A SCHEME which hopes to make sure no one goes hungry over the school holidays is returning over Christmas.

FEAST is the county’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, co-ordinated by North Yorkshire Together and commissioned by North Yorkshire Council through funding from the Department for Education. 

From fun events to healthy meals, HAF will run over Christmas time from Monday, December 23 to Friday, January 3.

As places are booking quickly, eligible families are encouraged to redeem their vouchers and book a place as soon as they can.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for corporate services, Cllr Heather Phillips, whose responsibilities include the authority’s Stronger Communities programme, said: “We know that Christmas can be one of the most expensive times of the year and for many families keeping children fed, active and connected during the holidays can be challenging with cost-of-living pressures and high energy costs.”

For more information visit www.northyorkshiretogether.co.uk/FEAST

It marks the scheme’s third year of helping children and young people across North Yorkshire.

Starting in 2021, the scheme’s influence has grown to now reach more than 14,500 children and young people a year. 6,500 of these attend for free.