Support for families, fun for children

It’s so wonderful to see the first signs of spring - in our gardens, parks and green spaces - and that additional spring (pardon the pun!) that the sunshine puts in our step.

Easter is almost upon us, bringing with it the school break for two weeks for those families with children. A time to recharge the batteries and spend some quality time with the children or grandchildren. If you are looking for things to keep them occupied this Easter then look no further than our brilliant Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. 

Running over the two-week Easter school break, it has lots of things to do and try - and great food - to keep them fed, fuelled and entertained all day long. Our 2023 Easter HAF programme has 18 providers at 25 different locations across the whole borough.

Our HAF programme is free to all families in receipt of benefits-related free school meals, but any family can make a booking - there just may be a small charge by the provider if your child doesn’t receive a free school meal..

Many of our providers have specific sessions and activities for children with special educational needs or disabilities, so do please take a look at all the different listings at www.suttoninformationhub.org.uk/pages/HAF 

Over 1,200 children had a great time at our Christmas HAF, so please do take a look at what’s on offer (this video shows some of the things they got up to).

Also for Easter, this week funding was approved by councillors at our Housing, Economy and Business Committee to provide food vouchers for all school holidays up to February 2024 half-term for families receiving free school meals. This was agreed as part of a package of support for Sutton’s most vulnerable households. Eligible families will receive a £30 food voucher for the Easter holidays, per child, from their child’s school by 31 March.

If you are a parent in Sutton and are looking to connect with other parents, we have lots on offer - from coffee mornings to parenting programmes and family hubs, we're working with local parents and communities to support families in Sutton. 

This is part of our Helping Early Strategy, which aims to support children, young people and families to thrive in Sutton; where it is OK to ask for help; where it is easy to access information and advice; and where families are valued and respected.

To find out more, visit suttoninformationhub.org.uk

This video highlights some of the feedback from just some of the parents who have made new friends and learnt some great new parenting tips! I hope you enjoy it too.

One last thing, if you receive 30 hours tax-free childcare, you will need to confirm your code by 31 March in order to be able to give it to your childcare provider, so please make sure you log into your account to confirm your code. Don’t miss out on this free funding. 

If you want to check if you are eligible for tax free childcare - you can make a new claim by 29 March - make sure you check if you are eligible right now.

Happy Easter when it comes!

Councillor Ruth Dombey

Leader of the Council