The Hubb Foundation recently featured on BBC Midlands Today whilst undertaking the coordination of 170 Holiday Activity & Food (HAF) sessions over the Christmas break. The sessions were aimed at providing crucial physical and enrichment activities, as well as healthy food, to children aged 4-16 across the Stoke-on-Trent region, as part of the organisation’s commitment to affect social change.
Live at a HAF session, Adam Yates, COO of The Hubb Foundation, spoke with Midlands Today, explaining that the charity had co-ordinated the activities, connecting partners across the city. He also spoke about the challenges that families face during the festive period, with difficulty in accessing affordable and safe childcare in the holidays.
Adam said: “I was pleased to be able to spread awareness of the essential work our team at the Hubb undertake during the school holidays. We’re seeing a quickly increasing demand for our holiday programs, with more families needing support.”
Adam highlighted the growing necessity for expanding the support beyond existing programs, as the Hubb team works to do as much as possible to make a difference in the Stoke-on-Trent community.
Census data, published in 2021, revealed alarming evidence that 19% of people in the region were income-deprived, and almost half of its 159 neighbourhoods were among the 20% most income-deprived in England. One third of children are living in low-income households and 22% are facing fuel poverty, according to VAST.
In light of these statistics, The Hubb Foundation’s 170 facilitated sessions were all the more critical, and as we’re heading towards the end of January, preparations for provisions during the Spring school breaks have already began.
The Hubb Foundation is an independent and socially-inclusive charity dedicated to supporting families and communities in creating happy, healthy school holidays. To find out more about upcoming events, visit https://bookings.thehubbfoundation.com/, or to make a donation, visit their JustGiving page at https://justgiving.com/thehubbfoundation.
