An investigation into the “Kitchen Social” holiday programme in terms of the operation and impacts on the wellbeing, diet and activity of service users.

The aim of the current thesis was to investigate the views of senior stakeholders, staff, parents and children on the operation of the Kitchen Social holiday programme and the potential impacts on parents and children’s wellbeing. This thesis also aimed to examine the impacts of the Kitchen Social holiday programme on children’s nutritional intake and children’s physical and sedentary activity levels. This thesis is important as it provides a novel insight into a holiday programme which supports low-income families who may be experiencing holiday food insecurity. A mixed methods research design was utilised in this thesis for an initial qualitative research study which informed the following two quantitative studies. Study 1 involved a qualitative research design to explore the views of senior and key stakeholders on the operation of Kitchen Social and the potential impacts that this has on the wellbeing of children and parents. The findings of Study 1 show that hubs involved in the Kitchen Social programme differ in the delivery and organisation, yet all hubs are required to adhere to the Kitchen Social guidelines. Study 1 also demonstrates that the holiday hubs have a positive impact on the wellbeing of parents and children due to the increased opportunities to socialise, learn, take part in enriching, creative and physical activities, receive childcare in a safe environment, and access nutritious food. However, the benefits service users gain from attending the hubs may differ depending on the hub they attend. Study 1 considered the need for holiday hubs to receive government funding for hubs to be sustainable and expand to support more families who may benefit from attending a holiday hub. Study 2 investigated the number of, and amount of time children spend in physical and sedentary activity levels during the school summer holidays when children attend a holiday hub compared to the school term. Study 2 also investigated children’s adherence to Physical Activity Guidelines and the amount of energy children expend during the school summer holidays when children attend a holiday hub compared to the school term. Children (N=37) aged 10-14 years old completed the amended Youth Physical Activity Questionnaire (YPAQ) on two separate occasions: once during the school summer holidays and once during the school term. The Y-PAQ collected data on the type and time spent in physical and sedentary activities across 3 consecutive days, prior to the day of completion. The Youth Compendium of Physical Activities allowed the researcher to estimate the amount of energy expended from activities. The findings demonstrated that children participated in a higher number of physical activities for a longer amount of time, and sedentary activities for a shorter amount of time during the school summer holidays compared to the school term. Yet, there was no difference in the number of children adhering to PA guidelines, and the amount of energy children expended during the holiday hub versus school term time. Study 3 viewed the impact of holiday hub attendance on children’s diet quality and adherence to the School Food Standards (SFS) using a quantitative research design. Data on the food and drink intake of children (N=56) aged 7-16 years old was gathered from children using a 24-hour recall method. Children recalled the food and drink they consumed the prior day from waking up to falling asleep that evening on two separate occasions; once based on an attending hub day and once based on a non-attending hub day. The Young Persons Food Atlas was used to ensure data on portion sizes, cooking methods and brands were collected. The results of Study 3 showed that children’s diet quality improved and children more closely adhered to the SFS on an attending hub day versus a non-attending hub day. The studies in this thesis offer insight into the operation and potential benefits of a holiday programme to inform stakeholders involved in organising, implementing and delivering a holiday programme across the UK. These study findings are well-timed as the government has recently announced funding for the Holiday Food and Activity programme across England. This thesis also highlights future studies to provide further knowledge on the best practice of operating and delivering a holiday programme