Barnstondale Centre launches affordable family Christmas event

    To raise money for the increasing demand for Barnstondale’s Bursary Scheme, the charity joins in on the festivities and has planned a Magical Christmas fundraising event this year, that’s affordable for all.

    The Barnstondale Centre is a children’s charity in the heart of the Wirral, that’s best known for its outdoor activities and residential school trips. The inclusive outdoor education centre has been supporting young people from all backgrounds and abilities for over 60 years, providing a natural setting for personal development, through sport and adventure, study, and reflection.

    As a charity, Barnstondale offers a range of outdoor activities for all, including disabled and disadvantaged children whom they support through their Bursary Scheme. Committed to offering activities that develop children’s confidence, self-esteem, and life skills, their facilities are suitable for all abilities and individual needs.

    Challenging barriers to young people accessing outdoor education, Barnstondale fundraised for a fully accessible log cabin that facilitates residential stays for children with special educational needs and disability (SEND), making them the only facility in Merseyside of its kind that caters for all children.

    Following the COVID 19 Pandemic and the onset Cost of Living Crisis, the charity has found that requests for their Bursary Scheme has increased by 300%, a scheme that subsidises young people’s fees to the facility by up to 50% to encourage access for all. Children who are eligible for free school meals, from low-income families or have special educational needs are funded on request. However, the charity is finding that children that now fall outside of these categories are also requesting assistance and they want to support as many as possible.

    In response to the ever-changing financial climate and the increased support for children to access Outdoor Education and all it’s benefits, Barnstondale are opening their grand gates and welcoming the public in for an affordable, Magical Christmas event, to raise money for the next generation of the children they support.

    Jon Muspratt the Charities CEO commented, “For some Children this may be their first experience of staying away from home, their first out of city experience, exploring the woodland with their friends. At Barnstondale we’re committed to ensuring children from all walks of life have the chance to be children, with no barriers to accessing outdoor education and all the benefits it has to offer.”

    To raise awareness of the work Barnstondale does as a charity, this year they are inviting the generations of families that have made lifelong memories at Barnstondale, to fundraise with them whilst celebrating all the best bits of Christmas.

    The Magical Christmas event had it’s grand opening on Thursday 24th November and will be running every long weekend, Thursday to Sunday, until Friday 23rd December. An action-packed family experience that will aim to raise vital funds for the young people from across our region.

    Combining all the best bits of Christmas, the Magical Christmas event has created a mesmerising sensory experience filled with Christmas light trails, installed by The Festive Group, an open lit fire for toasting marshmallows and has live entertainment on every evening between the hours of 6pm – 8pm.

    For the most important guests (and the children within us all) each child will have a personal visit with Santa, in the log cabin Grotto and the event will be packed with activities from decoration making, reindeer spotting, snowball throwing, there will be plenty of selfie opportunities, and lifetime memories made.

    If you’re looking for something different this Christmas, the Magical Christmas experience at Barnstondale may be the answer, support a local charity and raise money for the next generation of young people – an adventure that sparks something more!

    Christmas.barstondale.org

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