13/03/2026
๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ผ๐น ๐๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ป ๐
๐ As it gears up for another action-packed programme of Easter activities for eligible school-aged children, Holiday Fun has notched up another phenomenal year.
๐ฒ Not only has the Hartlepool Borough Council-run initiative brought joy to thousands of Hartlepool children, opening up a world of exciting free activities over the school holidays along with a tasty, nutritious meal at each session, it has also helped many local organisations too.
๐ฆ๐ง๐ฝ Under the terms of the Government funding, Hartlepool Holiday Fun is open to children who receive benefits-related free school meals, and some additional children. Some activity providers may also offer payable spaces for non-eligible children at reduced cost.
โ In total over the Easter, summer and Christmas 2025 school holidays, a whopping 13,592 session places were taken up, each with a healthy meal.
๐ญ๐ง โฝ๐ฌ Performing arts, multi-sports, mindfulness, life skills, football, a forest school, arts and crafts and STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) were just a few of the activities on offer.
๐ท The economy benefited too โ over the 2025/26 financial year a total of 29 voluntary organisations and private companies plus three Council departments were funded through the programme to provide activities and meals.
๐ฃ๏ธ Councillor Melanie Morley, Chair of the Councilโs Childrenโs Services Committee, said: โAs these impressive figures show, Hartlepool Holiday Fun continues to be an outstanding success.
๐ฃ๏ธ โIt has helped thousands of young people in Hartlepool broaden their horizons, make new friends, build their confidence and continue their learning in a fun way over the school holidays - all the while being able to tuck into tasty, nutritious meals as well.
๐ฃ๏ธ โNot only that, it has given an important boost to the organisations and companies contracted to provide the activities and food.
๐ฃ๏ธ โItโs a real Hartlepool success story and one of which we are very proud.โ
๐ Booking for all Hartlepool Holiday Fun Easter activities is now open on the new booking system at eequ.org/hartlepoolholidayfun.
Thereโs no need to create an account โ it will be created automatically as part of the booking process. Places for multiple children can now be booked in one go.
Using Eequ, the account holder will be able to check their childrenโs activity schedule, receive reminders and message the activity provider if they have a query โ all from their account.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ต ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ ๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐, ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ-๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐นโ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ปโ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฒ, ๐ท๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ด๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ด๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ผ๐น ๐๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ปโ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐.
