Food and Fun scheme in Wales celebrates 10th anniversary

The scheme started as a pilot by Cardiff Council and has since expanded into the national Food and Fun School Holiday Enrichment Programme. It is delivered in schools across Wales coordinated by the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) and fully funded by Welsh Government.
This summer the schemes will again run across all 22 local authorities in around 230 schools, with over 14,000 places available each day. Over £5.8m in funding has been provided by the Welsh Government for this year’s programme.
In the last ten years over 800,000 Food and Fun places have been provided, for children to benefit from a free healthy breakfast and lunch. A weekly family meal is also held by each scheme to bring together families during the summer holidays.
To celebrate the milestone the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle visited the scheme taking place at Pantside Primary School. During the event she took part in a cooking session, which saw the children making fruit kebabs, this was followed by a game of cricket and a nutritious lunch.
Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle said: “The Food and Fun School Holiday Enrichment Programme has helped tens of thousands of families over the last decade. Providing free nutritious meals and enriching activities across the country. I am very proud to mark this special anniversary by visiting the very successful and popular Pantside Primary Food and Fun scheme.
“The summer holidays can be a challenging time for families and Food and Fun highlights the important role that schools play in supporting children, their families and the local community. At the heart of this scheme is the dedicated local authority and education workforce, who have formed fantastic partnerships with a variety of organisation to deliver a diverse range of activities for young people to enjoy.”