With swimming, cooking, inflatables and more the fun is already under way at the Ramsgate FC Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) club – and next week helicopter flights will be added to the itinerary.
The free holiday camp covers a range of activities and provides children with breakfast and lunch at a time when the cost of living is rising and families are feeling the pinch more than ever.
And this year is the biggest yet run by the community football club. Last Summer’s programme catered for 400 children across two sites at the WW Martin Stadium and Cliftonville Primary School.
This year there are more than 500 children and five sites at the Rams stadium, Ursuline College, Cliftonville Primary School, Newington Primary School and Wellesley Haddon Dene School.
The first week racked up more than 2000 hot meals served to youngsters and provided employment for 75 people.
The Summer at Ramsgate FC has only just begun! Over 500 children across 5 Thanet venues. Lots of activities, over 2000 hot meals served and over 75 members of staff employed. Not to mention all the smiling faces. We can’t wait until next week now!!! 🔴⚪️#inthistogether pic.twitter.com/zXzJWDrNkR
— Ramsgate Football Club (@RamsgateFC) July 28, 2023
Club chairman James Lawson said: “We are running programmes at five sites for 500 local kids. Southwood Stadium, Ursuline College, Cliftonville Primary School, Newington Primary School and Wellesley Haddon Dene.
“The children get a hot meal and four hours of exercise and activities per day. These vary across sites but include football, cooking, arts and crafts, inflatables, multi-sport and swimming. We are also working with local businesses Helix AV and RSP Manston to offer over 100 of the children helicopter flights around the Isle next week.
“We strongly feel that a football club is the beating heart of the local community. These programmes are central to everything our club is about and help us achieve our charitable goals.
“They create employment opportunities for local people. We actually employ over 100 people during the course of our summer programmes. They keep local kids active, fed and occupied during the holidays and our extra activities like the helicopter flights help create aspiration and offer new experiences.”
Ramsgate Football Club runs activity programmes during each school holiday and these are available to people who are entitled to benefit-based school meals.
The HAF programme is generally funded by government and aims to address food poverty, inactivity, isolation and learning loss by children, through activities and the provision of a hot meal and healthy snacks.