provide more than a meal. A holiday session can give children a safe place to spend the day, while giving parents time to work, attend appointments or manage other responsibilities.

Local organisations may also be better placed to identify families who need support but are not already connected with formal services.

The weakness of this system is that provision can depend heavily on where a family lives and whether local groups have enough staff, funding and suitable premises.

Where families can find help

Parents should first check their council website or ask their child’s school about HAF places.

They can also contact local family hubs, food banks, community centres and children’s charities.

Families with disabled children should ask providers about accessibility, staffing levels and whether one-to-one support is available before booking.

Places can fill quickly, and not every area offers the same level of provision.

For many households, the summer break brings weeks of extra expense. Charities are helping to keep children fed, active and connected, but they are also being asked to meet needs that many local services are struggling to cover.