02/09/2026
There is clearly a real appetite for outdoor opportunities for children in Horwich.
When we opened bookings for a completely free outdoor holiday club for local children during the October half term, every available place was taken in less than 24 hours.
That response says something important. It demonstrates not only how much children and families value opportunities to get outdoors, try something new and spend time being active, but also the difference that accessible funding can make in removing the financial barriers that can sometimes prevent children from taking part.
Thanks to a grant from Horwich Town Council, the Anderton Centre will be able to welcome children aged 8 to 12 who live in Horwich (BL6) for a full week of outdoor activities, new experiences, friendships and hot lunches, completely free of charge.
And the speed at which the places were filled shows just how needed that opportunity is.
Taking place from Monday 26th to Friday 30th October, the holiday club has been created specifically for children living in Horwich aged 8 to 12.
Across the week, children will have the opportunity to get outside, be active and experience some of the activities that make the Anderton Centre such a unique place to visit. Alongside the activities themselves, the week provides an opportunity for children to meet new people, develop confidence, try something different and simply enjoy being outdoors.
A hot lunch will also be provided each day.
Most importantly, there is no cost to families.
For many households, the cost of school holiday activities can quickly add up, particularly when childcare, food, transport and activity fees are all taken into consideration. By removing the cost of the holiday club itself, the grant from Horwich Town Council has helped make this opportunity available to local families without that financial barrier.
This is a great example of what can happen when local organisations and local authorities work together with a shared understanding of what communities need.
The grant provided by Horwich Town Council has directly enabled the Anderton Centre to offer this opportunity to local children. It is an investment in giving young people the chance to experience the outdoors, be active and discover activities they may not otherwise have the opportunity to try.
For the Anderton Centre, working with local authorities and organisations is an important part of being a community-focused, not-for-profit organisation.
We know the outdoors can offer so much more than simply a fun day out. Time outside can encourage physical activity, help children build confidence, develop teamwork and communication skills, provide opportunities to try something new and create positive experiences away from screens and the pressures of everyday life.
But access matters. It is no good having fantastic outdoor opportunities available if some children and families are unable to access them because of cost. This is where funding such as the grant from Horwich Town Council can make a genuine difference.
The most striking thing about this initiative has been the response.
The holiday club was fully booked in less than 24 hours.
For us, that is an incredibly positive result, but it is also valuable evidence of the demand for this kind of provision within the local community.
When a free opportunity for local children is filled almost immediately, it tells us that families want these experiences and that there is a real need for accessible activities during the school holidays.
It also demonstrates the impact that relatively targeted local funding can have.
The grant from Horwich Town Council hasn't simply helped fund an activity. It has helped create an opportunity for local children to spend a week outdoors, experience new activities, meet other children and make memories, without their families having to worry about the cost.
Although the October holiday club is now fully booked, the impact of the funding doesn't stop there.
The week itself will give us the opportunity to see first-hand the experiences of the children taking part and the difference that access to these activities can make. We look forward to sharing that impact and celebrating the children who benefit from the opportunity.
For us, this is also about continuing the conversation around how we can work with local authorities, community organisations and funders to create more opportunities for children and young people to access the outdoors.
The Anderton Centre has always believed in the power of outdoor learning and adventure. Our location on the shores of Lower Rivington Reservoir gives us an incredible setting in which to deliver it, but partnerships and investment are what help us make those opportunities accessible to more people.
The success of this particular holiday club has reinforced something we already know: the demand is there.
There are children in our local communities who want to get outdoors, be active, try new things and experience adventure. There are families who want those opportunities for their children. And there is a role for organisations like the Anderton Centre and local authorities like Horwich Town Council to work together to make them possible.
We would like to thank Horwich Town Council for providing the grant that has made this October half term opportunity possible.
Their recognition of the importance of getting children outdoors and supporting local families has enabled us to deliver something that has been very clearly welcomed by the Horwich community.
Filling every place in less than 24 hours is a fantastic outcome, but perhaps more importantly, it shows why this kind of investment matters.
We hope this is the first of many opportunities where the Anderton Centre can work alongside local authorities and community partners to help more children experience the benefits of being outdoors.
Because when we invest in opportunities for children to get outside, be active and discover something new, we are investing in our local community too.
If you would like to find out more about opportunities, activities and outdoor learning at the Anderton Centre, follow us on social media or get in touch with the team.
