Charity receives lottery boost to preserve historic base

Children’s charity Over The Wall Camp has received a six-figure lottery boost to save a central part of its new Derbyshire base.

It has been awarded just over £128,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to bring Ockbrook’s Moravian Settlement back into use, while preserving and celebrating its heritage.

Founded in 1999 by the late Oscar-winning actor and philanthropist Paul Newman and businessman Joe Woods, Over The Wall Camp provides free of charge residential activity camps for children with serious health conditions, and their families.

For the last 25 years, the charity has hired multiple venues across the country for its camps.

But in recent years, the charity has been looking for its own permanent base to allow greater flexibility, increased capacity, and greater control over its programming.

Last year, it signed a long-term lease on the former Ockbrook School, which sits in the picturesque Moravian Settlement.

Founded in 1750, it is considered rare, and of high historical value, as one of only three such settlements nationally.

All within a conservation area, The Settlement includes attractive red-brick Georgian buildings, tree lined paths, a church, lecture hall and private residences.

But the focus of the Heritage Fund-backed project is the former school building.

After the school closed in 2021, the 200-year-old, Grade II listed building was left disused and began to fall into a state of disrepair.

As Over The Wall Camp brings the site back to life and works towards children arriving for transformational experiences, it is intent on preserving the heritage of the buildings and surrounding area.

The project will begin with a heritage assessment and options appraisal to determine the future use and preservation of the most historically significant aspects of the site.

As part of the project, the Heritage Fund will also finance three new roles at the charity: a community engagement officer, a heritage officer and an evaluation consultant.

These roles will enable the charity to engage with the community, delve into the history of the site and collate histories, photographs and memories linked to Ockbrook School.

Kevin Mathieson, chief executive of Over The Wall Camp, said: “Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players, we’re excited to engage with the local community and capture the rich history of the site, which is reflected in the community’s experiences and memories.

“The connections and relationships we form will last long beyond the duration of the project and will benefit us and the community for many years to come.

“We look forward to welcoming the community back on-site, ensuring they can benefit from the beautiful and historic buildings that are on their doorstep.”

The project will run for 14 months, with the short-term focus on saving heritage and the longer-term aspiration of increasing access and inclusion for the local community.

To follow the progress of the project, you can become a ‘Friend of Over The Wall’ and sign up to receive updates at http://www.otw.org.uk/ockbrook.