Spring into Action with Fit for All

Fit for All springs into action over the Easter holidays with inclusive play and youth services and healthy meals for disabled and vulnerable children at locations across Birmingham. Thanks to support from the government’s Holiday Activities and Food programme, Children’s Quarter members will be running sessions during the Easter school holidays. The sessions make up part of the wider Bring it on Brum initiative which will porvide thousands of places for children in Birmingham who are eligible for free school meals during the 2 week Easter break.

Answers to questions about Fit for All and how you can take part are below:

For further information about Fit for All – please use the contact form at the foot of the page.

What goes on at a Fit for All session?

Short answer: play, or youth, activities with high adult : child ratios so that they can be customised to suit participants; and a healthy meal or food equivalent. Longer answer: it depends on the provider. Some of the groups that deliver Fit for All are specialist in terms of the children and young people they involve. Others – like the schools that deliver sessions – tend to be more general. All Fit for All sessions include physical activities; a healthy meal (or food to take away, for example for children that are fasting); and some element of informal food education.

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What age group is Fit for All suitable for?

Short answer: it varies; basically it is aimed at school age children, but you need to check the age range for each club. Longer answer: Fit for All sessions are wholly- or part-funded by the government Holiday Activities and Food fund. That fund is aimed at providing school holiday activities and food for children aged 5-16 who are eligible for free school meals. Fit for All, however, has a bit of a leeway here because: 1) our groups don’t just depend on the government money – which means they can involve a wider set of children and young people; and 2) it is recognised that disabled and vulnerable young people might benefit from Fit for All when they are 17 and 18 years old. So, in principle, groups can offer sessions for 5-18 year olds. In practice, groups tend either to specialise in sessions for younger children or older ones. Some groups run two or more clubs as part of Fit for All that are aimed at different ages. You need to check the age range with the group providing the sessions. As session details are confirmed, we will include the information on this site too.

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Do you have to be eligible for free school meals to take part in Fit for All?

Short answer: Not necessarily. Children that are disabled or vulnerable can take part in Fit for All and in most cases so can their siblings (see below) even if they aren’t eligible for free school meals. Long answer: Fit for All aims to involve disabled and vulnerable children and their families who are most in need. We recognise, however, that families under stress, and with children who are disabled, typically face additional living costs. So there will be spaces and a welcome at Fit for All sessions for children who are not eligible for free school meals, but those who are eligible for free school meals will get priority. The groups and schools that are providing Fit for All sessions can also make places (that are not funded by the government’s Holiday Activities money) available more widely. They may need to make a charge for these places (see below).

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Can parents and carers attend Fit for All sessions?

Short answer: it varies – you need to check with the group. Longer answer: some of the sessions are organised on the basis that parents/carers stay with their children. Most are not and expect parents/carers to drop off children and pick them up when the session is over. You need to check with the group providing the service. Details will be shown on this website as they are confirmed.

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How much do sessions cost?

Short answer: the sessions are free for children in need and their families. Longer answer: Fit for All sessions and meals provided as part of them are free to children between 5-16 years who are eligible for free school meals. They are also free to disabled or vulnerable young people who are in need, and who are between 5-18 years old whether or not they are eligible for free school meals. The groups and schools who are delivering the sessions locally, may need to make small charges to cover the cost of participation of other children who are not in these target groups. If you would like, you can make a donation to the group or school that provides the sessions you attend – for instance towards the additional costs of organising trips etc – but this is entirely voluntary.

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Where are sessions running?

This map shows the locations that we are planning to use to deliver Fit for All during Easter. We will keep the map updated as details are confirmed with partners who are delivering the sessions.

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When are the sessions running?

Short answer: during the Easter holidays. Later in the year, we expect to run similar sessions during the Summer and at Christmas. Longer answer: the next round of Fit for All sessions will take place during Easter School Holidays. In Birmingham, that is from Monday 11 April to Friday 22 April inclusive.  Fit for All inclusive sessions will be running  in different locations on Monday 11 to Thursday 14 April and from Tuesday 19 to Friday 22 April. We are aiming to have sessions running somewhere in the city every weekday during the break except on Good Friday and Easter Monday. That doesn’t mean that every Fit for All location will be running something every day. Most locations are running sessions on between 1 and 4 days during the Easter holiday. When we have confirmed dates, we will add these to the map above.

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What does ‘inclusive’ mean?

Short answer: inclusive means ‘all children are welcome’, but read on… Longer answer: Fit for All delivery partners provide inclusive sessions with high staff ratios for disabled and vulnerable children.  ‘Inclusive’ means what it says – every child is welcomed and included. Priority, however, is given to disabled and vulnerable children who live in Birmingham and are local to where sessions are being delivered. We also give priority to children who are eligible for free school meals. Sometimes our partners don’t have the skills or equipment etc to be able to include a child with particular needs. In these cases, Children’s Quarter will try its best to find those resources or alternatives (for example from our network) so that every child can be accommodated safely and with dignity and care.

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Who is delivering Fit for All?

Short answer: the groups which deliver Fit for All sessions are all members of Children’s Quarter and committed to working inclusively. You can get in touch with them using the links below or by making an enquiry at the bottom of this page. Longer answer: you will recognise a lot of the groups; you might already have used their services. The groups delivering the Easter 2022 programme are: Ackers Adventure; Autis Birmingham; Balsall Heath CATS; Birmingham S.E.N.D Socials; Hamstead Hall Academy; Hamilton School; Meriden Adventure Playground; Norton Hall Children and Family Centre; Parks for Play; Resources for Autism; Seven Up Charity; Shining Stars Association; Square Peg Activities; and WE Are – women’s empowerment group.  Helping them are: Children’s Quarter – which helps to manage the programme; Creative Active Lives, who provide many of the enrichment activities – anything from circus skills to yoga; and food social enterprise, Change Kitchen, who are supporting the delivery of food and nutrition education.

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How will you provide ‘healthy meals’ during the month of Ramadan?

Short answer: we will provide alternatives for children and families that are fasting. Longer answer: all of the groups delivering Fit for All know that food can be an issue for any disabled or vulnerable child and their families. We are used to managing with children on an individual basis that takes into account what they can and cannot eat and the way they need things done. The month of Ramadan, this year, coincides and overlaps the Easter holidays: many older children and families will be fasting.  Fit for All providers will be sending food home with children when that is appropriate, as well as providing healthy meals for those children who are not fasting.  If you have suggestions or particular requirements, just get in touch with the groups providing the service you are using. Or get in touch with us through this site.

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Is ‘food education’ part of Fit for All?

Short answer: yes, as well as healthy food, Fit for All participants will be encouraged to learn about a healthy diet and we’re planning to run some community lunches for families so that they can find out more about it Longer answer: there will be more of an emphasis on food education and information for the whole family this Easter. Change Kitchen will be helping us with simple information about healthy diet in line with the PSHE curriculum. Service providers will tailor this to the needs and abilities of participants.  Children’s Quarter members will be organising a series of community lunches for families of children participating in Fit for All and will be seeking to share information about local food links at them. These community lunches are likely to take place after the Easter holidays because, as explained above, the holidays fall within the month of Ramadan when many families in Birmingham will be fasting.

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How can children sign up to take part in Fit for All?

Have a look at the map above – there are contact details for each of the locations at which groups are running Fit for All sessions. Bear in mind that this provision is mainly for children with special educational needs and disabilities or (in some cases) for children who are vulnerable due to domestic circumstances, and:

Some Fit for All sessions over Easter may be fully booked by children that are regular attendees at clubs during term-time etc. Most Fit for All providers will then give disabled children and young people who are most local to the venue priority access; and providers are bound to prioritise children who are eligible for free school meals – because their families need support most. Most providers will take new referrals slowly to ensure a good welcome. Some providers (where parents attend) will have more flexibility.  If Easter days are full there may be openings after the holidays and Children’s Quarter will work to signpost families to other appropriate services.

We know there won’t be enough spaces at Easter so satisfy demand – and we apologise for this. Please also see the main Bring it On Brum site to see if there are opportunities for your child in mainstream provision… And, please join us in asking for more spaces to be provided for disabled and vulnerable children during the Summer holidays and in future:

Please tell us their first names, ages, gender, the school they attend and a bit about them. If they have an EHCP please mention that. If they attend any clubs or groups, please let us know.