Instructions for home educated families to access these camps
The process of accessing a code has now changed, here is the latest info from HCC
Dear parent/guardian,
Holiday Activity & Food Programme (known Locally as HAPpy)
Our winter HAPpy programme is designed to help support you and your family to access free, fun activities and food during the holiday period. With lots of exciting activities on offer, this winter programme will be an opportunity not to be missed.
To be eligible to receive a booking code for the HAPpy Programme, you must be in receipt of one of the following state benefits:-
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (as long as you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and you don’t get more than £16,190 a year)
- Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
- Universal Credit (with annual earned income of no more than £7,400 after tax and not including any benefits you get).
If you believe you qualify, please email happy@hertfordshire.gov.uk stating which criteria you are eligible under, your name, the name and date of birth of your child and your email address.
The HAPpy programme management team will then check your eligibility and issue you with a unique booking code, which you can use to reserve your place at a holiday camp of your choosing.
Families should be aware that Hertfordshire County Council use information supplied by the Department for Work and Pensions to cross reference eligibility.
Here’s what you can do now to prepare to book your place when booking opens:
- Make sure have your code and you’ve made a note of your unique booking code
- Bookmark the bookings page so that you have it ready for when bookings go live from midday on Friday 29th November – it can be found at https://bit.ly/BookHAPpy1W24
- Start thinking about any particular needs your child may have, so you can let the camp providers know when booking (this can include behavioural challenges or SEND needs, whether formally diagnosed or not). Our easy to complete form enables you to tell us as much as you can about your child so our providers can ensure they have a safe and enjoyable time wherever possible at camp.
We take immense pride in our partnership with Herts Sports Partnership, where we organize HAPpy camps throughout the year. These camps are a vital resource for families in need, specifically those on low incomes within the home educating community and families with children receiving free school meals. We’ve identified a significant demand for SEND (Special Education Needs and Disabilities) camps in our area, and our programs align perfectly with this need.
Our camps feature high adult-to-child ratios, ensuring that those who have encountered barriers in the past can fully immerse themselves in a meaningful nature experience. This grant-funded initiative is a cornerstone of our work, and we welcome discussions with potential funders or representatives of grant bodies. If you fall into this category, please visit our DONATE page, where you can connect with the trustees of our charity, Friends of Out to Learn. Your support is greatly appreciated.
“My son with SEND attended the summer forest school and had a brilliant time, the staff were so helpful, it was really fun and enriching experience for him. Most grateful.” Maud Williams
Fire @ Ice
The kids wanted to see what happened when you put ice on the fire. Turns out it looks really cool 🙂 #outdoorlearning #alternativeprovision
Fire @ Ice
The kids wanted to see what happened when you put ice on the fire. Turns out it looks really cool 🙂 #outdoorlearning #alternativeprovision
Time to build a snowman!
Nature always finds a way to express itself. This week we were looking at the effect of laying cardboard over the beds in the #polytunnel and why it stops growth. This little one took advantage of a single staple hole in the cardboard offering us a valuable insight into how plants grow.... so we sang a song about it 😉 #natureeducation #outdoorlearning #powerofnature #kidsinnature
Nature always finds a way to express itself. This week we were looking at the effect of laying cardboard over the beds in the #polytunnel and why it stops growth. This little one took advantage of a single staple hole in the cardboard offering us a valuable insight into how plants grow.... so we sang a song about it 😉 #natureeducation #outdoorlearning #powerofnature #kidsinnature
Simple sunny days in the hut with food cooking over the fire while we admire our beautifully crafted nature basket filled with mint from the stream. #simplicity #kidsinnature #alternativeprovision #outdooreducation #rewilding
Simple sunny days in the hut with food cooking over the fire while we admire our beautifully crafted nature basket filled with mint from the stream. #simplicity #kidsinnature #alternativeprovision #outdooreducation #rewilding
Enjoying a beautiful sunny autumnal day and the last week of term with campfire doughnuts. So much to learn about ingredients, quantities, fire, safety and why #doughnuts are called so. #outdoorlearning #outdooreducation #lovenature #outdoorcooking utdoorcook
Enjoying a beautiful sunny autumnal day and the last week of term with campfire doughnuts. So much to learn about ingredients, quantities, fire, safety and why #doughnuts are called so. #outdoorlearning #outdooreducation #lovenature #outdoorcooking utdoorcook
Fresh #organic #schoolgrown soup with #beets and #garlic from the polytunnel. The whole school was able to taste the food which the children have grown from seeds and eventually cooked on an open fire (not to mention the salad and fruit they pick and eat every week). An important life skill learned through fun, nurture and a weekly installment of silly songs! #outdoorlearning #bushcraft #forestschool #hertfordshire #Bedfordshire #buckinghamshire #natureinschools
Fresh #organic #schoolgrown soup with #beets and #garlic from the polytunnel. The whole school was able to taste the food which the children have grown from seeds and eventually cooked on an open fire (not to mention the salad and fruit they pick and eat every week). An important life skill learned through fun, nurture and a weekly installment of silly songs! #outdoorlearning #bushcraft #forestschool #hertfordshire #Bedfordshire #buckinghamshire #natureinschools
The sun setting on a beautiful and busy week of outdoor goodness #outdoorlearning #schooltrips #kindsinnature #alternativeprovision
The sun setting on a beautiful and busy week of outdoor goodness #outdoorlearning #schooltrips #kindsinnature #alternativeprovision
Learning about #refraction #science #appliedscience #outdoorlearning
