The council has updated its directory of voluntary, faith and charity organisations staging holiday clubs over the Christmas period, offering activities and healthy hot meals for those youngsters who receive free school meals.
Sign up: healthy hot meals and fun activities are on offer at the Christmas activity clubs around the borough
The Department for Education has allocated £300,000 for Croydon organisations to deliver its Holiday Activities and Food programme at more than 60 holiday clubs.
Applications for places at the holiday clubs next month are now open.
Children aged from four to 16 who receive benefits-related free school meals can sign up to enjoy a range of clubs in their community.
The council directory is organised by local ward, to make it easier for parents and carers to locate holiday clubs near where they live. Most wards have between two and four clubs available.
There are no clubs available, though, in four wards: Norbury and Pollards Hill, Park Hill, Sanderstead and Purley and Woodcote wards. There is no listing at all on the council directory for Addiscombe East.
Parents and carers in those wards without provision are directed to neighbouring areas.
The council says, “With a variety of activities and healthy food on offer, these clubs will provide warm safe spaces for young people during the day. This is especially important at a time when some families might be feeling the effects of cost of living rises.”
Over the summer, the council claims that the borough’s voluntary sector managed to offer more than 11,000 daily places to Croydon children, which it hopes to match in the Christmas period.
“The latest round of projects includes an increased focus on working with organisations which are already established in their local communities,” the council says.
Check out the directory by clicking here and make bookings directly with the organisations operating in your neighbourhood.
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