Children Lead the Way Secures Play Area Materials Boost
June 23rd, 2025
A Cheltenham not-for-profit company that supports vulnerable children has won materials to improve its play area by building playhouses and teepees.
Children Lead The Way CIC has been named as a winner in our Community Heroes competition, receiving £1,000 to spend in store with us.
The group helps disadvantaged children and families across Gloucestershire who are unable to attend mainstream school as a result of trauma, anxiety, adversity or mental health issues.
The materials will be used to improve a recently built outdoor wellbeing and recovery forest centre, where children can experience the joy of learning in nature whilst meeting all their sensory and emotional needs.
Stacey Innes, Founder of Children Lead The Way, said: “We are thrilled to receive this fantastic prize from Selco.
“Our outdoor community centre gives hope and joy back to children who feel unseen, unworthy and broken as a result of their additional needs or adverse experiences that make everyday life hard.
“The outdoor centre gives children the chance to be their authentic selves again. Every child deserves to feel the joy and wonder of learning and every parent deserves to see their child love life again.
“We want to build better wooden structures on-site to improve opportunities for children who find it hard to play alongside others or need that extra reassurance to feel safe in social situations, including playhouses, teepees and a stage.
“We are also looking to upgrade our temporary fencing to create more inclusive opportunities for vulnerable children to have the autonomy to explore freely and feel connected with nature.”
Our Community Heroes campaign has helped dozens of good causes across the country over the last four years. This year, the prize pot has been significantly increased to £57,500, including 40 individual prizes of £1,000 to spend in store.
Later in the year, an overall winner will also secure the top prize of £10,000 in cash, while second place will scoop £5,000 and third place will receive £2,500.
Any group that supports the local community has until the end of September to enter online.
Simon Humpage, our Head of Multi-Channel Marketing, said: “We’re delighted to support Children Lead The Way CIC as our latest Community Heroes winner and look forward to welcoming the team to our Cheltenham store at Festival Park. The children are sure to enjoy their new play equipment and it’s a privilege to be part of the project.
“Community Heroes 2025 is well underway and we have been inundated with hundreds of excellent nominations. We love to help worthy causes whenever we can, which is why we made the decision to significantly increase both the total prize pot and the number of winners.”