Leicester free HAF summer activities open from 13 July

Name: Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme
Start: 2026-07-13
Location: Various locations across Leicester

beehiveweb.co.uk editorial team 2026-06-15 18:33 3 min read

Colorful plastic cones, paintbrushes, and a healthy lunch sit on a wooden classroom table.

Children in Leicester who receive benefits-related free school meals can now be registered for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme, a summer scheme offering free activities and a healthy meal at each session.

The programme starts on Monday 13 July at various locations across Leicester. Times vary by provider, with most programmes running for four hours a day over four days. It is aimed at children and young people aged 5 to 16, with free places for eligible families and fee-based options potentially available for others.

Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis to children who live in the city of Leicester, receive benefits-related free school meals and meet the age range for the chosen programme.

Free summer sessions across Leicester

The HAF programme is funded by the Department for Education and delivered locally through Leicester City Council. In the city, more than 40 providers are running sessions at sites across Leicester during the summer holiday.

Activities listed by the council include art, sport and outdoor fun. Each child taking part in a programmed activity will receive a healthy meal as part of the session, giving families a practical route into organised holiday provision without the cost that can come with summer clubs.

Eligible families can sign up for up to four weeks of free provision over the summer holiday. Some providers are offering the usual four-hour daily sessions across four days, while others may run flexible programmes over different patterns of hours and days.

Leicester families looking at the wider school-holiday calendar may also find useful local context in this guide to free and low-cost family activities in Leicester.

Museums, basketball and leisure centre passes

The programme includes options for different age groups. Children aged 6 to 11 can sign up for activities with Leicester’s museums service, with sessions taking place through the summer at Abbey Pumping Station.

For young people aged 8 to 16 who are interested in basketball, the Leicester Riders Foundation is running a programme at Mattioli Arena. Older children aged 14 to 16 can choose a leisure centre pass instead, giving them access to activities such as gym sessions, swimming or booking a court at city council leisure centres.

Children using a leisure centre pass will receive a food voucher instead of a meal each time they use the pass, up to a maximum of 16 food vouchers over the holiday period.

How registration works

Families should register through families.leicester.gov.uk/haf and choose their preferred scheme from the programme. Registration will close as soon as all places on a session have been filled, and the council says full closing dates are listed on each provider’s booking page.

Assistant city mayor Cllr Elaine Pantling said the long summer holiday can be difficult for many families, and that the government-funded scheme is intended to help children who usually receive a free school meal stay active and eat well during the break.

Information about the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme has also been circulated to children through schools. Families who think their child should be receiving free school meals can check eligibility through the city’s free school meals information route.

Children who do not receive benefits-related free school meals may still be able to register for some programme places in exchange for a fee. Families are being advised to contact the relevant provider directly for details before booking.

Source: Leicester City Council

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source trail

This article is based on Leicester City Council’s published notice about the 2026 Holiday Activities and Food Programme.

Checks

Confirmed the start date as Monday 13 July from the source notice.
Checked that free places apply to eligible children receiving benefits-related free school...
Verified that the programme is for children and young people aged 5 to 16.
Kept venue details to the council’s stated city-wide locations and named examples only.

Leicester City Council Check wider coverage