M&S Castle Donington Distribution Centre

The Phoenix Children’s Foundation was established in 2006 with the aim of enriching the lives of young people living with illness, disability, or disadvantage. We rely entirely on donations from individuals, organisations, and businesses, as well as the commitment of our volunteers and trustees, to continue our vital work. Our rural outdoor enrichment facility is home to a wide variety of animals, including miniature Shetland ponies, alpacas, donkeys, reindeer, chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, cats, peacocks, and our beloved therapy dog, Chester. We also offer a Forest School-style area with a brook, fire pit, shelters, and space for exploring and connecting with nature. Sessions include animal care, sensory play, nature-based arts and crafts, forest school activities, water play, and more. These experiences promote resilience, confidence, communication, problem-solving, and independence. Many of our young people form meaningful bonds with the animals, make new friends, and experience significant wellbeing benefits in our calm and inclusive setting. We also provide food support for families of the children who attend our SEND provision. Food is offered to those in crisis or financial difficulty, either through packed bags or as part of our on-site experiences. We freeze suitable surplus items (such as pizzas and wraps) to use during Forest School sessions, where children enjoy cooking them on the campfire. Fruit and vegetables are shared with families first, and any leftovers are fed to our animals—ensuring nothing is wasted. Our food distribution takes place from a clean, well-ventilated indoor unit with shelving and refrigeration. Larger events also make use of our sheltered outdoor areas. Families in need are referred to us by local schools, social workers, and Short Breaks teams, or identified through our direct engagement with the community. All food support is provided free of charge. It complements our wider offer, which includes alternative education placements, holiday clubs, therapeutic animal sessions, and wellbeing activities tailored to children with complex needs. We also provide signposting and informal support to families collecting food. We currently collect surplus food from local supermarkets and wholesalers, along with seasonal donations from community gardens and growers. We’re incredibly grateful for this support, which helps us care for both our young people and our animals—and ensures no good food goes to waste.

Formerly known as CHICKs we were established in 1992, Go Beyond has provided a fully funded and much-needed break to over 15,500 children aged 8-13. The children we support come from a variety of backgrounds. Many are living in poverty or are young carers for parents or siblings, whilst others are victims of bullying, abuse or have been bereaved. The one thing they all have in common is that they desperately need a break. When they come to stay at one of Go Beyond's centres in Derbyshire or Cornwall the children get to enjoy new experiences and challenge themselves. For many of the children this is the first time they have ever been on holiday. They try out new activities such as water sports or rock climbing, as well as simply enjoying time in the beautiful natural environments around us. Often the most popular activities are the simplest, such as toasting marshmallows around the campfire or enjoying a bedtime story. And it doesn’t end there. Each child receives a Memory Bag to take home, containing precious mementoes and photos from the week. Go Beyond also sends every child a birthday card and Christmas presents, to ensure they continue to feel valued.

Loughborough District provides scouting opportunities across Loughborough and the surrounding villages, including Castle Donington, Kegworth, Long Whatton, , Thorpe Acre, Diseworth and Shepshed. This year, Thorpe Acre Scout Group is celebrating its 85th birthday after years of fun, adventure and learning together, Our scout hut is in need of some TLC to ensure many more generations of scouting can take place here! Our volunteer group of Scout Leaders are busy making plans to deliver a packed programme for the group, so DIY projects often fall a little behind. We would love some helping hands to help us with internal painting for the hut. We also need help expanding our outdoor fire-lighting area where the young people learn how to light fires. Our Scout hut is now 36 years old and in need of upgrading to ensure it is a safe, secure and comfortable place for young people to enjoy quality Scouting for many years to come. In recent years we have raised over £20,00 to rewire the building and install low energy heating and lighting, insulate the ceiling, refurbish the Kitchen and Entrance hall and improve the access path and outside area. We are currently improving our toilets and restructuring our grounds, which is why we are asking for volunteer help. The Beaver section have recently constructed a garden in the grounds and the Scout section are currently developing an area where they can safely learn to light fires using a variety of methods. In order for the Hut to become fully energy efficent we need to install double glazing and additional wall insulation. Our current Fundraising campaign is for Double Glazing for which we need £6,000. Not only will this help us to become more energy efficent it will also help to ensure that the young people stay warm especially in the colder months and durring our Christmas and New Year Sleepovers. If you would like to get involved in helping us reach our target, please do get in touch. You can also support us by sharing this page with your friends and family so we can get the whole community excited about our project.