Work starts on centre for seriously ill children

Lukass, 13, is being treated for multiple tumours and says the camp will be a lifeline

Work has started to transform a former school in Derbyshire into an activities centre for seriously ill children.

The charity Over The Wall plans to spend more than £11m developing the Ockbrook School site, which closed in 2021.

When complete, the centre will offer free residential camps for children aged 8-17 with long-term health conditions and disabilities, and their families.

Ockbrook was one of the UK's oldest boarding schools, founded in 1799 by the Moravian Church as a school for girls, but it closed in 2021 due to financial pressures.

Over The Wall is spending £3.7m in the first stage of the work to turn the school's former nursery into wheelchair-accessible accommodation and communal spaces, ready to welcome children and families in summer 2026.

Chief executive Kevin Mathieson said the charity works to support the families of sick children as well as the youngsters themselves.

"We run camps for children with chronic illnesses," he said. "We also run camps for siblings because they are often carers."

"They often get left behind in a family environment when the focus is on a sick child."

The former Ockbrook school closed in 2021 after more than 200 years

Lukass, 13, from Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, is undergoing treatment for multiple tumours in his head and spinal cord.

He and his sister Milana, 11, attended one of the charity's camps over the summer.

Lukass and Milana donned hard hats for a sneak preview of the site along with their mum Laila and dad Eugenijus.

Lukass said he could not wait to return when the centre opens.

"The way that camp helps me is that when I go for treatment I am thinking about not the actual treatment but what's happening after I recover from it and being able to go to camp," he added.

Lukass's mum Laila says the camp will make a big difference to families like hers

Lukass's mum Laila said the new centre would make a big difference to families like hers.

"I just love that they can enjoy the camp together so they have that mental support from each other whenever," she said.

"They really need it and we as parents feel good for them because they are able to be together".

Over The Wall was founded in 1999 by the Oscar-winning actor and philanthropist Paul Newman and UK businessman Joe Woods.

It is the UK's only charity providing free residential activity camps designed to support children and families living with serious health conditions.