Children and young people in south Chesterfield have been enjoying a summer of free fun after their youth group secured a £20,000 grant via National Lottery – with the good news that it will cover their costs for next year too.
The Grassmoor and Hasland Children and Youth Support Group has been a hive of activity throughout August, with sessions including Team Samba football coaching, circus skills, Nerf Battlefield, a DJ workshop, boxing and a riot of crafts such as painting, building bug hotels, decorating sun hats and making tambourines, fruit kebabs and bath bombs.
The programme is largely staffed by local volunteers, with the aim of helping those aged four to 15 stay active, creative and connected with their community.
One volunteer said: “The sessions involve the whole family – children, parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents. It’s a wonderful opportunity for everyone to spend time together, and it’s great fun for us and for the families who come along.
Another said: “What I really enjoy is seeing the kids – many we won’t have seen since the previous year. You make a real relationship with some of the families and it makes such a difference to them.”
The scheme has been running in some form since 2013 in partnership with social housing provider Rykneld Homes, North East Derbyshire District Council, Asian Association Chesterfield and national government via the Three Pits Pride in Place initiative.
Jessica Popplewell-Barker, Community Involvement Officer for, said: “What makes our project unique is that the children attend with their own responsible adult, so they enjoy the experiences together.”
Running 11am to 2pm at Eastwood Park in Hasland on Mondays and Wednesdays, and Barnes Park in Grassmoor or Tuesdays and Thursdays, 16 sessions will be held up to August 27, with no prior booking required.
In 2025, 344 different children attended a session, with some attending all 15. More than 1,000 healthy lunches were handed out and 18 volunteers gave up a combined 375 hours of their time to make it all possible.
But a repeat of that success was not guaranteed, as charitable funding sources have seen increasing demand amid turbulent economic conditions.
So the £20,000 grant came as a huge relief, adding to support from the North East Derbyshire Community Safety Partnership, Rykneld, Chesterfield Charities Board, Let’s Connect and an anonymous donor, while Tesco has once again support the project by providing food.
The size of the Lottery contribution means that planning can begin for summer 2027 as soon as September.
