We are excited to announce our ambitious development plans for our Daleside Centre in the Peak District National Park. It’s an exciting time with plans being submitted as we prepare to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our Centre in Fenny Bentley. This initiative aims to expand our impact by doubling the accommodation at our Daleside Centre and reaching even more children facing challenges such as poverty, bereavement and caring responsibilities.
In the past year, Go Beyond welcomed nearly 500 children to Daleside for a week of joy, laughter, and growth—all at no cost to their families. However, with the number of children living in poverty in the UK projected to reach 4.3 million by the end of this year, demand for services like ours has never been greater.
To address this urgent need, we submitted plans to the Peak District Council to develop our Centre and expand accommodation from 16 to 24 beds, increasing the number of children we will be able to invite on a Go Beyond break, all year round.
CEO, Michele Farmer explains, “Our breaks offer a temporary escape for children facing difficult circumstances while helping them build confidence and resilience, equipping them with essential life skills for a brighter future. This expansion will allow us to increase the number of children we support, providing hope and respite to even more vulnerable young people.
Our plans show how we want to maintain the look and feel of traditional farmhouse, and in collaboration with our architects, Lechler Hayes, we are committed to making them as accessible and environmentally sustainable as possible’.
Michele added, “We are dedicated to helping more children connect with nature and the wonders of the outdoors. Our work in the Peak District has earned us Ambassador status. We are focused on introducing children from diverse backgrounds to foster a lasting connection with the environment’.
Throughout the year, Go Beyond offers a range of screen-free activities designed to help children and young people believe in themselves. From orienteering to exploring the Peak District national park, breaks encourage children to challenge themselves in a supportive setting. In addition to enabling more children to attend breaks, the expansion will also help us generate vital income by renting out our 63-acre site, when not in use, to partner organisations that provide similar respite services for children.
Architect, Toby Lechler Said, ‘We knew from our first visit to Daleside to meet Michele what a special project this would be and have been inspired by Go Beyond’s vision and focus on increasing their ability to provide more breaks for more children in a sustainable way.
The new purpose-built wing will complement the existing farmstead in form and materiality using low impact, locally sourced materials and integrate renewable technologies to reduce the centre’s reliance on oil fire boilers. Efficient and flexible bedrooms together with a mix of internal and external shared activity spaces link new and existing buildings to provide areas for socialising, playing and outside cooking and eating.
A new entrance will act as a focal point for children arriving at Daleside where they will get their first glimpse of the long ranging views across the Peak District National Park before dashing off to discover their bedroom and explore spaces old and new. A key aspect of the design brief was to improve the connectivity with the landscape and the design response seeks to create opportunities for excitement and play as well as periods of calm, and reflection in this unique setting”.
Plans can be viewed on the planning portal at
Michele continued, “ These are exciting times for Go beyond. We know that there are more children than ever that would benefit from a life changing break. Please help us by supporting our development plans. Many of the children that come to us never get the chance for a break or to make amazing memories that will inspire them in the future. Together, we can make a profound difference in the lives of vulnerable children across the UK.”
