1891
Established
29
Schools in 2024
368
Holidays in 2024
Welcome to Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre
Since 1891, Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre has given children facing challenging circumstances in their daily lives, the chance to experience something many of us take for granted – a holiday by the sea. We are a small but determined Derbyshire charity with a big impact, built on the belief that every child deserves joy, adventure, and memories to cherish.
Why we do what we do
Too many children in Derbyshire are growing up in poverty or difficult circumstances. Many will never enjoy a holiday, feel sand between their toes, or experience carefree time away from daily struggles. These missed opportunities don’t just take away fun – they limit confidence, wellbeing, and hope for the future.
What we do about it
We provide free, fully supported seaside holidays at our centre in Skegness. Here, children are cared for by our dedicated staff and volunteers, enjoy good food, laughter, trips to the beach, and activities that nurture their confidence, resilience, and friendships. These holidays give children a break from challenges at home and the chance to return happier, more confident, and ready to thrive.
Why we’re needed
For many children, this is their very first holiday. The difference is lasting – they come home with memories, smiles, and a sense that they matter. With rising child poverty, our work is more needed now than ever.
How you can help change a child’s life
Donate – just £380 funds a holiday for one child. Donate using either our ‘Go Fund Me‘ or ‘Just Giving‘ appeal pages
Fundraise – take on a challenge, hold an event, or join one of our campaigns.
Volunteer – give your time at our centre or support us locally. Email: [email protected]
Partner with us – schools, businesses, and community groups can work with us to bring hope to children.
Connect & share with others – Follow our journey on socialmedia as we plan for a brighter future. Share our mission and story to help us raise awareness.
- Share your story – Have you or a close family member visited our Centre for a holiday? Share your story with us – we would love to hear from you! Email us [email protected]Come along and join in – Look at our events page to see what’s going on, where and when, come along, have a chat about what we are up to and how you might be able to help.
Together, we can continue to make a lasting difference in their lives. Every contribution, big or small, creates brighter futures for Derbyshire’s children.
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Join Us in Making a Difference: The Comeback Appeal 2026
For over 130 years, we’ve been offering children the chance to create cherished memories, build confidence, and enjoy the magic of a seaside break. These holidays provide so much more than fun—they offer a vital boost to the well-being of children who need it most. But rising costs have been no secret and so we have taken the decision to pause holidays at our centre in 2025, with the aim of coming back bigger and stronger in 2026.
So the goal of our 'Comeback Appeal' is to raise £75,000 to bring back our life-changing holidays to disadvantaged children in Derbyshire and spread joy and hope to even more children in 2026.
This year, we need your help to make this possible. By contributing to The Comeback Appeal, you’ll be helping us bring sunshine back into the lives of children who might not otherwise experience a holiday.
Every donation, big or small, brings us closer to giving these children the gift of happiness, hope, and unforgettable memories.
Thank you in advance for your generosity and support for this cause that means so much to all of us. Together, we can make 2026 a year to remember for Derbyshire’s children.
Let’s make the comeback stronger than ever.
Contact Us Today
Some of Our Valued Supporters
✨ Ladies’ Pop-Up Shop & Fun Fashion Show ✨
An evening of fashion, fizz and fabulous bargains — all for a brilliant cause!
🛍️ Shop your favourite high street brands
💸 Up to 70% OFF
🥂 £10 ticket includes a glass of prosecco or fizz
🎟️ Raffle with fabulous prizes
📍 The Derbyshire Conference Centre, Alvaston
🗓️ Thursday 12th March 2026
⏰ Doors open 6.30pm | Show starts 7pm
Every ticket sold helps fund seaside holidays for disadvantaged children across Derbyshire 💙
🎟️ Tickets must be purchased in advance
👉 bit.ly/459YSBp
📧 [email protected]
| 📞 01332 345424
Tag your friends, book your tickets and make a night of it! 👗✨ ... See MoreSee Less
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🚵 Looking for a great challenge in 2026? 🚶
We can't recommend the Cosy Direct Bike & Hike Challenge highly enough.
Whether you want to spin the pedals 100 miles from Derby to Skegness, or put your walking shoes on in trekking 20 miles from Derby to Ashbourne, you can be certain of a great welcome, brilliant camaraderie and some excellent food stops!
Plus, this year, there's an additional 13-mile walk for those who want to join in but would prefer a slightly shorter trek across beautiful Derbyshire countryside.
It all raises tens of thousands of pounds for our charity and our friends at Derby Kids' Camp and it's superbly organised by the team at Cosy.
The action kicks off from Derby Arena on May 16. Details below as to how you can sign up.
... See MoreSee Less
Home - Cosy Bike and Hike
www.cosybikeandhike.com
Cosy Bike & Hike is Derbyshire's biggest multi-discipline fundraiser, supporting two children's holiday charities. On 16 May 2026, choose from two events:0 CommentsComment on Facebook
135 Years. Thousands of Children. A Powerful Legacy.
In June, we’ll be celebrating 135 years of Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre — honouring our founders Harry Sykes and Arnold Bemrose, the generations of children who’ve enjoyed seaside holidays in Skegness, and our exciting return to holidays in 2026.
🗓 Sat 13 June, 3pm – Derby Cathedral
🗓 Sun 28 June – Birthday Celebration at Repton School
✨ SAVE THE DATES ✨
Were you (or a family member) once a holiday guest with us? We’d love to hear from you.
📩 [email protected]
📞 01332 345424 ... See MoreSee Less
3 CommentsComment on Facebook
Awesome see you soon in new season ❤️❤️ xxx
Derbyshire Children's Holiday Centre - such a huge milestone for our charity. Over a century of making a difference to the lives of disadvantaged children. Amazing.
📢 Are you ready to get to know another member of our team? 📢
This week, it's the turn of our long-standing trustee, Chris Walker. A linguist working for central Government, Chris became a managing director of a group of electrical retail stores in the East Midlands. He was also deputy managing director of the European-wide electrical and marketing Euronics Group.
❓ Why did you get involved with the DCHC?
I was asked to help just after the reopening of the centre, following the winning of a lottery grant in the late 1980s.
❓What does your role involve?
General overview and insight of the charity finances and operating model, and of course the future vision.
❓Best moments?
Every time that I see a smile on the face of an underprivileged child.
❓Best thing about Skegness?
The generous support and friendliness of the local population, shown to us consistently over many years.
❓Coast or countryside?
Coast. ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentComment on Facebook
Well done Chris for all your support to such a worthy cause.
Grab your tickets for a fantastic evening raising money for us and Treetops’s Hospice in memory of Kerry Anderson’s daughter, Emily. You are invited to The ‘Be You’ Ball! 💃🕺🪩🥂🍾 ... See MoreSee Less
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When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it, or it's been deleted.1 CommentComment on Facebook
Feel free to donate through our just giving page if you cant attend the ball but still want to help this great charity.. www.justgiving.com/page/kerry-anderson-2?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL
⚽ Can you spare 90 minutes to make a BIG difference? ⚽
We’re looking for friendly volunteers to help us collect donations outside Derby County FC before the match on
📅 Saturday 14 February
All we need is 90 minutes of your time to:
😊 Smile
💬 Say hello
💷 Ask for donations
❤️ Help us smash last year’s amazing total of £1,900
The more collectors we have, the more we raise — and every pound helps us provide seaside holidays for children who need them most.
While we can’t offer free match tickets, the atmosphere outside Pride Park is always brilliant, and it’s a really uplifting way to support a local charity.
👉 If you can help (or want to know more), please comment below or drop us a message.
Bring a friend if you like — the more the merrier!
Thank you for helping us turn matchday energy into life-changing opportunities for children. ... See MoreSee Less
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