The Leeds United Foundation have been delivering a Healthy Holidays project throughout the summer holidays for youngsters in the local community.

The programme is ran in partnership with Leeds Community Foundation, Leeds City Council, Asda Foundation and Jimbo’s Fund, who all help to support the delivery of the programme with vital fund donations.

The sessions are delivered by coaches from the club’s official charity and aim to provide fun and engaging activities for children during school holidays whilst also helping towards the youngsters maintaining a healthy diet.

Rethink Food, a not for profit educational organisation that aims to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes for children, have linked up with the foundation to provide packed lunches and ‘Freegan’ boxes as part of the programme. The lunch boxes provided contain food staples to feed a family of four for a week and have been presented to the families involved at the beginning of each week. Youngsters that have been given these boxes have been tasked with using the produce to make their breakfast, lunch and evening meal for the rest of the week.

The children taking part in the project have also run a Market Stall at the end of every week, this has given families the opportunity to come along and ‘pay as they feel’ towards any extra food that can then be used over the weekend.

Natalie Thomas, Behaviour and Learning Support Officer for the Foundation, said: “The funding we have been awarded by the Leeds Community Foundation has enabled us to ensure that young people in our local community have had access to healthy food and positive activities throughout their summer holidays.

“Working closely with Rethink Food has ensured that all of the families on the programme have been able to take home healthy food staples at the beginning of each week.”

These summer camps have taken place at a number of different locations across Leeds, with sessions taking place throughout the week, including at; Temple Moor High School, Meadowfield Primary School, Cockburn John Charles Academy and Cockburn School.

For more information on the Healthy Holidays programme, please contact Michael.Kinsey@leedsunited.com.