From Festive Pilot to Easter Impact: Supporting Families Through HAF Recipe Boxes
Feeding Families has been working in partnership with Gateshead Council to support families through the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, helping ensure children and families can access nutritious food and meaningful experiences during the school holidays.
The project first launched as a festive pilot during the Christmas holidays, delivering recipe boxes to families accessing remote HAF provision across the borough. Developed alongside Gateshead Council’s Brighten the Day team, the initiative was designed to ensure families could still enjoy healthy meals and shared experiences at home during a time when attending in-person provision can be more challenging.
Due to the success and positive feedback from families, the project was repeated and expanded for the Easter holidays, continuing to provide practical, engaging support when it’s needed most.
More Than Just Food
In collaboration with local videographer and recipe creator Cook Me Happy, Feeding Families developed a series of simple, family-friendly recipes alongside step-by-step video content. These videos help guide families through each recipe, building confidence in the kitchen and making cooking together more accessible and enjoyable.
Each recipe box contains:
- Ingredients for hot, healthy meals
- Easy-to-follow recipes
- Access to supporting video content
Alongside this, families also received Wild for Life activity boxes, filled with nature, science and creative activities — helping to recreate the HAF experience at home.
Supporting Families at Home
This approach recognises that holiday support isn’t just about food, it’s about creating moments of connection, reducing pressure, and supporting wellbeing.
A spokesperson from Gateshead Council said:
“These recipe boxes mean families can enjoy hot, healthy meals at home, while also sharing valuable time together. The combination of food and activities helps deliver the HAF experience in a way that is accessible, engaging and supportive for families.”
The Power of Partnership
At Feeding Families, we believe everyone should be able to access good food in a way that feels dignified, supportive and empowering.
Working in partnership with Gateshead Council and local creatives has allowed us to create something that goes beyond food provision — giving families the tools, confidence and opportunity to cook and connect together at home.
The success of the festive pilot, and its continuation into Easter, shows how collaborative, community-led approaches can make a real difference in tackling food insecurity while supporting positive family experiences during the holidays.
Watch the Recipes
You can explore the recipe content here:
- Curry in a Hurry: https://youtu.be/JywIDsypZpE
- Rainbow Cous Cous: https://youtu.be/aUz7Q0yONJk
If you’d like to learn more about our work or support future projects, please get in touch