As schools across Carmarthenshire break up for the summer holidays, the County Council is supporting a number of initiatives throughout the county to support children that may experience food insecurity during the summer break.

Food and Fun programme - The Welsh Local Government Association’s Food and Fun programme is a school-based education programme, run over the school summer holidays, that provides healthy meals, nutrition, education, physical activity and enrichment sessions to schools that have 16% or greater Free School Meal Eligibility.

Food and Fun is delivered via a partnership approach between schools, health professionals, the Local Authority and community sports staff.

Food and Fun will be delivered by school staff and partners at a minimum of 12 days at each participating school. A Healthy breakfast and lunch will be supplied to the children that attend with a minimum one hour of structured physical activity per day. A family meal activity will be provided at least once a week.

The overall aim of Food and Fun is to contribute to long-term improvements in the health and well-being of children by addressing the food insecurity experienced by some children during the summer; attending to their emotional health and well-being; and maximising the potential of underused school facilities during school summer holidays.

The schools participating in the scheme have communicated full information about the Food and Fun programme to eligible pupils.

Summer Reading Challenge – ‘Ready, Set, Read’ - In collaboration with the Foothold Cymru Summer programme, Carmarthenshire County Council is launching its Summer Reading Challenge, ‘Ready, Set, Read’.

More than 50 children have signed up to the Council’s Summer Reading Challenge, which is open to children between the ages of 5 - 14-year-olds.

The programme will run every Monday to Wednesday for the first five weeks of the holiday with a Summer Party held during the final week.

Children that attend the ‘Ready, Set Read’ activities will have two activities, breakfast and lunch for three days a week throughout the Summer holidays.

Fit, Fed and Fun in partnership with the Scarlets - The Council’s Actif Community Sport Coaches are supporting the Scarlets in the delivery of their Fit, Fed and Fun scheme which is open to children that are in the age group of years 3-6 in school.

Fit, Fed and Fun sessions will run between 9am – 2pm at the following locations:

• 31 July at St Clears Leisure Centre

• August 4 at Dr Mz, Carmarthen

• August 21 at Pontyates RFC

• August 11 at Bryngwyn, Llanelli

• August 14 at Glanymor, Llanelli

Open Access Play Session -Through its delivery of the Welsh Government Playworks Holiday Grant, Carmarthenshire County Council has commissioned People Speak Up to deliver Open Access play session across areas of Carmarthenshire, where there is an identified need.

The provision is bilingual and engages with the local community and encourages families to create a positive family approach to play. Healthy snacks are provided during the play sessions.

Cllr. Linda Davies Evans, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Tackling Poverty said: “In the midst of this cost of living crisis, some families will have genuine concerns around feeding their children during the summer holidays.

“For our part, Carmarthenshire County Council is working with numerous partners to provide activities for children, which are free of charge, where children can expect to be fed.

“Support and advice in on hand to all Carmarthenshire residents that are feeling the pinch finically at the Council’s HWBs in Ammanford, Llanelli and Carmarthenshire or through the Council’s website.”

To find out more about the various activities that are available for children in Carmarthenshire this summer, please visit the Discover Carmarthenshire website.