Ockbrook: Vacant school to be turned into charity base

Before the move, the charity said it was a "travelling circus"

A Derbyshire boarding school that has stood empty for three years is to be turned into a charity's first permanent retreat.

Over The Wall was founded by late Hollywood star Paul Newman in 1999 to offer free residential activity camps for children in the UK with health challenges and disabilities.

The Havant-based charity says it has been "a travelling circus" until now.

But it is now working to convert the Ockbrook School into a bespoke retreat.

Ockbrook School was one of the UK's oldest boarding schools, founded in 1799 by the Moravian Church as a school for girls.

In 2017 the private school became fully co-educational.

But at the end of the summer term in 2021, it closed for good due to financial pressures.

The charity was founded by Hollywood star Paul Newman

Over The Wall says its new facility will provide "mischief and magic" to more than 100,000 children with serious illness over a 40-year lease.

The charity is aiming to start camps at the site from 2026.

Kevin Mathieson, Over The Wall chairman, told the BBC: "We've been a bit like a travelling circus. We've rented out premises like schools, activity centres, set up camps, the kids have arrived and then we've moved on to the next location.

"It's always been a compromise with what we can do for the kids, so we've been looking for a site where we can set up a permanent base, and that's why we ended up looking at the former Ockbrook School, and after negotiations we've now signed the lease."

Mr Mathieson said some parts of the school were "absolutely ideal" with a sports hall, arts and crafts centres and "bags of space with lots of outside room".

'Boost for the village'

He added: "The first priority is to create accommodation for the kids and their families who come on our camps. We will be taking one of the buildings, investing quite a lot of money in it and turning it into residential accommodation.

"This will take about a year and a half to do.

"The reception we've had has been absolutely fantastic. People have been worried what's going to happen.

"The school has been part of the community for hundreds of years, people seem delighted it's going to take children back on to the site."

Councillor Greg Maskalick, Erewash Borough ward councillor and leader of Ockbrook Parish Council, said the community was pleased to see the school being brought back into use.

He told the BBC: "The school was a big part of the community and when it closed, it took a big part of that away.

"Having it come back to life with the charity is so positive, it will be a boost for the village and give those children a really nice, safe space to be."