For Louise Golec’s three children, holidays are all about being outdoors, staying active, and doing what they love most - riding bikes, scrambling up hillsides and taking part in forest school activities.
However, since a tragic change in their family circumstances, accessing these opportunities has taken on a much deeper importance.
The Golec family live on a rented farm in Bishopdale, near Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales. Louise works full-time as a farrier and is raising her children Florence, Charlie and Sidney - aged five, eight and nine - largely on her own after her husband, David, suffered a life-altering brain injury in a cycling accident 18 months ago.
“We still don’t really know what happened,” said Louise. “The police believe he hit a hare, but the surgeons described it as a catastrophic brain injury. He is now in a care home in Wakefield, near his parents, and he’ll never come home. He doesn’t recognise us anymore.”
Louise, 38, is navigating not just grief but a completely new life. With no life insurance and a physically demanding job that requires her full concentration, finding safe, affordable care for her children during the holidays became essential. And that is where FEAST came in.
FEAST is the county’s holiday activities and food programme coordinated by North Yorkshire Together, which we commissions through funding from the Government.
The initiative provides children and young people with nutritious food and fun and engaging activities, as well as enabling them to make new friends and gain social skills and experience ready for new opportunities.
Louise said: “I heard about FEAST from a friend who was working at the children’s school at the time. She told me about the vouchers and then I got talking to Helen at Stage One Cycles, who we’ve known for a very long time. We haven’t looked back since.”
Helen Pollard, who runs FEAST-funded activities through Stage One Cycles in Hawes, is a familiar face to the Golecs. All three children learned to ride with her - starting with balance bikes and progressing to full-on mountain biking.
Executive member for corporate services, Cllr Heather Phillips, whose responsibilities include the authority’s stronger communities programme, said: “FEAST is an essential resource ensuring that young people in North Yorkshire like the Golecs can access enriching activities that support their development, health and happiness.
“We are dedicated to reducing health and social inequalities, contributing to the county’s workforce and improving social, economic and health outcomes for the most marginalised in society.”
The FEAST funding has allowed the Golec children to take part in a wide range of activities, from mountain biking and climbing to paddleboarding and forest school sessions.
“They absolutely love it,” said Louise. “Helen’s taken them climbing, scrambling down Hell Ghyll, baking, doing forest schools - it’s exactly what they want to be doing. And for me, knowing they’re doing something so good for them while I work is a massive weight off my shoulders.”
The family also use the vouchers for sessions at Embers Outdoor School, another local activity provider focused on hands-on, nature-based learning.
As someone working in a high-risk job, Louise explained how vital it is to have peace of mind.
She said: “I shoe horses for a living. I can’t afford to be distracted, it wouldn’t be safe. FEAST makes a real difference, it allows me to keep working and to know that my children are doing something fun, active and enriching.
“I’m all for bigging up Stage One. Without them, and without FEAST, I honestly don’t know how we’d have managed.”
FEAST activities are open to children aged five to 16. Everyone is welcome to join, with free places for children and young people who receive benefits-related free school meals.
The strategic director of FEAST, Max May, said: “It’s been incredibly rewarding to see how FEAST has helped level the playing field for so many children across North Yorkshire. In just three years, we’ve supported over 13,000 young people who might otherwise have missed out - children like Florence, Charlie and Sidney, whose story is a powerful reminder of why this work matters. None of it would be possible without the dedication of local activity providers, schools, and communities working together.”
Executive member for children and families, Cllr Janet Sanderson, said: “The heart-touching story of the Golecs is just one example of how FEAST is helping young people to thrive.
“If you're juggling a job and home life, struggling to afford energy and water bills, food or other essential items and services, FEAST can act as a vital lifeline during the school holidays.”
Bookings are now live for summer FEAST activities. Find out more about the FEAST scheme, which runs from 21 July until 29 August.