Dozens of Valley children benefit from fun activities and healthy food during the holidays

That's because children from disadvantaged families across the borough were able to take part in a Government-funded initiative during the school holidays.

The Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF), which saw a two hundred million pound investment across all local authorities, was run by the Ribble Valley Health and Wellbeing Partnership, which is an amalgamation of Roefield Leisure Centre and Longridge Community Gym.

With school holidays sometimes becoming a difficult time for many families, due to increased costs and reduced incomes, the two sites worked in association with local schools, sports coaching groups, cookery schools, dance and music schools and sewing workshops to provide attendees with free holiday provision.

Representatives from the partnership were involved in consultations with a wide range of bodies — including local public health officials, schools leaders, youth services, charities and voluntary sectors — to help deliver the programme, which offered easily accessible enrichment activities, nutritional information and healthy meals .

Each local authority nationally was given a 25 percent target based on the number of free school meals children were entitled to in primary and secondary schools.

The Ribble Valley Health and Wellbeing Partnership far surpassed its objective when hitting 37%. In total there were an incredible 2,789 visitors who attended activities throughout the region.

The success of the scheme was a product of the countless time spent in consultation, preparation and planning by the partnership, together with extensive promotion and marketing through schools, Roefield Leisure, Longridge Community Gym, Clitheroe Advertiser, Longridge News, social media and national radio.

The Ribble Valley Health and Wellbeing Partnership would like to thank all the providers for giving young people amazing opportunities to participate in a wide ranging number of activities in a safe and well maintained environment.

Their contribution was essential to the outstanding success of the scheme. In 2022 the programme is to be repeated during school holidays with schools, providers, participants and parents unanimous with their positive feedback.