The net park at Adventures, which is made of wood and green net.

Children and families benefitted from an exciting, adventure-filled day as part of Nottinghamshire County Council’s holiday activities and food programme.

Families with children receiving benefits-related free school meals could book onto a day of adrenaline-fuelled fun at Adventures, an outdoor venue operated and managed by Nottinghamshire County Council’s outdoor environmental education service, Notts Outdoors. Activities on the day included the High Trek ropes course, a giant net park, zip lining, crazy disc gold, katakanu boats and giant inflatables, and a colouring table for those needing a quiet moment. The family day meant children, their siblings, and parents or carers could spend valuable time together and bond during the school break.

The day was part of the holiday activities and food (HAF) programme, funded by the Department for Education, which provides children receiving benefits-related free school meals with the opportunity to take part in fully funded activities in the school holidays. These include sports, karting, swimming, crafts, and more. The holiday clubs happen across Nottinghamshire, with a range of providers taking part. Each activity also includes a nutritious meal, helping children to remain active and healthy during the break. In Nottinghamshire, approximately 30,000 children and young people aged 5 to 16 are eligible.

The fully booked family day highlighted the positive benefits of the programme on children in Nottinghamshire, providing a chance for children and young people to socialise outside of school and avoid isolation in the holidays.

Pom Bhogal, Head of Young People’s Service at the county council, said:

“This family day is just one of the exciting activities children and young people can join as part of the HAF programme. Each year these family days are extremely popular, and the fact that it was fully booked shows how fantastic an opportunity it is for children and young people.

There are many benefits of the programme, including character building, staying active, learning about health and nutrition, and even being more engaged at school.  Activities like these can be out of budget, so it’s great that we can offer an enriching, fun-filled day for families, and will be offering more activities again in October.

Adventures recently added some new, invigorating and fun-filled attractions. It’s a brilliant destination for thrill-seekers of any age.”

The HAF programme offers face-to-face activities, with friendly, supportive staff, and this summer children benefitted from 12 days of activities. The programme also runs during the Easter, October half term, and Christmas holidays.

Adventures, based at Mill Waters in Sutton-in-Ashfield, is also open to the public, with many activities on offer for adults, young people and children. Costs vary by activity and can be booked online.

More information about the holiday activities and food programme can be found on the council website: www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/HAF

For information about activities at Adventures, visit: adventures.nottinghamshire.gov.uk