Playschemes Report 2025
Overview
It is hard to believe that we have completed our fourth year of Community Foundation North East’s Summer Playschemes programme already.
A few years have passed now since the Covid-19 pandemic, the effects of which
have only been exacerbated by a costof-living crisis that simply refuses to go away. The region’s most vulnerable children and young people have been uniquely affected by these twin factors, with many still needing support with their mental health on top of being faced with often challenging conditions at home.
Holiday hunger continues to make school holidays a stressful time for the most disadvantaged families. The summer is further complicated by the difficulty of finding affordable activities for their children that stimulate them physically and mentally. Parents and carers themselves are also affected, often having to make a choice between spending time at home and working to provide for their families, whilst some still have to make the choice between feeding themselves and feeding their children.
Whilst there are Government-backed holiday activity schemes running across the North East, their eligibility criteria frequently presents a barrier to participation for many families in need of support during the long summer break. This is why we created the Playschemes programme in 2022, to help break the fall of those slipping between the gaps in provision, and it remains as important as ever.
Fortunately, there are several hundred organisations and projects located across the region working hard to meet the challenges that the summer presents for so many. Engagement with this support is not simply a short-term fix but can be the difference between children returning to school ready to learn and falling behind their peers, sometimes irredeemably.
The Playschemes programme has been able to support some of these organisations in 2025, regardless of whether they have been able to secure Government funding. This year, the programme supported 15 of 36
applications with grants of up to £8,000, which resulted in almost 1,700 hours of provision and just under 9,000 individual meals for 553 participants.
We remain immensely grateful to our donors, who collectively gave £86,066 from their own Funds or through additional donations. Whether they are first time contributors, have regularly given, or have made future commitments, we are thrilled that they have seen the value of what the programme is trying to achieve.
And following the launch of a new strategy and re-branding that includes a commitment to provide more flexible, long-term funding, Community Foundation North East has demonstrated the importance it places in the programme by topping up these contributions with a further £17,000.
This report provides a flavour of what has been achieved this year, and we will mark the programme’s fifth anniversary in 2026.
Ross Wilson Senior Philanthropy Advisor
November 2025
“Thanks for the fantastic activities over the summer. My son has loved coming and it’s given me a much-needed break over the six-week holidays. The staff have worked so hard, and I can’t thank them enough.”
Parent, SPARCS
“As a teenager I don’t like to go anywhere and spend most of my time in my room. These trips gave me lots of fun activities to do where no one stared or judged me.”
Young person, More than Grandparents
“Each meal was freshly prepared, culturally appropriate, and served with dignity… the true impact lies in what this provision meant for families living with poverty and food insecurity. Parents told us repeatedly how much this mattered: “It isn’t just food – it is the relief of knowing my children are eating well and enjoying themselves”.”
Peace of Mind
“Many young people formed new friendships, discovered new interests and talents, and showed improvements in mood, behaviour, and social interaction. Some who were initially reluctant or went on to fully engage, activities, and thrive in the environment. This shift in confidence was a standout success programme.”
Pallion Action Group
“As a part time working guardian, I have to claim universal credit to topup my wage. This means I am able to reclaim up to 85% of my childcare costs but I must pay the money in advance and can wait up to six weeks to claim some of it back. The cost of school uniform too, it works out a very expensive time of year for me, leaving no money to do anything fun during the holidays.”
Parent, Blaydon Youth and Community Centre
friendships, interests showed clear behaviour, participants or withdrawn try new the group confidence success of the Group
“The children were able to be themselves, to be as loud as they wanted and just have lots of fun. One
“A lot of the children gave really good feedback, some stating they “wish it was longer” and they “feel safe and supported and have lots of fun”.”
YMCA North Tyneside
child commented that they would “love to come to Edberts every single day and do a job like [the staff team]”.”
Edberts House
‘’Without this holiday club would have meant I would not be able to go into work…”
Parent, Parker Trust
Sessions provided
Statistics
The majority of our grantees submit monitoring reports at the end of their funding period, and we see that as a great opportunity to quantify the success of our Playschemes grants. Over the last four years, we’ve consistently asked applicants to set their own targets against pre-agreed objectives, and we are very pleased with the outputs recorded!
Children and young people supported
Individuals attending each session
Hours of support provided
Meals provided
