Taking place every Friday from 29 July to 26 August, activities include Family Fun Days, featuring music, entertainment and special visits from Saints mascot Boots – with food and ice cream included.

Suitable for children aged 0-11 years, the free events form part of the Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF), a Department for Education-funded initiative – delivered by St Helens Borough Council’s Early Help service – to support families eligible for free school meals during the summer holidays.

There are a total of eight children’s centres located across St Helens Borough: Central Link in St Helens Town Centre; Fourways in Clock Face; Haydock; Moss Bank; Newton-le-Willows; Parr; Sutton and Thatto Heath, which all help ensure that children have the best possible start in life, focusing on school readiness, nurture, speech, language and communication.

Councillor Nova Charlton, St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “Programmes like HAF are a lifesaver for families in our borough, many of whom are working households that have fallen on hard times, not helped by the rise in cost of living and energy.

“Activities like Family Fun Days taking place in our children’s centres have been designed to cater for the needs and interests of children and young, with each session either including a healthy breakfast, lunch, or evening meal, ensuring no child goes hungry during the summer holidays.  

“One of our key priorities is to ensure children and young people have a positive start in life and programmes like this play a big part in achieving this. That’s why I’d encourage eligible families to register and discover all the fun to be had.”        

For more information and to book a place, visit www.sthelens.gov.uk/holidayfun

To register your child at a children’s centre or to find out more information, call 01744 673445 or 01744 671788. Alternatively, visit www.sthelens.gov.uk/childrenscentres or email childrenscentres@sthelens.gov.uk