North Yorkshire’s FEAST programme has expanded its offer to young people in the Ryedale area to include workshops at Helmsley Arts Centre.

FEAST, or Food. Entertainment. Arts. Sport. Together., provides free places to eligible children in a wide range of activities during the Easter, Summer and Christmas holidays.

FEAST, which this Easter takes place from 25 March to 8 April, is coordinated by North Yorkshire Together and delivered with funding from the Department for Education.

Thousands of children in North Yorkshire have already taken part in the programme since its launch in 2021, with many families reporting that the clubs are a lifeline.

Helmsley Art Centre’s Artistic Director & Youth Theatre Director, Natasha Jones, said: “We are delighted to be working with North Yorkshire Together and Feast to expand our programme of arts events and opportunities for our community, and beyond.

“We'll be working with a fantastic local artist, Nicola Hutchinson, to provide high quality, fun and creative art and illustration workshops for children and young people.

“We're also working with a brilliant local café, The Feather Trail, to provide healthy, delicious lunches for participants too.

“Our regular programme of events and activities offers something for everyone, from gigs to writing groups, theatre to yoga, choir to cinema and much more. We're very excited to be welcoming new families into Helmsley Arts Centre, introduced through the FEAST programme and hope to offer more FEAST events in the future.

“You can find out more info about our events, activities, classes and opportunities to get involved at www.helmsleyarts.co.uk”

Helmsley’s representative on North Yorkshire Council, George Jabbour, added: “During the Christmas holiday period, I visited a FEAST event in Scarborough and saw how successful it was.

"Therefore, I am glad that FEAST workshops will be introduced at Helmsley Arts Centre this Easter.

"In addition to Helmsley, other locations for the FEAST programme in Ryedale include Malton and Pickering."