Holiday charity celebrates milestone birthday with new project

The service provided by Leicester Children’s Holidays has never been needed more, with the cost-of-living crisis and more local children each year living in poverty.

Young people across Leicestershire who are supported by the cause include those from low income homes, youngsters who have suffered family bereavement, others who live in a chaotic home, children with additional needs and child refugees.

All of the charity’s holidays and short breaks are completely free and full of fun with an expanded programme being planned for the next 12 months.

It also provides financial support to families, helping pay for their school trip, and the charity’s Rested Minds project gives vital mental health support to youngsters who have faced traumatic experiences.

The charity is launching a new project this year as part of its landmark birthday celebrations, called Broadening Horizons, which enables children to participate in an all year-round activity that they have an interest, love or talent for.

Nichola Moore, CEO of the charity said: “We are all really excited about the launch of Broadening Horizons, it is such an important programme as so many children are missing out on regular weekly activities such as dance, martial arts, cricket or football due to the cost and we are hearing from parents and schools that these are the items being cut from the family budget.

"We know how important this type of enrichment is for a child’s development and we are continuously striving to make a difference to bridge the gap between those that have and those that haven’t.”

Local people are invited to raise money for the charity via its ‘Can you 125 it?’ challenge over a 30-day period.

This might involve a bike, walk or run over 125km/miles or spending 125 minutes a day reading.

The roots of the charity date back to 1896 when Lady Rolleston and her husband, Sir John Rolleston, opened the first ‘Leicester Boys Club’, where local boys would attend for food and recreation.

Lady Rolleston realised so many of these children would never get the chance to see the sea and after lots of work in June 1898, approval was granted to begin taking the boys who attended the club away for a week’s holiday.

From August that year the holidays to Mablethorpe began to be enjoyed for well over a century

Upcoming holidays being planned are a Yorkshire farm trip, fishing holidays, a Santa’s grotto canal boat trip at Christmas and a Norfolk adventure holiday.

The charity has two big celebration events to mark its 125th year, with its first ever family festival, Flourish, on Saturday August 26 followed by an anniversary dinner on Friday June 7 next year.

Email [email protected] to find out more about these events or purchase tickets.

Click HERE to find out more about the charity and donate funding.