1 Melbourne Business Court, Millennium Way, Derby DE24 8HZ 07961236833 [email protected]

Derbyshire Children's Holiday Centre

Donate Volunteer

1891

Established

29

Schools in 2024

368

Holidays in 2024

Welcome to Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre

Important Update: Our Journey Toward a Brighter Future

 
Since 1891, Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre has been dedicated to providing life-changing seaside holidays for disadvantaged children across Derbyshire. These holidays are more than just a break—they bring joy, build confidence, and create lifelong memories for children who need them most.
As we look ahead to the future, we’ve made the difficult but necessary decision to pause our holiday service during the 2025 season. This pause will allow us to undertake a thorough strategy review to ensure that we can continue to meet the needs of Derbyshire’s children for years to come.
 
A Message from Our Trustees
Outgoing Chair of Trustees, Alan Grimadell, shared:
“The Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre has been going since 1891, and the need to provide a seaside holiday for in-need Derbyshire children is as strong today as it was then.
As a long-running charity, we remain true to our core purpose. We know that providing a holiday in our centre means so much more to the children who attend than just a week’s break. It gives them confidence and helps forge friendships and bonds. Many children who attended our centre have never forgotten the feeling of love and support it gave them.
But times have changed since 1891, and our trustees have decided it is necessary to pause our holidays in 2025 while we fully review our entire operation, with the aim of coming back better, stronger, and more resilient to face future challenges.”
Incoming Chair of Trustees, Mike Copestake, added:
“We temporarily closed for two years in the late 1980s to transition from local authority funding to being fully self-supporting. Now, we face a similar challenge to meet rising costs and ensure we continue to provide much-needed holidays in 2026 and beyond.
Trustees are already hard at work redefining our vision to continue ‘to inspire Derbyshire’s children to flourish,’ while staying true to our values of being caring, aspirational, passionate, encouraging, and inclusive.
As we go forward, the public’s support and encouragement of the Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre is always appreciated.”
How You Can Help
While our holidays are paused in 2025, your support remains vital to our mission. Here’s how you can help:
 
  • – Stay Connected: Follow our journey as we plan for a brighter future.
  •  
  • – Spread the Word: Share our mission and story to help us raise awareness.
  •  
  • – Support Our Campaigns: Look out for our Comeback Appeal 2026 and other fundraising efforts as we prepare to return stronger than ever.
  •  
  • – Donate using either our ‘Go Fund Me‘ or ‘Just Giving‘ appeal pages
     
    – 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]
     
    – Volunteer: We are always looking for help with fundraising.  Chat with us about how you can get involved.   Email: [email protected]
     
    – Cycle or Walk for us – SkegVegas 2025 Saturday 17th May – put the date in your diary and watch this space for further sign up information.
 
Thank you for standing with us as we take this important step toward building a stronger future for Derbyshire’s children. Together, we can continue to make a lasting difference in their lives.

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Derbyshire Children's Holiday Centre
2 weeks ago
Derbyshire Children's Holiday Centre

THANK YOU to everyone who came down and enjoyed themselves at our family fundraiser at Great Northern Classics Derby at the weekend!

We're delighted to announce that we raised £1532 from a great day out including axe throwing, slot car racing, Hacky Racers, rally car prep and lots more. ... See MoreSee Less

THANK YOU to everyone who came down and enjoyed themselves at our family fundraiser at Great Northern Classics Derby at the weekend! Were delighted to announce that we raised £1532 from a great day out including axe throwing, slot car racing, Hacky Racers, rally car prep and lots more.
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Brilliant effort. Thank you everyone that attended and who helped.

Derbyshire Children's Holiday Centre
2 weeks ago
Derbyshire Children's Holiday Centre

We’re buzzing down here at our fab family fundraiser today! There’s slot car racing, axe throwing, Hacky racers, rally car prep, and the barbecue is sizzling! It’s all happening until 3pm at Great Northern Classics on Osmaston Road!

Head on down and join us! Some pix of the fun down here today! ... See MoreSee Less

We’re buzzing down here at our fab family fundraiser today! There’s slot car racing, axe throwing, Hacky racers, rally car prep, and the barbecue is sizzling! It’s all happening until 3pm at Great Northern Classics on Osmaston Road! Head on down and join us! Some pix of the fun down here today!Image attachmentImage attachment+3Image attachment
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Derbyshire Children's Holiday Centre
3 weeks ago
Derbyshire Children's Holiday Centre

Calling families! Looking for a fun thing to do this weekend which will raise vital funds for us at the same time?

Look no further than this fabulous vehicle themed family fun day at Great Northern Classics - just a fiver per car (containing your whole family) gets you into a brilliant day out where you'll get the chance to take part in axe throwing, giant slot car racing, Hacky Racers, visit a fire engine! There will be a great barbeque and an ice cream stall from our friends at Bluebell Dairy so please, come on down! ... See MoreSee Less

Calling families! Looking for a fun thing to do this weekend which will raise vital funds for us at the same time? Look no further than this fabulous vehicle themed family fun day at Great Northern Classics - just a fiver per car (containing your whole family) gets you into a brilliant day out where youll get the chance to take part in axe throwing, giant slot car racing, Hacky Racers, visit a fire engine! There will be a great barbeque and an ice cream stall from our friends at Bluebell Dairy so please, come on down!
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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 £150,000 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.

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Contact Us Today

    Some of Our Valued Supporters

    Derby Homes has been a long-time supporter of the Centre, offering vital advice, important renovations and round-the-year assistance. Their most recent work was to help install a new fire sprinkler, while in the last five years they upgraded and renovated the bedrooms and bathrooms. The help they offer us cannot be underestimated and we are extremely grateful for all they do.
    Derby Homes has been a long-time supporter of the Centre, offering vital advice, important renovations and round-the-year assistance. Their most recent work was to help install a new fire sprinkler, while in the last five years they upgraded and renovated the bedrooms and bathrooms. The help they offer us cannot be underestimated and we are extremely grateful for all they do.
    Butlin's in Skegness provide regular trips for the children visiting our Centre, and for decades have worked in close partnership with DCHC. The visits the children go on to Butlin's is aways one of the highlights of their stay with us.
    Butlin's in Skegness provide regular trips for the children visiting our Centre, and for decades have worked in close partnership with DCHC. The visits the children go on to Butlin's is aways one of the highlights of their stay with us.
    Captain Kids Adventure World on Skegness Pier is a fantastic indoor play area which the children spending time at the Centre love visiting. A great place to burn off some energy!
    Captain Kids Adventure World on Skegness Pier is a fantastic indoor play area which the children spending time at the Centre love visiting. A great place to burn off some energy!
    Asda Supercentre in Spondon, Derby, hold regular bucket collections and support us in a number of other initiatives, such as bag packing mornings, helping us raise vital funds.
    Asda Supercentre in Spondon, Derby, hold regular bucket collections and support us in a number of other initiatives, such as bag packing mornings, helping us raise vital funds.
    Rayburn Tours have over 50 years of experience as a family run school travel company. Providing incredible & memorable tailor made school trips abroad. They have been brilliant partners for us, raising vital funds through a range of activities.
    Rayburn Tours have over 50 years of experience as a family run school travel company. Providing incredible & memorable tailor made school trips abroad. They have been brilliant partners for us, raising vital funds through a range of activities.
    Marketing Derby is the city's inward investment agency and a key strategic partner for the charity, helping us keep in touch with local businesses and networks.
    Marketing Derby is the city's inward investment agency and a key strategic partner for the charity, helping us keep in touch with local businesses and networks.
    L.E.A.D IT Services provide managed ICT services, specialising in supporting schools and education establishments. They have designed and provided DCHC with our new website.
    L.E.A.D IT Services provide managed ICT services, specialising in supporting schools and education establishments. They have designed and provided DCHC with our new website.
    Aldi provides the Centre in Skegness with food and assistance on a regular basis.
    Aldi provides the Centre in Skegness with food and assistance on a regular basis.
    Lidl in Skegness provides the Centre with food and assistance throughout the year.
    Lidl in Skegness provides the Centre with food and assistance throughout the year.
    At Pentagon Vauxhall Derby, we offer a full range of aftersales services, including MOTs carried out to manufacturer standards by specialist Vauxhall-trained technicians using genuine Vauxhall parts and approved diagnostic equipment.
    At Pentagon Vauxhall Derby, we offer a full range of aftersales services, including MOTs carried out to manufacturer standards by specialist Vauxhall-trained technicians using genuine Vauxhall parts and approved diagnostic equipment.
    Co-Treetment specialise in planting trees and the creation of local woodland spaces. Providing carbon capture for clients, along with remembrance trees and natural habitats for wildlife to thrive, including bees. Co-Treetment have partnered with Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre combining their passion for carbon capture and off-setting with a desire to support a local charity whose work remains very close to their hearts. For each DCHC tree purchased a donation is given directly to the charity.
    Co-Treetment specialise in planting trees and the creation of local woodland spaces. Providing carbon capture for clients, along with remembrance trees and natural habitats for wildlife to thrive, including bees. Co-Treetment have partnered with Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre combining their passion for carbon capture and off-setting with a desire to support a local charity whose work remains very close to their hearts. For each DCHC tree purchased a donation is given directly to the charity.

    What We Do…

    We provide disadvantaged children from Derbyshire aged between 6 and 11 with a break they might never normally receive.

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