WF Happy Healthy Holidays aims to keep children and young people active during the School Holidays by providing free activities and healthy food. WF Happy Healthy Holidays is for school age children (Reception to year 11) who receive income-related free school meals.
The sessions are fully funded by the Department for Education (DfE). Please visit the government website for more information on the national programme.
Summer 2026
The Happy Healthy Holidays programme is funded for children and young people who receive Targeted Free School Meals, previously known as Income-Based Free School Meals.
Children receiving Expanded Free School Meals and Universal Infant Free School Meals only are not automatically eligible for the Happy Healthy Holiday programme, unless they meet other qualifying criteria If you are unsure which type of Free School Meal your child receives, please visit Free school meals – Wakefield Council
There are a small number of places available for children and young people who are not in receipt of Targeted Free School meals but they will need to meet the eligibility criteria. These places are very limited, given on a first come first serve basis and not guaranteed.
If you are eligible please book your place at WF Happy Healthy Holidays Eequ booking page
Some of our providers can offer support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities.
If your child requires extra support due to SEND or any other needs, please provide as much information as possible through the Eequ booking site. There is a SEND accessibility checklist on each listing so you know which activities can meet your child’s needs.
Providers will make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to include children and young people in line the Equality Act 2010. The ability to support a child remains at the discretion of the provider, not Wakefield Council. The provider will work with parents/carers to ensure the safety of children with SEND and all other children attending.
Please note that spaces are not guaranteed but are subject to availability when you book.
Take a look at our Parent and Carer Information guide
Your child is eligible to attend if:
They are school age (in reception to year 11) and they are in receipt of income-based free school meals.
Please be aware that Income-Based Free School meals are different to Universal Infant Free School Meals – that all children receive from Reception to year 2.
Claiming Universal Credit does not make you automatically eligible for Income-Based Free School Meals.
For information on free school meals and how to claim if you think you may be eligible, visit the webpage here.
For support for children aged 5 and under, as well as information around childcare visit The First Five Years page: The First Five Years – Wakefield Families Together
If you’ve booked a session but can’t attend anymore, please cancel it on the Eequ booking site – you will have a confirmation email sent to your email address. If you don’t cancel your session ahead of the activity, it might stop you from being able to book activities in the future.
Some activity providers might also offer places that you can pay for in addition to places on our programme. This is up to each provider, and the price may be different depending on who is running the activity.
To find other events that might be happening in your area in the school holidays you can visit the links below:
Family | What’s On | Wakefield Exchange
FREE days out in Wakefield (mumbler.co.uk)
50 Things to Do ages 5-11 | Wakefield
Creativity s’cool – this summer!
FREE creative workshops and skills camps are coming this summer for children and young people living in Wakefield district.
This year we have everything from Design & Illustration, Fashion & Textiles, The Rap school, Printmaking, to making a music video!
To find out more, visit: summer s’cool – Creative Wakefield
You can help support the programme by fowarding information on to eligible families that you work with. You should recieve an email each holiday period when booking opens with more details. If you want to be added to our mailing list, please email HAFWakefield@wakefield.gov.uk.
From Summer 2026, Happy Healthy Holidays funding will be distributed to the Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector through Wakefield District’s Community Investment Gateway. This means that VCSE organisations looking to apply will need to become a member of the Gateway, if they are not already. If you are a VCSE organisation, please visit the Gateway website for information and guidance.
View our Annual Report for 2024
View our Annual Report for 2025
You can click on each image to view it full screen.
For further information about WF Happy Healthy Holidays, please email: HAFWakefield@wakefield.gov.uk