Pictured: Councillor Joe Hearnshaw (left) and his wife with Councillor Marie Bradburn (centre), Mayor of Milton Keynes, attending the pantomime at MK Theatre
Milton Keynes City Council funded more than 18,000 hours of free activities plus healthy meals for children who usually receive free school meals through the Christmas school holidays.
The City Council’s winter activity programme ran for the last week of the school holidays and offered indoor and outdoor events for children and their families in 64 locations. Many offered dedicated support for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
The City Council worked with schools, clubs and charities to provide sports, music, education and crafts, with children and young people learning skills from painting and cookery to climbing and film-making. Almost 4,500 individual sessions took place with each including a free healthy meal.
A thousand local families also received a free meal hamper in the run up to Christmas. Eligible families, including those in receipt of benefit-related free school meals, were able to apply for the free box, packed full of fresh vegetables and meat worth around £50.
“We are delighted by the feedback we’ve had from families and young people about our latest winter holiday week. It was incredibly popular, and we were able to support around 2,500 children and young people, which is even more than last year. We’ll keep looking at ways we can support local families in the year ahead.”