Winter holiday clubs programme finalised

Holiday clubs will run across the city for four days from Monday 20th – Thursday 23rd December inclusive and there will also be a smaller number of programmes available after Christmas until schools return in the new year.

Open to families with school-aged children aged 5-16, daily activities and food are being laid on for free for those who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals or have additional needs. It follows the success of the summer programme and uses funding from the Department for Education.

There are 188 clubs and 12,948 daily places available across community providers, including Birmingham Community Leisure Trust leisure centres and council youth centres.

Cllr Jayne Francis, cabinet member for education, skills and culture, said: “This is great news; the summer programme was extremely successful with thousands of children taking part.  I am really pleased to see such an extensive programme will be available to Birmingham children and young people over the Christmas holidays. This will be a vital support and will ensure thousands of children access enjoyable activities and food during the holidays.  I would like to thank everyone involved for their efforts and look forward to seeing the programme in action in the coming weeks.”

Cllr Sharon Thompson, cabinet member for children and vulnerable families, said: “This is a great chance for children to learn new skills, socialize with other children and generally get ready to go back to school. Too many families struggle over Christmas so this is an invaluable scheme, with a city-wide approach. I’m really pleased that once again it has been extended to include children with additional needs so we can really help those families most in need.”

Parents and carers can get all the information they need and book places in advance now via the Bring it on Brum website.