Young people have been encouraged to get involved with a host of activities in Newham over the summer holidays.

Newham Council's 2021 summer holiday programme - coined We Are Fun, We Are Newham - will take place over the next six weeks at Youth Zones, libraries and through the borough's voluntary, community and faith sector partners.

This includes sessions in games, family yoga, taekwondo, football, table tennis, street tag, reading, poetry, pop science, recycling, clay modelling, slime making, movie watching, Kahoot quizzing, board games, bingo, story telling, horse riding, music, fashion and puppetry.

The authority has also been given additional funding from the government's Department for Education (DfE), through its Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, to put on more things to do for youngsters aged five to 16 over the time off.

These include days out at Fairplay House, which is an outdoor activities centre offering archery, bushcraft, canoeing, caving and more.

Youngsters taking part in the HAF activities will get a free lunch.

Lynne Crank, assistant director of youth empowerment services at Newham Council, said: “Holidays can be particularly difficult for some when schools close because families often experience increased food and childcare costs and some parents have reduced income during holiday periods.

"HAF is a great opportunity to increase our offering to those who need it most.”

Volker Nissen, holiday activities and food coordinator at the authority, added: "I want to give young people and families a message, at the start of the summer holidays, that places are still available."

To book the HAF activities, go to www.newham.gov.uk/haf

To view the universal programme, rather than the HAF programme, https://www.newham.gov.uk/downloads/file/3446/summer-21-activities-3

This comes amid Newham Council's Year of the Young Person and as most pupils in the borough and around the country break up for the summer holidays in July.