Resetting the relationship between local and national government. Read our Local Government White Paper
Bring it on Brum!
The Birmingham Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, known as ‘Bring it on Brum!’, is designed to address the ‘holiday experience gap’ for children and young people from low-income households.
Introduction
Birmingham City Council appointed StreetGames to coordinate and deliver six weeks of free holiday club provision that includes healthy food and enriching activities during spring, summer and winter holidays for children aged four to 16 who are eligible for benefit-related Free School Meals (FSM). It was delivered by activating a broad network of community organisations collectively known as Locally Trusted Organisations (LTOs) as delivery partners.
The challenge
Following a successful pilot, the Government set up the £200 million each year Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme for 153 upper tier local authorities to coordinate and provide free holiday provision, including healthy food, enriching activities and physical activity. With more than 200,000 eligible children (on FSM) across the city, the council was presented with a major logistical challenge to engage as many target young people as possible, outside of term time, to ensure the programmes success, at scale, right across the city.
The solution
Working in partnership with StreetGames, Birmingham City Council was able to engage into a pre-existing network of Locally Trusted Organisations, many who already operated within key target groups communities delivering sporting activity, to act as local community delivers to the right target groups. StreetGames, provided these organisations, of varying sizes and reach, training and logistical support to ensure they met HAF guidelines for food standards and physical activity metrics. In total, more than 200 local clubs were involved.
The impact
Research from Northumbria University confirmed that the Social Return on Investment (SRoI) for the health improvements associated with the Bring It On Brum! programme were £479.28 per child. For every child deterred from participating in antisocial behaviour and associated crime, they valued an approximate investment return of £928.40.
The 2023 evaluation found the programme provided 46,222 attendances and meals in total, with 90 per cent of those participating being on Free School Meals. 74 per cent of parents thought that participation in the programme had helped to keep children from participating in anti-social activity.
The holiday clubs that attempt to provide healthy food and use sporting activity make an impact on food insecurity; encourage healthy eating habits and positive behaviour. The study concluded that the programme ‘created opportunity for learning and development, decreased stress and financial burden for families and individuals, as well as have a profound lasting economic impact’.[1]
How is the new approach being sustained?
Since it’s inception in 2021, Brimingham City Council has continued its partnership with StreetGames to deliver the programme during school holidays. The councils ongoing strategic approach, support and funding has resulted in the council and StreetGames continuing to build and expand the network of LTOs in the city, enhancing their ability to not only reach more disadvantaged children and young people but engage them in sporting activity and other social outcomes. This has also provided LTOs with new training opportunities and much needed longer term resources, creating better quality interventions and outcomes.
Lessons learned
Councils can make a stronger impact by working in a natural geographic area by providing a regional framework that can be delivered locally. By engaging and working with an established network of Locally Trusted Organisations, with existing relationships within their neighbourhoods, they can not only better engage with disadvantaged children and young people but ensure better quality provision and outcomes. If this is done collaboratively, strategically, and over a longer time period, this network can be expanded to reach more young people and continuously develop the quality of the provision and therefore the outcomes.
Reference
Contact information
StreetGames’ Bring it on Brum Coordinator: [email protected]