The Hubb Foundation and Staffordshire digger giant JCB have launched a unique partnership to ensure thousands of vulnerable children across the city have free half-term holiday activities throughout the year.

The three-year £375,000 partnership will fund 1,000 activity places every half term in February, May and October at up to 35 Stoke-on-Trent schools and fund a marketing post for three years.

The ‘Hubb Holidays’ scheme, which runs throughout the week, will see schools supporting children who will benefit most from attending activities and experiences ranging from sports clubs and treasure hunts to poetry workshops and fun STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) themed sessions.

Launching the scheme were 50 children at St Mary’s Primary School, Tunstall, who enjoyed a morning of robotics STEM workshops run by teachers, trusted activity providers and JCB apprentices, as well as English enrichment sessions with Pep the Poet and a JCB digger experience. The activities were followed by a healthy free lunch.

The partnership completes the full cycle of school holiday activities ensuring youngsters from age 4 to 16 have wraparound holiday support for the entire year - with the Government HAF (Holiday Activities and Food) programme funding the main Easter, Summer and Christmas breaks.

The Hubb Foundation Chief Executive Officer Adam Yates said:

“In Stoke-on-Trent more than 19,000 children are classed as living in absolute poverty. Since our charity launched in 2018, the programme has made a massive difference to the city’s most vulnerable children raising their aspirations, providing hundreds of thousands of healthy meals and starting to drive great social change."

 “The JCB partnership is a real gamechanger and will ensure that every school holiday can be a happy, fun and healthy experience for those most in need across the city. We also know it will be an absolute lifeline for parents too.”

The partnership between JCB and the Hubb Foundation began during the first Covid 19 lockdown in 2020, when chefs at JCB’s World HQ in Rocester prepared 35,000 meals for the charity to deliver to vulnerable families across Stoke on Trent.

Over the past four years, the two organisations have also collaborated on JCB’s annual Christmas Toy Appeal, with the Foundation distributing almost 6,000 donated gifts from JCB employees to disadvantaged children throughout the city.

JCB Chairman Lord Bamford said:

“We are delighted to support the incredible work of The Hubb Foundation with a £375,000 donation over the next three years. JCB employs more than 1,700 people from Stoke-on-Trent at its six Staffordshire factories, so the city and its people play a big part in our company’s success. JCB is a family company so it’s important to us that all children across Stoke-on-Trent have the very best start in life and have the confidence to aim high, not least because they could be our apprentices and employees of the future.”

 To find out more about The Hubb Foundation visit here. and for more information about JCB in the community visit here.