Free school meals to be served at Reconnect play scheme for kids in Dover district
15:15, 16 July 2021
updated: 15:16, 16 July 2021
A summer play scheme with free lunches is available for children eligible for Free School Meals from Dover, Deal and Sandwich.
Reconnect is a community-led programme designed to get Kent’s children and young people back to enjoying the activities and opportunities they took part in before COVID-19 – as well as the chance to try new things along the way.
In the Dover district, DDC has worked with partners to devise a free holiday activity and food programme called the Summer Bonanza.
Parents of primary school age children eligible for benefits-related free school meals can book a place in Aylesham, Deal, Dover and Elvington.
Providers across the district will be offering a range of multi-sports activities.
There will be something on offer for every young person regardless of their ability. As well as sports there will also be visits from the bird observatory and forestry school sessions.
A hot meal will be provided by Chequers Kitchen and Whole School Meals for each young person, every day that they attend a session.
"The programme is specifically designed for those on free school meals..."
This comes after the need to feed kids from less well off families through the school holidays was brought to the public conscience by England football ace Marcus Rashford.
The ‘holiday activities and food programme’ has provided healthy food and enriching activities to disadvantaged children since 2018.
The aim of the programme is to encourage children who attend over the holidays to:
- Eat more healthily
- Be more active
- Take part in engaging and enriching activities which helps them to develop resilience, character, and enhance their wellbeing
- Be safe and not to be socially isolated
- Have a greater knowledge of health and nutrition
- Be more engaged with school and other local services
Families who participate in this programme will be helped with nutrition and food budgeting and guided towards other information and support in areas such as health, employment, and education.
Each session will take place from 10am-2pm (except the Linces in Dover which will be 9am-1pm) and will be limited to 30 young people per day, so booking is essential.
There will be a waiting list and parents will be contacted and offered a place if the session isn’t fully attended by those who have booked.
Children can attend as many sessions as they like at any location in the district, each activity provider has something unique to offer. Please note children do not have to attend the school that the activity is based at in order to attend the activities.
Brin Hill, Head of Community and Digital, said: ”We are excited to be able to offer local families the chance to take part in this free scheme this summer.
"The programme is specifically designed for those on free school meals, supporting the Government’s national ‘holiday activities and food programme’ initiative.
"Children can meet up with friends and burn off their energy in a fun and productive environment and enjoy a good meal before they return home. We expect it to be popular and encourage parents to book early”.
The sessions are as follows:
Monday-Thursday every week in August (starting Monday 2nd and ending Thursday 26th) 10am-2pm. St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, St Richard’s Road, Deal CT14 9LF
Aylesham Monday-Thursday every week in August (starting Monday 2nd and ending Thursday 26th). 10am-2pm. Aylesham Primary School, Attlee Avenue, Aylesham, Dover CT3 3BS
Booking link:
Tower Hamlets, Dover Monday-Thursday every week in August (starting Monday 2nd and ending Thursday 26th). 10am - 2pm.
2nd-12th August, Astor College, Astor Avenue CT17 0AS
16th-26th August, Priory Fields School, Astor Avenue CT17 0FS
Skill Horizons, The Linces, Dover
Monday-Thursday every week in August (starting Monday 2nd and ending Thursday 26th). 9am-1pm. Green Park Community Primary School, The Linces, Dover CT16 2BN
Tuesday-Friday every week in August (starting Tuesday 3rd and ending Friday 27th). 10am-2pm. Woodpecker Court, Wigmore Lane, Eythorne, Dover CT15 4BF
For further information: email here.
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