The future of a 70-year-old Lake District outdoor residential centre, is secure as a result of the sale of part of the site.
Money raised by the YMCA through the disposal of its North Camp site at Windermere are being reinvested into its adjoining Lakeside centre to the south.
It means thousands of youngsters will continue to benefit from world-class outdoor learning residentials, said the organisation’s Godfrey Owen.
YMCA Lakeside is preparing to host 10,000 children and young people a year, who will stay in a newly developed £7million building, offering a hotel like reception area, over 250 beds, en suite shared rooms, drying rooms, and one counter served restaurant. There will also be space for large indoor group work to take place.
Lakeside YMCA is one of the largest activity centres in Europe. It is set in 100 acres of private woodland along the south-western shores of Windermere.
Graham Oatridge, YMCA Fylde Coast CEO, said: “Lakeside has been in YMCA ownership for over 70 years. Over this time, it has helped more than a million young people achieve more than they ever thought possible through outdoor adventure.
“The selling of North Camp is a critical move that enables us to invest in Lakeside at the south end of the site. It means we’ll be here for at least another 70 years helping young people develop resilience, social awareness and adaptability.
“Given all the facilities here at Lakeside, we are probably the only centre to be able to provide large school and youth groups with an adventurous experience, without having to get into a minibus and drive to the honeypots of the Lake District.
“As well as helping to reduce traffic congestion and keeping our carbon footprint as low as possible, children aren’t spending time sat on busses,” he adds.
The sale also secures Lakeside’s longstanding holiday day camps, Graham said.
He added: “They have provided generations of young people with an adventurous experience and provided much needed support for parents in school holidays. Lakeside day camps will be expanding in 2024, as a result of demand.”
With the purchase of the YMCA’s North Camp underway, new owner, Gary Fletcher, of Lakeside Luxury Accommodation, said: “We have a wealth of experience in sympathetically enhancing sites in national parks and part of our commitment to helping the YMCA is to support them with their development plans for new staff accommodation and office space which will help them to grow their charitable offering at Lakeside.”
