Lottery funding boost for kids' summer camp

Outdoor activity centre Pops Summer Camp, in Rosehill Park, Rawmarsh, was awarded £358,046 from the BIG Lottery Communities Fund for its Adventure Under Blue Sky project.

The funding will allow it to revamp the entire pavilion and kit it out with new toilets, IT facilities as well as build a nature area and vegetable planting area.

Adrian Harvey, project development leader, said: “We wanted the chance to run it full-time and that’s when we applied for the Lottery funding.

“The money will allow us to do just that, as well as revamping the pavilion because it is literally just a building with lights, water and a roof.”

Pops has been running sports and arts and crafts activities for children aged six to 16 during Easter and summer holidays since 2010.

Mr Harvey said: “We started off with about 20 children per day and we’re now getting around 70 to 80.

“Our main aim is to improve the mental and physical health of young people and we do this through activities in the great outdoors.

“I think we live in a very guarded society compared to what it used to be like and that’s where we come in. 

“We provide the children with somewhere safe to enjoy the great outdoors.”

Mr Harvey said the group hoped to begin work on revamping the pavilion in September before launching the full-time, year-round project by the end of October.

Facilities in the pavilion will be opened up to the community during term-time, he added.

This year’s Pops’ summer camp will run until August 12.

For more information visit www.pops-summercamp.co.uk.