Thurrock ActivAte DfE Report 2025

There are 7,442 children in Thurrock currently eligible for income-related free school meals. In 2025, Active Essex utilised the ‘HolidayActivities’ central booking system to verify eligibility by integrating with schools’ Management Information Systems (MIS).

This approach proved highly effective, with 92% of schools across the district participating and successfully enabling the distribution of unique booking reference codes to families by summer 2025.

Additionally, specialist clubs focused on mental wellbeing, targeted youth interventions and outreach, and SEND support are offered alongside mainstream provisions, that are tailored to meet the diverse needs of young people.

Providing more specialist support in a safe and inclusive environment, these clubs offer bespoke activities designed to enhance children’s physical and mental health, build resilience, and enhance social connections, ensuring that all children, regardless of their backgrounds or needs, have access to enriching and engaging experiences.

The Easter HAF programme with Activate made a significant impact across Thurrock, offering memorable experiences and supporting families. The initiative provided a vital opportunity for children to stay active, socialise, and explore new skills in a supportive environment.

Being the largest programme of the year, Thurrock ActivAte was a real lifeline for families over the summer, providing consistent support, safe spaces for children, and access to fun, engaging activities when it was needed most.

Move with Us Leaders Academy

The young leaders programme was highly successful once again this summer, engaging young people in supporting the delivery of HAF clubs. Participants were provided with structured support, enabling them to develop new skills, gain valuable experience, and work towards recognised qualifications.

Read the full case study here.

Mental Health Support Team

During the summer programme, Thurrock’s Mental Health Support team enhanced the offer by providing delivery partners with access to free workshops for children and parents. These sessions, delivered both jointly and separately, were a valuable addition, further strengthening the programme’s focus on wellbeing and family support.

Thurrock Big Lunches

A series of community family events, Thurrock Big Lunches, were introduced across each Thurrock district during the summer holidays. These events brought families together to enjoy a free day out, with food and activities that many may not otherwise have been able to access. Delivery partners also invited their HAF attendees to join the wider community celebrations. Activities included a skate park event, basketball tournaments, Lawn Tennis Association sessions, and more, creating a vibrant and inclusive atmosphere for all.

Read the full case study here.

The Winter HAF programme brought festive magic to families, offering special experiences such as Santa visits, theatre trips and winter wonderland events, helping to lift spirits during the colder months.

At a time when the cost of living continued to impact many households, the programme provided not only moments of joy, but meaningful support through hot meals, food hampers and inclusive, engaging activities, ensuring young people and their families could enjoy a memorable and positive festive holiday.

Across the year, ActivAte spent a total of £733,210 to deliver the HAF programme effectively in Thurrock. The funding was allocated across key areas, such as:

Holiday Club Face to Face Provision - £601,861
Working with local partners, Thurrock HAF ran 30+ activity clubs each holidays offering targeted support through SEND, wellbeing, and youth crime prevention hubs. From sports and theatre to pony therapy, bushcraft, and graffiti art, the programme delivered inclusive, enriching activities designed to inspire and uplift every child.

SEND Specific provision - £46,980
The Thurrock ActivAte SEND offer continues to deliver inclusive, low-sensory sessions led by specially trained staff, by creating safe, supportive spaces where children with additional needs can thrive, while giving families valuable respite and peace of mind.

Remote - £0

Marketing and Communications - £1,786
To continue reaching and engaging as many families and children as possible, Thurrock ActivAte delivered a marketing campaign using both digital and print channels. This included paid social media advertising, local magazine features, flyers and posters, children’s activity packs, family support booklets, promotional banners, and more, ensuring broad visibility across the community.

Management and Administration - £73,000

Capital and Expenditure - £0

Additional Costs - £9,583
Funding supported the WONDE/HolidayActivities central booking system, enabling eligible families to receive unique access codes via school MIS data. All delivery partners were successfully onboarded and provided with ongoing support through dedicated drop-in sessions before and throughout the holiday delivery period.

Additional Funding Leveraged - £0

In Thurrock, the Active Essex Foundation’s (AEF) Secondary Intervention programme has focused on supporting vulnerable young people through targeted, specialist holiday provision. Working with local organisations, the programme delivers tailored activities that combine sport and physical activity with wider enrichment, including life skills, mentoring, and volunteering opportunities.

This personalised approach ensures support is shaped around the needs of young people in Thurrock, helping to build confidence, encourage positive behaviours, and create pathways for longer-term development.

Learn more here.

A targeted marketing and communications plan was delivered throughout 2025, building on the strong role marketing has played in ActivAte’s continued success. This approach enabled the programme to effectively engage both new and existing audiences across the county, clearly communicating the support available to eligible young people and families, increasing awareness and driving higher levels of engagement.

A key focus throughout the year was on family engagement, ensuring parents clearly understood the voucher code process for accessing and booking activities.

Digital

Digital marketing methods, particularly targeted advertising across Facebook and Instagram, played a key role in increasing awareness and driving engagement with the ActivAte offer.

Paid social media campaigns on Facebook and Instagram promoted booking dates and voucher code distribution across the year, followed by retargeting phases to sustain awareness and guide families through the booking journey into the holiday period.

The Essex ActivAte Partner Hub also continues to play a central role in supporting effective communication across the programme, acting as a single, accessible platform for delivery partners and stakeholders. It provides a dedicated space for key updates, guidance, training materials and promotional resources, ensuring all partners have consistent and up-to-date information to support delivery.

The hub also enables the creation and sharing of marketing toolkits and branded assets for partners and stakeholders to use locally, helping to maintain clear, consistent messaging and strengthen the overall promotion and delivery of HAF activities to families.

During the summer holidays, videographers captured one of the Thurrock Big Lunch community events to showcase the strong sense of community spirit, highlighting families coming together, engaging in activities, and celebrating local opportunities in a vibrant and inclusive environment, highlighting the Start Thurrock partnership.

Print

Print communications has continued to be a strong and effective marketing channel for ActivAte, with a range of flyers, posters and guides developed to support the parent booking journey, educate delivery partners and help families understand how to claim, book and use their voucher codes.

Building on previous insights, targeted leaflet drops and local magazine advertising were delivered to reach priority audiences, particularly in areas of higher deprivation, new HAF club locations, and areas with historically lower attendance.

In response to demand, thousands of children’s activity booklets and family support leaflets were distributed to clubs and stakeholders, including seasonal resources such as Christmas stockings and crayons, enhancing the overall offer and encouraging engagement beyond programme hours and into the home.

Looking ahead, ActivAte will continue to utilise marketing as a key driver of awareness, engagement and participation, with a focus on improving the parent voucher code experience and extending reach within local communities.