Tuesday 15th July

Chilypep team excited to run HAF events this summer!

Chilypep have been awarded funds from the Healthy Activities and Food fund (HAF) through Sheffield Council to run 11 days of our Summer Youth Club in July and August this year!

When will they be? 

For 11 to 16s, Wednesday 30th July, Thursday 31st July, Wednesday 6th August, Thursday 7th August, Wednesday 13th August, Thursday 14th August, Wednesday 20th August with a bonus offsite trip on Thursday 21st August for those who have attended at least two of the other dates.

For 8 to 11s, Tuesday 5th August and Monday 11th August.

There will also be an all-age Family Fun Day on Monday 18th August, and the whole family are invited 🙂

How do I sign up to attend these sessions? Your parent needs to register you!

And yes, if you are 11, you can attend every day!

Please click the “find out what’s on” link above for more information on our youth club here at Southey Hill Centre.

What is the H.A.F. Programme?

The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme is a government-funded initiative delivered by the Department for Education (DfE). It provides access to enriching activities and nutritious meals during the school holiday periods—namely winter, Easter, and summer.

The programme is specifically aimed at supporting children and young people from Reception to Year 11 who are eligible for benefits-related Free School Meals (FSM).

Its objective is to ensure that eligible pupils have access to healthy food, engaging activities, and continued development opportunities outside of term time.

We’re a Proud HAF Provider

Our organisation meets all the key standards required to deliver safe, inclusive, and engaging activities through the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme, including:

✅ Up-to-date insurance and health & safety procedures

✅ A strong safeguarding policy, with trained staff and a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

✅ All staff DBS-checked and trained in safeguarding

✅ Data protection and inclusion policies in place

✅ First Aid and Food Hygiene qualified staff at every session

✅ A clear volunteer policy to keep everyone safe

As a young people’s empowerment project, Chilypep’s HAF activities are designed to foster joy, connection and independence for young people.

Friday 14th February 2025

Our newly renovated Southey Youth Hub in northeast Sheffield is now ready for use! 

In February 2025 we hosted a special relaunch event to celebrate our new youth hub funded by the  Youth Investment Fund. A grant of over £1.4M has transformed the youth space and strengthened Chilypep’s youth work offer. This amazing space was designed for and by local young people, whose passions and ideas, from choosing the colours on the walls and the comfy furniture, to the very layout of the building, have shaped the bid and played a key role in securing the grant.

A special acknowledgement for our partners SOAR and the who made this redevelopment possible, and the Lord Mayor, Councillor Jayne Dunn and our patron the Rt Hon Lord David Blunkett who did such a fabulous job cutting ribbons and delighting our crowds. We even made it onto BBC news!

Lesley Pollard, Chief Executive Officer for Chilypep:

“The Youth Investment Fund has paid for a major renovation and extension, opening up the space and making it accessible to all young people. The new-look youth hub includes a large activity space for dance, sports and drama. There’s also a new digital hub where young people can have fun and do their homework.
It’s a versatile space that can also be used by the community, providing extra space for the local food bank. There’s a new kitchen for providing nourishing meals and giving young people the opportunity to cook for themselves and learn new skills. It’s also a place where everyone feels safe, with a new CCTV system. It’s modernised the space throughout, making it more efficient and creating a warm and welcoming facility.”

Our Patron, the Rt Hon Lord Blunkett of Brightside and Hillsborough said:

“The young people of North Sheffield deserve youth facilities that meet their needs and help them to aspire to reach their full potential. I’m particularly encouraged that young people themselves have been involved in this project from the start, shaping their own community spaces and showing the positive contribution that they make to their communities.”

Megan Ohri. Partnership Manager for SOAR Community added:

“We’re thrilled to have been able to work in partnership with Chilypep to bring a new lease of life to this building and develop it into a vital hub for young people and the community in Southey. I hate to think what would have happened to the building if we hadn’t had this funding. It’s been brilliant to see the young people’s visions for the building being realised and we hope the community love the space as much as we do.”

Young person, Victoria Mikos, a Young Community Leader representative for Chilypep, was integral to securing the grant and making key decisions. She came along to the event, and even did a speech, expressing her excitement at seeing her vision realised. Victoria said:

“Young people don’t really get heard as much. We’re seen as younger so, ‘you don’t know what you’re saying’. Being an ambassador, I can communicate what young people want to see happen and how we need help.”

Councillor Dawn Dale Chair of Sheffield City Council Education Children’s and Families Committee said:

“Collaboration to build our growing youth sector is essential and I know through strong youth work delivery young people will create meaningful friendships and memories; and ultimately a sense of belonging in this wonderful new space.”

The Youth Investment Fund is funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and is delivered by Social Investment Business in partnership with Key Fund, National Youth Agency, and Resonance. The Youth Investment Fund is part of the Government’s National Youth Guarantee to transform and level up opportunities for young people in England.