Introduction
Welcome to our Healthy Holidays 2024 – 2025 annual report, an opportunity to look back at what has been achieved over the past year. Healthy Holidays provide opportunity for our children, young people and families to experience fun activities across the borough, whilst having a focus on being 'healthy, active and happy'.
This year we have seen an increase in provider applications and have successfully funded some new providers, as well as continuing to support longer standing providers to ensure a broad range of diverse activities for children. Our reach has continued to extend, offering support to more children and families over the holiday periods. Food hampers over the festive period continued to be an appreciated resource for some of our most vulnerable families.
This year Rotherham Healthy Holidays have seen increased engagement and commissioned a total of 213 activities that were available across the Borough, with over 7,200 children attending! I have been impressed by the diversity of activities on offer with African drumming, photography, drama, and dance to name a few. In terms of further numbers, 35,612 sessions have been commissioned and 29,150 meals have been served. This supports the increasing reach of the programme.
Our showcase event, bringing providers together to recognise and celebrate the impact of the wide and varied offer for children in Rotherham, heard about the positive impact these activities have. It was very clear that these opportunities make a real difference for our children.
I would like to thank all the children and their families who have put their all into participating in a range of activities; Family Help colleagues who have coordinated the service provision; colleagues from across Council departments who have supported the delivery of the programme; our schools; voluntary and community sectors partners, and an extra special thank you to providers and volunteers who made it all possible and afforded children fun filled memories.
Kelly White, Assistant Director, Family Help
