Relax Kids Oldham has received funding for the return of their Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme next month.

A franchise company, the Oldham branch was set up by friends Jenny Eastwood and Jo Turner to support the mental and emotional wellbeing of children.

HAF is a government-funded programme which supports lower income families during the school holidays.

Left to right- Jenny Eastwood and Jo Turner (Image: Relax Kids Oldham)

The business partners, Jenny and Jo, met each other while working at Mind, a mental health charity which operates in England and Wales.

They work with a seven-step programme of movement, play, stretch, feel, breathe, believe and relax.

The different steps include ways to help children express themselves freely, promote positive interaction with peers and build self-esteem. 

Jenny said: "We can't really expect children to just know how to relax. 

"So, we build their energy in the room first and we get them to do all these steps and then by the end of the session, they're able to relax."

Children at Relax Kids Oldham (Image: Relax Kids Oldham)

Jenny and Jo's usual sessions only last around an hour, but the HAF sessions run for four hours, four days a week for four weeks. 

The longer sessions allow for more in-depth coaching and the children are provided with a hot and healthy meal as well as craft activities.

Jenny said: "Jo and I worked as children and young people's practitioners and we did a lot of work in the schools in Oldham, Tameside and Glossop.

"A few of the schools were using Relax Kids, and we looked into it and decided we would pay to become Relax Kids coaches and we thought it would really complement our work at Mind.

Relax Kids Oldham sessionRelax Kids Oldham session (Image: Relax Kids Oldham)

"There's absolutely nothing in the country for children under eight with regards to mental health, so if you have a child that's struggling with anything there's no services. 

"So originally we were just going to deliver it to under eights, but once we'd done the training and realised how amazing the whole programme is, we decided to set up on our own."

For the first few years after they set up Relax Kids Oldham, the pair were successful, with many schools using their services. 

However, as funding began to lessen, they began to rely mostly on the HAF scheme to deliver their programme.

Jenny added: "Schools just don't have the funding anymore- all the schools still wanted us, but they don't have any money for it.

"It does now mean that all our courses are accessible by everybody, whether they can afford it or not.

"We truly believe everybody should be able to access our services."

The sessions will run from two venues, St Hugh's primary school and Failsworth Library beginning Monday, July 22.