Lunch Bunch

Winter Programme – 2 to 5 January 2024

Booking for the Lunch Bunch Winter Programme are now open.

The Winter Programme is running from 2 to 5 January 2024 and will include activities that you can attend and some you can do at home.

Each young person can book up to four sessions and a food hamper.

Eligibility

We offer this programme to Islington residents who are enrolled in schools from Reception to Year 11 (aged 4 to 16 years old) and who meet at least one of the following conditions:

• qualify for benefits-related Free School Meals (FSM) - please note that while all primary school children receive FSM, this does not mean your child qualifies for benefits-related FSM 
• have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP)
• can be referred by a social worker, family support worker or other professional. 

Register and log in to book activities

To book activities you need to use our booking system Plinth (previously known as Time to Spare). You will need to register if you don't have an account or log in if you do.

If your child is already registered, please visit our booking system, click the 'Sign Up / Log In' link and enter your details. You can start booking activities once the booking system opens on Thursday 23 November 2023 at 6pm.

If your child is not registered on our system 

1. Create an account on Plinth.
2. Confirm your email address using the link sent to your email - if you register using a Google or Facebook account, you can skip this step.
3. Log in and register your child or children by completing the form.

You will receive an email saying that you have registered. We will then start checking your child's eligibility.

We will let you know by email if your child can get free places after we have done eligibility checks. Please note that we make checks daily, Monday to Friday, between 9am and 5pm.

Book activities

Once registered, you can search for and book up to four activities and a food hamper for each young person. More activities may get added to the booking system so please keep checking.

Book now

Young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

Islington offers an inclusive programme and there are places for young people with SEND, including some providers who are offering activities just for those with SEND.

If your child has SEND, it is important that you share the details about your child’s needs with the activity provider so they can confirm your child’s place and make reasonable adjustments.

Referring professionals

If you wish to refer a young person, you can either support the family or carer to register the young person on our system or you can register and book activities on their behalf.

Please note, if your details are in the system, you will be the key contact for the young person and for activity providers. Once a young person is registered, please email us to let us know about your referral on: lunch.bunch@islington.gov.uk.

Not eligible

If your child or children are not eligible for free places, there are some activities that are free and open to all children or some that need only a small payment. These include:

• some Lunch Bunch activities that offer both free and paid-for places - these are marked on each provider's listing in the activity title
• Islington’s adventure playgrounds and youth clubs are open to all young people free of charge - but age restrictions may apply. Places depend on availability at each playground or club and dates. Opening and closing times over the winter will be different than usual.  

To find out more go to our things to do directory page.

Help

• If you need help to get online, you can visit your local library.
• Eligibility checks: If you have registered your child and are awaiting approval, please note that we do eligibility checks daily, Monday to Friday, and you will get an email when we've completed these. Please check your junk folder.
• If you have technical issues with our booking system (Plinth), please try the following:
  • Refresh your screen
  • Check your registration and ensure your child’s name and details are on the registration and not yours as the parent
  • Check you are using the correct email address.
  If you still have an issue, please use the Plinth chat button to ask for help. The usual response time is around three minutes and if you cannot wait for a response, you will get an email reply about your problem.
• If you need any other support please email: lunch.bunch@islington.gov.uk. We check this email inbox Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm.  

Digital accessibility

Our booking system website is run by Plinth (previously known as Time to Spare).

We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website and our partner Plinth are committed to making their website accessible, in accordance with WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines. We know some parts of the Plinth website are not fully accessible and we have an accessibility roadmap and expect that they will improve accessibility by March 2024.

If you need support please email lunch.bunch@islington.gov.uk. We check this email inbox Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm. 

Privacy notice

For further information about how London Borough of Islington processes personal data for the purposes of delivering the Lunch Bunch: Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme, including the lawful bases we rely upon, how to exercise your data subject rights and how to make a complaint, please see the Lunch Bunch Privacy Notice.

Islington Council’s Lunch Bunch programme is part-funded by the Department for Education.