The Derbyshire Children's Holiday Centre

Who we are

Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre is a long-established charity that has been helping children from Derbyshire experience the joy of a seaside holiday for over 135 years.

Founded in 1891, our mission is simple but powerful: to give children facing difficult circumstances the chance to enjoy a safe, happy break away from everyday pressures.

At our residential centre in Skegness, we welcome children aged around 7–11 for five-day holidays filled with seaside adventures, outdoor activities, creative experiences and time to build friendships. For many of the children who stay with us — often living in poverty, experiencing trauma, or facing multiple disadvantages — it may be their first opportunity to relax, feel safe and simply enjoy being children.

Our work combines fun, structured activities with emotional wellbeing support, helping children grow in confidence and return home with new memories, friendships and belief in themselves.

Behind every holiday is a passionate team of staff, volunteers and supporters who share a commitment to creating positive experiences for children and helping them see new possibilities for their future.

At Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre we believe that a few days of kindness and encouragement can change the direction of a child’s life.

Our culture and values

At Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre, everything we do is guided by a simple belief: every child deserves the chance to feel safe, valued and hopeful about their future.

For over 135 years we have worked to give children facing hardship the opportunity to experience joy, encouragement and belonging through a seaside holiday.

Our work is built around five core values:

Caring – We put children’s wellbeing first, ensuring every child feels safe, supported and respected.

Aspiring – We help children see their potential and encourage them to try new experiences, build confidence and believe in themselves.

Passionate – We are committed to creating joyful, memorable experiences that children will carry with them long after their holiday ends.

Encouraging – We celebrate effort, build resilience and help children feel proud of their achievements.

Inclusive – We create an environment where every child feels welcomed, valued and able to take part.

In practice, this means working as a supportive and collaborative team, maintaining high standards of safeguarding, and always placing the needs of children at the heart of our decisions.

We believe that when children are given kindness, encouragement and positive experiences, they can begin to see new possibilities for their lives.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

At Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre, we are committed to creating a working environment where everyone is treated with fairness, dignity and respect.

We believe that diversity strengthens our organisation and helps us better support the children and families we serve. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and experiences, and we are committed to ensuring that no one is treated less favourably because of characteristics such as age, disability, gender, gender identity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, marital status or socioeconomic background.

Our recruitment and employment practices are designed to be fair, transparent and inclusive. We aim to select candidates based on their skills, values and ability to contribute positively to our work with children. We also ensure that appropriate training, safeguarding standards and professional boundaries are maintained across the organisation.

We expect everyone who works or volunteers with Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre to contribute to a culture where inclusion, respect and kindness are actively promoted, and where discrimination, harassment or bullying are never tolerated.

By fostering an inclusive workplace, we aim to create a team environment where people feel valued, supported and able to do their best work in helping children thrive.