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 £384 funds a holiday for one child. You can do this by 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.
How you can help change a child’s life
- Connect & share with others – follow our journey on social media 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.
Our Story
135 Years of Changing Children’s Lives
For 135 years, Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre has been helping children discover the joy, freedom and wonder of a seaside holiday. Since 1891, thousands of Derbyshire children facing poverty, family difficulties, bereavement, caring responsibilities, disability, or other challenges have been given the opportunity to escape their everyday worries and enjoy a few precious days by the sea.
Today, that mission is just as important as it was 135 years ago.
Why We Need Your Help
Many of the children we support have never had a holiday. Some have never seen the sea. Others are carrying worries that no child should have to face.
A holiday may sound simple, but for a child it can be transformational. A week away means:-
* Making new friends
* Building confidence and independence
* Learning new skills
* Having fun and feeling cared for
* Creating happy memories that last a lifetime
Most importantly, it gives children the chance to simply be children.
“I didn’t want to come home. It was the best week of my life.”
The Difference You Can Make
In 2026, we restarted our holiday programme and children are once again paddling in the sea, building sandcastles, exploring new places and discovering new confidence in themselves.
Every donation to our 135th Anniversary Appeal will help provide free residential holidays for Derbyshire children aged 6–11.
* £5 helps provide treats and activities.
* £15 helps cover food and transport.
* £32 a month can fund an entire holiday place over a year.
* £380 can give one child a complete life-changing holiday.
Looking to the Future
As we celebrate 135 years of service, we are not simply looking back at our history we are building the next chapter.
With your support, we can ensure that many more children experience the magic of the seaside, the kindness of caring adults, and the opportunity to flourish.
Be Part of Our Story
Whether you donate £5 or £500, every gift helps create brighter futures for Derbyshire children.
Please support our 135th Anniversary Appeal today and help us continue changing lives for another 135 years.
Thank you for helping Derbyshire’s children flourish!
Facebook Posts
Contact Us Today
Some of Our Valued Supporters
💙 A Legacy of Kindness Across the Generations💙
One of the most special moments from our 135th Anniversary Afternoon Tea on Sunday was welcoming these five wonderful sisters, who joined us in memory of their parents, Margaret and Barry Wilson.
Margaret and Barry were loyal, long-standing supporters of Derbyshire Children's Holiday Centre, believing passionately in giving children the opportunity to enjoy a happy holiday by the sea. It was incredibly moving to see their daughters with us, continuing the generosity and compassion that their parents demonstrated throughout their lives.
When Barry sadly passed away in 2021, during the Covid pandemic, the family chose to support Derbyshire Children's Holiday Centre through donations in his memory. Because of the restrictions at the time, they were unable to celebrate his life in the way they had hoped.
Following Margaret's passing in July last year, the family held a joint memorial service to celebrate both their parents' lives, once again asking for donations to Derbyshire Children's Holiday Centre in lieu of flowers.
Those gifts have become a lasting legacy. Every donation received in memory of a loved one helps us create precious childhood memories for children who desperately need a break from the challenges they face at home. It is a beautiful way for someone's kindness and values to live on, touching the lives of children they may never meet.
If you've ever wondered how you can leave a lasting impact, there are many ways to do so. Some families choose to request donations to a charity instead of flowers at a funeral, while others decide to leave a gift in their Will. If either is something you would like to consider, speak to your solicitor when making or updating your Will, share your wishes with your loved ones, or let your funeral director know when arrangements are being made.
To the Wilson family, thank you. It was an honour to spend time with you on Sunday and to celebrate the remarkable legacy of Margaret and Barry. Their kindness continues to make a real difference, giving Derbyshire children the chance to enjoy the gift of a seaside holiday and create memories that will stay with them forever. ... See MoreSee Less
3 CommentsComment on Facebook
How very moving but lovely too x
Mum and dad would have loved the event on Sunday. Thank you so much for making us so welcome and sharing memories of our parents x
It was a privilege to be able to represent Mum & Dad at your event. We had a lovely afternoon, especially talking to people who remember them so fondly. I think I speak for my sisters by saying that we would love to visit future events to continue the Wilson family support for your amazing charity. Thank you for having us 💕
It's getting exciting! There's only one week before it begins.
Starting on the 7th July and running 11th July 2026 Stuart Boon and Xavier Andrews will start on their Who Knew MEGA-walk to raise money for the Derbyshire Children's Holiday Centre.
Last year they raised £1907 by walking from Derby to Blackpool, for 2026 they have developed a new plan whilst working with us to raise further funds for the Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre (DCHC).
Both Xavier and Stuart are passionate about the charity which has meant so much to Stuart since he was a child.
Our aim with the ‘Who Knew Walk’ is to raise awareness of the numerous Derbyshire towns where the charity engages with disadvantaged children and who are able to enjoy a holiday at our home in Skegness.
The walk will take them from Glossop to Buxton; Buxton to Chesterfield; Chesterfield to Belper; Belper to Derby via Heanor and Kilburn before their final leg from Derby to Swadlincote.
A total of 102 miles; the same distance that our children's holiday centre in Skegness is from Derby.
We hope you’ll be able to support them in their mission to raise £2000. Their JustGiving page is provided below:-
www.justgiving.com/page/stuart-boon
If you'd like to see more information about our charity feel free to use the links below:-
General website
dchc.org.uk/
Events
dchc.org.uk/events/
Volunteering
dchc.org.uk/volunteering/
Thank you for your support, and thank you Stuart and Xavier for going the extra 102 miles!
Janine Marie
Simon Evans
Lee Jepson
Stuart Boon
Xavier Andrews
#dchc135 #skegness ... See MoreSee Less
Stuart Boon and Xavier Andrews fundraiser MEGA-WALK for Derbyshire Children's Holiday Centre
www.justgiving.com
Help Simon Evans raise money to support Derbyshire Children's Holiday Centre0 CommentsComment on Facebook
💙 WOW… £14,500! THANK YOU! 💙
Yesterday was a truly special day as we celebrated our 135th Anniversary Afternoon Tea at Repton School, and we’re still overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity shown by everyone who came along.
Together, you helped raise an incredible £14,500.
What does that mean?
It means that more Derbyshire children facing difficult circumstances will have the chance to enjoy something many of us take for granted—a holiday.
For many of the children we support, it will be their very first time seeing the sea. They’ll paddle in the waves, build sandcastles, laugh with new friends, enjoy fish and chips by the coast, discover new places and, perhaps most importantly, have the chance to simply be children.
These holidays don’t just create happy memories. They build confidence, friendships, resilience and hope—memories that many children carry with them for the rest of their lives.
This incredible event simply wouldn’t have happened without so many wonderful people.
A particularly heartfelt thank you goes to our trustee Ben Robinson, whose passion, energy and commitment to giving back to the community drove this event from start to finish. Ben worked tirelessly behind the scenes to bring everything together, and we are so grateful for everything he has done.
A huge thank you to Charles Hanson, who once again gave his time so generously to host the afternoon and our charity auction with such warmth, humour and professionalism.
Thank you to everyone who donated such amazing auction and raffle prizes, and to everyone who bid, bought raffle tickets or made a donation. Every single contribution makes a real difference.
We’re incredibly grateful to Repton School for hosting us so beautifully, to Alan Shepherd and the Repton bar team for going above and beyond throughout the afternoon, and to Ed Stanton and the team at Scorpion Events for providing the electrical infrastructure and event equipment that helped everything run seamlessly.
And to our amazing volunteers—thank you. From setting up the marquee and selling raffle tickets to welcoming guests and clearing away afterwards, your enthusiasm and hard work were simply outstanding.
Finally, thank you to every guest who came to celebrate with us. Your support means that more children across Derbyshire will have the opportunity to experience the magic of the seaside, perhaps for the very first time.
From all of us at Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre…
Thank you for believing that every child deserves the chance to make happy childhood memories. ❤️
#ThankYou #DCHC135 #GiftOfTheSeaside #Community #Charity #Derbyshire #Fundraising #MakingMemories ... See MoreSee Less
9 CommentsComment on Facebook
What a fantastic result ! Well done to all concerned !
Lost for words other than FANTASTIC result.
Fabulous!!
Load More
For 135 years, Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre has been changing children's lives through the simple magic of a seaside holiday.
Today, we're proud to premiere our brand-new video, beautifully produced by AV IT Media and Mark Averill. 🎥
We hope it gives you a glimpse of the laughter, friendships, confidence and memories that our holidays create for children who desperately need a break from the challenges they face at home.
For many of our children, this isn't just a holiday...
🌊 It's their first time seeing the sea.
🍦 Their first ice cream on the beach.
😊 Their first chance in a long time to simply be a child.
As we celebrate our 135th anniversary, we're asking you to help ensure that this life-changing tradition continues for generations to come by becoming a regular supporter.
💙 £32 a month pays for an entire holiday for one child.
🚌 £15 a month pays for their transport and activities.
🍦 £5 a month helps provide ice creams, treats and those magical little moments they'll remember forever.
Every monthly gift, whatever the amount, helps a child experience safety, friendship, fun and hope.
Please consider becoming part of their story today.
👉 Support our 135th Anniversary Appeal here:
[derbyshirechildrensholidaycentre.beaconforms.com/form/8d2217cd]
❤️ Were you one of our holiday children?
Perhaps you came to us as a child many years ago—whether you remember us as Derby Children's Seaside Home or Derbyshire Children's Holiday Centre.
We would absolutely love to hear your story.
We're building a growing community of former holidaymakers and discovering the incredible journeys our children have gone on to take. Your memories are an important part of our history and we'd love to reconnect.
Please get in touch at [email protected](mailto:[email protected])
Please watch, share and help us give another child the gift of the seaside. ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
📺There's nothing quite like seeing ourselves on the telly! 📺
We've shared a great BBC report from our week in Skegness - and we also welcomed a team from ITV News!
It's brilliant to see our fantastic children and volunteers get their share of the spotlight.
Our thanks to the reporters at ITV Central who came out to chat to us while we were giving 17 children a fantastic week in the sun.
If you want to get involved in giving children in need of a break a brilliant holiday, we have lots of volunteer opportunities from cooking to fundraising.
Get in touch with our CEO Janine Marie Holmes on [email protected] if you'd like to support us providing great holidays like the one you see in this ITV report. ... See MoreSee Less
3 CommentsComment on Facebook
Brings back some wonderful memories of working here in 1999-2000 ❤️❤️❤️
Fabulous ! Lovely to see !
I've got a video on the news from the mid 90's when it shut down when Ruth was in charge
🙏 It's thank you time from us 🙏
As a charity we are so grateful to anyone who supports us in our mission to give children who need a break a holiday by the sea.
There are so many people who give us so much, whether it's their time, fundraising or equipment.
This week's thank you goes to Derby Grammar School which very kindly loaned us something very valuable: their school minibuses!
We were certainly able to put them to great use, driving 17 Derby school children to Skegness and back during May half term.
Thank you to Derby Grammar for your buses - they were a very big help. Transport is one of the challenges in running our charity and we were very grateful indeed for the support.
There are all sorts of ways you can help a charity like ours.
Think you can help? Get in touch with our CEO Janine Holmes at [email protected] ... See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
Such a wonderfully generous offer which enabled 17 children to have fun in the sun. Derby has so many philanthropic organisations that see the need and help a lot to make sure children aren’t left behind. Here’s to the summer holidays when even more disadvantaged children will be able to enjoy holidays at the Derbyshire Children's Holiday Centre in Skegness.
Enjoy .I spent many holidays there xx