HAF (Holidays Activities and Food) Summer 2026 Evidence shows that free holiday clubs such as the HAF scheme can have a positive impact on children and young people and provide consistent and easily accessible enrichment activities. We delivered sessions in two local authorities, Wolverhampton and Sandwell, thanks to funding from Department for Education, as part of the Best Start in Life initiative. RAW aimed to achieve the following outcomes, among others, for the young people we worked with in this scheme: • reduce isolation, • develop confidence, • learn new things, • have fun, • improve mental health, • eliminate boredom • create new artworks that didn’t exist before • improve self confidence
Here’s a snapshot of what did in each local area. CITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON COUNCILWe delivered a varied timetable of creative activities, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, with plenty of plan B’s / and C’s for ‘fast finishers.’ We hired a section of the hall at Workspace, ASAN (All Saints Action Network) WV2 1EL on 10 weekdays, 27th July – 7th August 2026, and their onsite kitchen, ASANDwich, provided our catering. Some of the young people had additional needs as follows: • Autism • ADHD • Sensory and physical needs • Dyspraxia • Dyslexia • Anxiety • Speech / language difficulties • Dyscalculia • Moderate Learning Needs • Heart condition • Asthma • methyl melonic acidaemia • Hearing Impairment  The Wolverhampton HAF 'Dream Team'! Sample Photos of Activities
Voice of the Learner Survey Results - Week 1Voice of the Learner Survey Results - Week 2Feedback from Young PeopleI felt really inspired about learning the Sign Language. Summary of Young People Feedback Feedback from young people attending the summer art and BSL sessions was overwhelmingly positive. Across the programme, participants repeatedly described the sessions as fun, enjoyable, creative, interesting and inspiring. Many young people said they enjoyed “everything” they did, showing that the overall mix of activities was well received. The BSL sessions were particularly valued. Young people commented that they liked learning sign language and felt inspired by it. One participant also noted learning that sign languages are different around the world, suggesting that the sessions supported both practical learning and wider cultural understanding. The art and craft activities were also very popular. Participants highlighted watercolours, drawing, making beach hangers, postcards, friendship bracelets, jigsaw puzzle pieces, Keith Haring-inspired figures, bug houses, beeswax candles, collage, canvas painting, pop art and shoe making activities. Several young people described these activities as ‘creative’ and ‘amazing’. Food and breaks were mentioned positively throughout the feedback. Young people described lunch as ‘tasty’ and one response summarised the day with “Paint: good; Lunch: tasty; Break: fun; Yoga: calm.” Yoga was positively received, with participants describing it as calming and enjoyable. The comments suggest that the sessions created a welcoming and supportive environment. Young people described feeling happy, excited and grateful, and one participant specifically said that the staff were helpful. Others wrote that they had learnt a lot and would like to come again. Overall, the feedback indicates that the summer art and BSL sessions were successful in engaging young people, helping them learn new skills, encouraging creativity, and creating positive memories. The strongest themes were enjoyment, creativity, learning, appreciation of staff support, and enthusiasm to take part again. Feedback from Parents / Carers“The kids loved the activities and staff and would like you attend again.” Summary of Parent/Carer Feedback Parent feedback on the Real Arts Workshops (RAW) Summer HAF art and BSL scheme was highly positive. Families reported that children thoroughly enjoyed the activities, felt welcomed by staff, and were keen to attend again. Several parents highlighted the quality of the team, describing staff as friendly, skilled, child-centred and supportive. A strong theme across the feedback was the inclusive and nurturing environment created by RAW. Parents valued the way staff supported children with different needs, including children requiring emotional support or additional reassurance. One parent noted that their child, who had previously experienced social isolation, was able to attend every session and enjoy the programme, describing this as a significant positive shift. Overall, the feedback suggests that the Summer HAF art and BSL scheme had a meaningful impact on children’s confidence, engagement and wellbeing. Parents appreciated both the creative activities and the caring approach of staff, with some expressing that their children wished they could have attended more sessions. The responses indicate strong demand for future RAW holiday provision. SANDWELL MBC The Sandwell HAF 'Dream Team'! We delivered a varied timetable of creative activities over 5 days, Mon 10th - Fri 14th August, typically one activity in the morning and one in the afternoon, with plenty of plan B’s / and C’s for ‘fast finishers.’ We had use of the upstairs room at West Bromwich Central Library. We negotiated drop off and pick up parking with the Town Hall as there is no free parking directly available at the library. Food was delivered each day by external catering company, 2MUCH PASSION CIC. Some of the young people had additional needs , eg •Autism •ADHD •Lack of concentration Sample Photos of Activities Some of the activities the young people did were:
Voice of the Learner Survey ResultsFeedback from Young PeopleI love this place the people are very nice, great and amazing activities, fun games and I just love place very much 10/10 Summary of feedback from learners Feedback from young people is extremely positive. Participants described our Arts and BSL project as fun, amazing, creative and welcoming, with several rating it highly and saying they looked forward to attending. The arts activities were a clear highlight, including painting, making a lighthouse, creating artwork to take home and completing the Keith Haring task. Young people also valued the chance to learn British Sign Language, with some saying they had always wanted to learn BSL but had not previously had the opportunity. Staff were praised for being kind, supportive and clear in their explanations, helping participants feel included and confident. Feedback also shows positive wellbeing and social benefits: young people said they felt happy or delighted after the sessions, made new friends and enjoyed the friendly atmosphere. The project successfully combined creativity, inclusion and learning, leaving participants with a strong sense of enjoyment, achievement and connection. Feedback from Parents / CarersMy son is very happy with his experience. He enjoyed the activities and learnt many new things. The people were friendly and he enjoyed meeting them.” Summary of feedback from parents Parent feedback following the summer art and BSL programme for young people aged was very positive. Parents reported that their children were happy with their experience, enjoyed taking part in the activities, and learnt new things through the programme. The feedback also highlighted the friendly and welcoming atmosphere, with young people enjoying meeting and engaging with the people involved. Overall, parents felt the programme was valuable, enjoyable and well received, with one parent noting that they would recommend the activity to other families. A massive THANK YOU to West Bromwich Central Library and All Saints Action Network for being fantastic hosts, to all our staff, volunteers and interpreters, the fabulous caterers and of course the children and families who booked to take part in our sessions. Without them there would literally be no holiday scheme!
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Delivering summer HAF Schemes across the regionOver summer 2025 we delivered HAF (Holiday Activities and Food) schemes in not one but 3 local authorities: Sandwell, Dudley and Wolverhampton.  The HAF programme was rolled out by the government in 2021 and provides free holiday provision including healthy food and enriching activities for low-income households. Evidence shows that free holiday clubs can have a positive impact on children and young people. It also encourages children to eat healthily over the school holidays, remain active, take part in activities that support resilience, character and wellbeing and fosters a sense of achievement. This fits in with RAW’s own ethos, that ‘art is good for everyone’ and our purpose which is ‘to engage people in meaningful creative experiences that enable them to build their confidence, meet new people, develop skills and break down barriers’ RAW aimed to achieve the following outcomes, among others, for the young people we worked with in this scheme:
We have been a HAF provider to City of Wolverhampton Council for many years and it’s been our aim to develop this offer into other authorities and so we chose 2 neighbouring areas, Dudley and Sandwell this summer, a week of activities in each. SANDWELL HAF – Wednesbury Library 28.7.25 – 1.8.25 What a brilliant first time delivering our first Sandwell Summer HAF project at the beautiful Wednesbury Library, a Carnegie Library. The young people did loads of creative projects such as charcoal drawings, Escher tessellations, clay pots, mask making and Steve from Minecraft cartoons. We included some education about healthy lifestyles, including Arcimboldo style portraits with real fruit (which they then ate!); drawings of fruit and vegetable faces, and the children wrote affirmations on tags and placed them on large cardboard fruits, and some British Sign Language fruit and veg vocab. They had chance for some physical activity at lunchtimes in the neighbouring memorial garden. Thanks to all our staff and volunteers for their help, and of course Sandwell Holiday Activities and Department for Education for funding the sessions and many more across the borough. Thanks also to 2 Much Passion CIC for providing delicious hot food this week. SELECTION OF PHOTOS       QUOTES FROM LEARNERS28.7.25 QUOTES FROM PARENTSMy son had a brilliant time, he even asked for another day he could go, the staff was amazing, wished they had more dates, really hope next school holidays there more dates. DUDLEY HAF – Green Park Community Centre 4.8.25 – 8.8.25We had use of the classroom at Green Park Community Centre, DY2 7LG. At lunchtimes we were able to use the small playground and neighbouring football courts to allow the children to get some fresh air and exercise. Many of the young people who attended had additional needs and health conditions. Thanks to Dudley HAF and Department for Education for funding these sessions. SELECTION OF PHOTOS 
QUOTES FROM LEARNERSToday the activity I have enjoyed the most is using your imagination to create pictures with fruit QUOTES FROM PARENTS“M attended the workshop and really enjoyed it. Thank you so much.” WOLVERHAMPTON HAF SCHEME – 11.8.25 – 22.8.25We hired the hall at Workspace, ASAN (All Saints Action Network) WV2 1EL. At lunchtimes we were able to use the football courts over the road (weather permitting) to allow the children to get some fresh air and exercise. We also commissioned 3 external professionals to lead sessions as part of our offer: a Qigong teacher who led a gentle martial art to encourage mindful movement; a garment customising expert and an art therapist who led a motivating carnival making session. We were fully subscribed for this project, having delivered for several years in Wolverhampton we have built up a good reputation for engaging with young people and get a lot of repeat bookings, alongside some new participants. Selection of Photos     QUOTES FROM LEARNERSFrom ‘Thought of the Day’ slips: QUOTES FROM PARENTS“Our child has SEND, is autistic and has a complex presentation which can vary widely from day to day and even minute to minute. Real Arts Workshops have gone above and beyond in making reasonable adjustments to enable his participation in every holiday season for the past few years, and in managing any incidents appropriately when they do happen. This is the only HAF provider we have used in the last year, and we are most grateful for the opportunities RAW have afforded us.” We are running a Winter HAF scheme in Wolverhampton on Monday 22nd - Wednesday 24th December 2025 at All Saints Action Network (ASAN) and on Friday 2nd January 2026 at Bob Jones Community Centre. We are also considering other areas and will post here as soon as applications for families are open. Summer HAF Scheme - SandwellWe are branching out! Not only are we doing a Summer HAF scheme in Wolverhampton this year, we are also doing a week of activities in Sandwell and a week in Dudley. SANDWELL These are FREE sessions for eligible* young people in Sandwell aged 7-16 (up to 19 with an EHCP). * Eligible families will have received notification from the council. See the poster for the details of our Sandwell project.  We are holding our sessions at the beautiful Wednesbury Library, Walsall Street, Wednesbury WS10 9EH
Between 10am and 2pm on these 5 days: Monday 28th July – Friday 1st August 2025 We have extensive experience of working with young people with ASD / ADHD and other SENDs. As some of our team use BSL as a first language we are also able to engage fully with young people who also sign. Click the button below to see our listing on the Sandwell HAF site. To book a place, parents/carers must register their child via the Holiday Activities (E-Vouchers) platform using their 16-digit HAF code. Summer HAF Scheme - DudleyWe are delighted to have been funded by Department for Education via Dudley MBC to deliver a week of HAF activities for 7-16 y/o this Summer. See the poster for the details of our project:  We are holding our sessions at Green Park Community Centre, Watsons Green Road, Dudley DY2 7LG Between 10am and 2pm on these 5 days: Monday 4th – Friday 8th August 2025 We will be delivering various art activities and a bit of BSL (British Sign Language) too! We have extensive experience of working with young people with ASD / ADHD and other SENDs. As some of our team use BSL as a first language we are also able to engage fully with young people who also sign. To book a place, parents/carers must register their child via the Booking Lab platform. Click the button below to see all the activities (including ours) on the Dudley HAF site. The booking system is NOW LIVE so don't delay as places are limited. Summer HAF Scheme - WolverhamptonWe are pleased to have been funded by City of Wolverhampton Council and the Department for Education to provide Summer HAF (Holiday Activities and Food Programme) Specialist Arts, Craft & BSL (British Sign Language) activities.  These are FREE sessions for eligible* young people in Wolverhampton aged 7-16 (up to 25 with an EHCP).
We are holding our sessions at The Workspace at All Saints Action Network Ltd (ASAN), All Saints Road, WV2 1EL between 10am and 2.30pm prompt on these 10 days: · Monday 11th – Friday 15th & · Monday 18th – Friday 22nd August * There is no charge for these sessions: all tuition, high quality resources and a packed lunch are included. Eligible families will have received a letter regarding their eligibility. Please register your interest using the link below as soon as possible because spaces are, as usual, limited and feel free to share. #GivingPeopleACreativeVoice #summerhaf #HAF2025 A Springtime Burst of Creativity and Connection!What a truly fantastic Easter HAF (Holidays Activities and Food) scheme we've had this year! We were really pleased to be funded by the Department for Education and Wolverhampton City Council once again to provide this range of enriching art, craft, and BSL experiences. The HAF scheme is invaluable, providing funded places for eligible families of children and young people aged 7-16 (25 with EHCP) and recognising the profound impact holiday clubs have on them. These schemes are designed to help young people stay active, eat healthily, take part in enriching and engaging activities, and reduce social isolation. We are incredibly proud to design our activities based on previous feedback from young people, ensuring they are relevant, exciting and inclusive. Building on the success of previous years, our workshops once again offered a vibrant mix of activities, foster a strong sense of creativity, community and support for every participant. Day 1: Art, Healthy Living & BSL BasicsOur Easter HAF kicked off with a creative explosion! Young people dived into Minecraft drawings (including a fab 'Steve'!) and even a brilliant Jack Black portrait.  We then explored the weird and wonderful art of Giuseppe Arcimboldo, inspiring participants to create their own unique characters from fresh fruit – which they happily ate afterwards!
 Our wonderful Deaf role model, Gary, taught the children some valuable British Sign Language (BSL) vocabulary linked to healthy food, followed by an insightful presentation on living healthily by Alex. It was truly educational creative fun with a purpose!  Day 2: Clay, Charcoal & Creative ExplorationDay 2 brought more hands-on artistry! Clay modelling proved incredibly popular, and we loved seeing the fantastic creations take shape. Many young artists also experienced charcoal drawing for the first time, producing captivating pieces.   Day 3: Escher's Magic & Classic Designs Mid-week, we challenged imaginations by delving into the ingenious works of M.C. Escher. Participants were inspired to create their own impressive tessellation art.   Later, we journeyed back in time to the 1800s, exploring the famous Blue Willow Pattern plate design. Young people then created their own stunning Willow Pattern designs on plates – with a few cheeky Jack Black features making an appearance!    Day 4: Music, BSL & Performance!Our final day was a crescendo of music and sign language! Gary taught the children more British Sign Language (BSL), leading up to them learning how to sign our original song, "We Shine Together."  The creativity continued as they made their own instruments – Guiros, Tin Can Drums, Tambourines, and Maracas! The day culminated in two wonderful performances of the song: one with their handmade instruments and another entirely in sign language. What a powerful display of communication and teamwork!   The smiles, laughter, and incredible creations speak for themselves that took place over our Easter week. We're really proud of the energy and talent shown by everyone who joined us. A huge thank you to All Saints Action Network Ltd for graciously hosting our activities. Most importantly, our heartfelt thanks go to all our brilliant staff and dedicated volunteers, whose passion and hard work truly made this Easter HAF scheme unforgettable. You are the heart of REAL ARTS WORKSHOPS! We're already buzzing with ideas for our summer HAF activities and can't wait to see you there for more creative adventures! Participant Feedback from Easter HAF 2025
We were thrilled to hear what the young people had to say about their experience: I enjoyed everything and I had a lot of fun drawing Minecraft Steve. If I had to rate it, I would rate it 5 stars!" Survey Data
#EasterHAF
#Wolverhampton #YouthActivities #CreativeFun #BSL #Inclusion #ArtWorkshops #HAF2025 #RealArtsWorkshops Amazing Christmas and New Year HAF CreativityWe were really pleased to be funded by Department for Education and Wolverhampton City Council to provide a range of enriching art, craft and BSL experiences for young people aged 7-16 (25 with EHCP). The HAF scheme provides funded places for eligible families, and recognises the impact holiday clubs have on children and young people. These schemes help young people stay active, eat healthily, take part in enriching and engaging activities and reduce social isolation. We design our activities based on previous feedback from young people and foster a sense of community, inclusion and support. Our sessions are generally staffed by a sign language interpreter making them accessible to BSL users.  Chinese lanterns created by the young people adorn the foliage in the atrium at All Saints Action Network We ran our sessions on 4 days, on 23rd December 2024 and then again on 2nd, 3rd and 4th of January 2025. We were hosted by All Saints Action Network, and would like to thank all our staff and volunteers for making this another memorable scheme. Here's a little snapshot of what the young people got up to on our scheme... Day 1 : Christmas Crafts and Healthy LifestylesWe took the opportunity to do some Christmas Crafts as there were still 2 days left until the big day! This included pinecone trees, tea-light snowmen, decorated cardboard baubles and wood slices and drawings. Here's what the young people told us in feedback about the activity:
It is a requirement of our funding that we deliver some information about healthy lifestyle choices, including about diet, and so we thought it would be fun to encourage the children to make their own Christmas characters using fresh fruits - which they could then eat. Here's what they told us about this activity:
Day 2 : Tee Shirts and Cardboard afternoonThe children had a morning of creating their own tee-shirts. As you can see there were all sorts of different designs. This was followed by an afternoon learning about RAW's founder, artist Alex Vann's journey from a final year university project to Real Arts Workshops, via the Wolves in Wolves public art project, painting the mayor of Wolverhampton and publishing his book 'Joseph The Useful Cardboard Box' which led onto some cardboard crafts including about healthy eating etc. The message being that from a seemingly small idea can come a whole business idea! Here are a few pics... Here's what the young people said about this day...
Day 3 : wooden model making, optical illusions and snake drawingsThis was a busy day of creativity! Starting with assembling wooden models of animals, insects and dinosaurs - a good test of following instructions, patience and fine motor skill work! This was followed by our volunteer Wayne leading some mind-bending optical illusion type drawings on gridded paper. As 2025 is Chinese year of the snake, some young people tried out their sketching skills on a drawing of a King Cobra - aren't they amazing? Here's what the young people told us about this day...
Day 4: Chinese New Year and BSL / Deaf awareness and gamesThe young people took part in a wide range of Chinese New Year activities, icluding making lanterns (using baubles), snake origami, painting Chinese characters on a 'magic' disappearing paint mat and making good luck Spring Couplets. Then our very own Deaf role model, Gary, explained about his own journey as a Deaf person growing up in a hearing environment, including, meeting ambassador for the Deaf community and level 2 signer, Princess Diana; campaigning for BSL recognition by the Government and being a TV presenter (even appearing in hit TV show Byker Grove). Followed by BSL game of bingo, which included vocabulary about physical activities. Lunch time runarounds!We are lucky to work at a venue with its own football pitches and our young people love to get some fresh air and exercise at lunch times. Survey resultsWe always ask for online feedback on the last day of the scheme. This is anonymous and gives us an insight into what the young people enjoyed most, how they rate our staff and our activity and helps us build and plan for future activities.  As you can see, we get an almost 5 star rating, which we are very pleased with.  100% of participants said they enjoyed taking part ans 90% told us that they learnt something new.  90% told us that they felt more creative/ inspired after attending our scheme. End of scheme feedback (including volunteers and parents): Thank you all for your kindness and support |
AuthorReal Arts Workshops is an independent arts company based in the Black Country, providing bespoke workshops for various organisations and groups. Archives
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