Family Hubs: All Family Hubs will be open up to and including the 24 December.

Kinson & West Howe, Boscombe and Poole Old Town will be open between Christmas and the New Year on the 27, 30 & 31 December.

Usual opening times for all Hubs will resume on 2 Jan 2025

Holiday Activities and food programme (HAF): The Department for Education funded holiday activities and food programme (HAF) provides free holiday activity places for children and young people in receipt of benefits-based free school meals, from reception year to age 16. Holiday Activities and food programme (HAF)

Holiday activities: BCP FID Holiday activities

BCP Libraries: Find a library | BCP An example of some events being held at Broadstone Library is attached.

BCP Mumbler – your local parenting community: Christmas in Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole - Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Mumbler includes free things to do, holiday clubs etc

The Parks Foundation: Home - The Parks Foundation events and activities in local parks.  Programmes of events here: The Parks Foundation Events - Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Mumbler

Creative Kids: Please see attached from Creative Kids https://creativekids.org.uk/ They have fully funded full days available to all Free School Meals children

Christmas holiday supermarket vouchers

The UK Government has extended the offer to provide food support during the Christmas holiday under the Household Support Fund.  BCP Council Family Information Service can provide a £30 food voucher for eligible pre-school age children living in BCP.

To be eligible for a voucher, children must be aged 0 to five, have not yet started school, live in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and currently meet at least one of the following criteria:

• your child is attending and receiving two year old funding under the receiving certain benefits criteria at an early years setting in Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole in the autumn term
• your child is getting three and four year old funding at an early years setting in Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole in the autumn term and is currently in receipt of Early Years Pupil Premium funding. 
• currently open to social care and / or early help and of pre-school age.

📌The application form closes at 11pm on Sunday 5 January 2025.
If you received food vouchers for the October half term holiday and have not received an email advising that you are still eligible, please contact the Family Information Service on 01202 093131 to discuss, rather than complete the application form.  It may mean that your child is no longer eligible under that criteria, and the team will advise of alternative solutions/actions.
📌Vouchers for school aged children will be issued directly by the school.

Application form: Request for Christmas 2024 holiday food vouchers - Household Support Fund

Access to Food Partnership: Access to Food Partnership - local food banks and community fridges | BCP  The Access to Food Partnership brings together local services to make sure everyone has access to food. This is through food banks, community fridges, social supermarkets and more.

The Access to Food map shows all the different types of community food support available in our area, and how you can access them.

Food Map

SHOUT: Shout is the UK's first and only free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging service for anyone who is struggling to cope. Text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258

YOUNG MINDS: The UK’s leading charity fighting for a world where no young person feels alone with their mental health  YoungMinds | Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People | YoungMinds

CONNECTION 24/7: 24/7 helpline open to all ages. If you require urgent mental health support call 0800 652 0190 or NHS 111 and you will be signposted to the right service for the support you need.

The Bournemouth Retreat is open from 4.30-11.30pm every day and Dorchester’s Retreat is open from 4.30-11.30pm Saturday-Wednesday for face-to-face drop-ins.

Community Front Rooms in Bridport, Wareham, Shaftesbury and Weymouth are open Thursday-Sunday from 2.15-9.45pm. All offer face-to-face and virtual drop-ins.

CHILDLINE: Call 0800 1111   Childline | Childline  Childline is open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

Counsellors will listen and support you with anything you’d like to talk about. You can call for free on 0800 1111 or speak online using the 1-2-1 chats. If you’re deaf, you can also use BSL via an interpreter. You can also send a message after signing up for a private Childline account. They will answer your message within a day.

PARENTALK: (ACTION for CHILDREN ) Down-to-earth parenting advice you can trust. Find answers to parenting questions in our advice articles. Or talk to a parenting coach about anything that’s worrying you. It’s all free, and no topic is too big, small, or embarrassing. Parent Talk - Support for Parents from Action For Children