Staff at the Horstead Centre near Norwich are celebrating a special accolade from the Broadland Community at Heart awards winning the Pride in Place Award for hosting community activity days in 2024.
The Horstead Activity Centre provides residential stays and activity days, working with youth groups, churches and schools in partnership with the Diocese of Norwich.
The Pride in Place Award is given to the community organisation that has best maximised their grant to build local pride in the place they live.
The Horstead Centre and local Parish Council in Horstead with Stanninghall work together to run successful community activity days throughout the year. The events bring the community together as well as creating environmental awareness, increasing the understanding of local history and encouraging physical activity. Activities have included art, bushcraft, canoeing and archery, and research sessions looking into local history archives.
Horstead Centre Manager, Will Mills said: “with such inspiring individuals and organisations in the room, we were overwhelmed to win this award. Particularly thanks must go to our incredible delivery partners, the Horstead PCC, the Broads Authority and their volunteers, without whom the events would not have been nearly so interesting, creative or fun… it’s been a great pleasure to open our doors more regularly and invite our neighbours in, so thank you to everyone who has attended and supported the events.”
These free community activity days have attracted 100s of attendees since they began in 2023, and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. One attendee wrote their thanks saying “It is truly wonderful to see so many people from our community enjoying themselves, trying lots of new things and being outdoors. I feel grateful and lucky, thank you.”
The funding for the community events has now come to an end. Will said: “those of us involved are actively pursuing the necessary investment to secure their future. If you have any suggestions that could support this goal, please do contact me at william.mills@horsteadcentre.org.uk”
Find out more about the Horstead Centre here: Horstead Centre – Residential Stays & Activity Days