Community initiative to support Birmingham’s young people hailed a success

A community initiative designed to support some of Birmingham’s younger residents by providing free activities and meals during the school holidays has been hailed a success.

The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme – orchestrated by StreetGames and backed by Birmingham City Council – provided holiday clubs featuring with free physical activities, nutritious meals and enriching opportunities for school-aged children across the city during the Spring holidays.

Community organisations 5Up, 9Up, Birmingham Youth Sports Academy (BYSA), Sporting Your Futures and F2D In The Community all contributed to the initiative which engaged more than 560 young people on a daily basis.

Activities ranged from sports to creative arts and nutritional education – with a focus on instilling values such as teamwork, discipline and self-confidence.

Mark Lawrie, chief executive of StreetGames, said: “At the heart of our approach to ensuring that the children that need it most have access to the best possible experiences in their school holidays in Birmingham is working with those vital, locally trusted organisations that are embedded within their communities and do such great work every day.

“Through the Holiday Activities and Food programme, we commission providers including 5Up,9Up, BYSA, Sporting Your Futures, F2D in The Community and many others for every holiday period we can because they consistently demonstrate the positive impact they have on the lives of children, young people and their families in Birmingham.”

Pictured: From left - Marcus Issac (F2D in the community), Anwar Khattak (BYSA), Mark Lawrie (chief executive, StreetGames), Malcolm Cooper (West Midlands Police), Nathan Bendon (5Up), Rajab Noor (Sporting Your Futures) and Richard Chant (West Midlands Police)