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<p>The information requested is not held centrally.</p><p>In 2018, the department
announced a programme of work to explore ways of supporting disadvantaged families
during school holidays. We received 94 applications for funding from organisations
across the country, for a share of £2 million.</p><p>The 2018 programme saw charities
and community groups provide meals and activities such as football, play sessions,
and cooking classes for more than 18,000 children across the country. Building on
this, the department has quadrupled funding and strengthened the programme to encourage
coordination in local communities, so that even more disadvantaged children can benefit
from the programme. Applications were invited from organisations to act as coordinators
in a specific local authority area. The 2019 programme received 92 applications and
selected 11 locations for funding, including at least one in each of the 9 regions
of England. This summer, around 50,000 disadvantaged children will be offered free
meals and activities over the upcoming summer holidays, funded by £9.1 million.</p><p>The
purpose of this programme is to allow us to gather more evidence about the scale of
the issue, the most effective ways of tackling it, and the costs and delivery challenges
associated with doing so. As a result, the department will be able to make an evidence
based decision about whether and how we should intervene in the longer term.</p>
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