Children and Families 
There are many activities, groups and services supporting children and young people and their families, but it can be difficult to find out what's available. Click on the links below to find out more about what is on offer and where you can access help.
Feel Good Families is a scheme run through Ashfield District Council which aims to provide opportunities for families in Ashfield to move, play and smile together through community based activities and events. This could include cookery, arts and crafts or sport and physical activity. You can sign up online HERE for free and search for activities by age and type of activity.
Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (usually called CAMHS) is an NHS service for children and young people up to the age of 18. Click HERE to find out more.
Nott Alone is a really useful Nottinghamshire resource supporting people around mental health. A section of their website focusses on information and support for children and young people experiencing mental health difficulties. The website includes excellent information on mental health issues and provides easy access to services. The website includes the following subject areas for young people:
- Anger
- Anxiety & Panic Attacks
- Bereavement & Loss
- Bullying
- Depression or Low Mood
- Drugs & Alcohol
- Eating Disorders
- Exam Stress
- Family Separation
- Gambling-Related Harm
- Gangs or Dangerous Situations
- Hearing Voices or Hallucinations
- Identity
- Independent Living
- Obsessive Thoughts
- Relationships
- Self Harm
- Self-Care for Mental Health
- Self-Esteem & Body Image
- Social Media & Online Safety
- Suicidal Thoughts
- Young Carers
Sometimes you don't know where to turn for help. There are lots of services and groups that may be able to support you and your family, but getting the help you need when you need it can be difficult.
One of the best first steps is to look for peer support groups. Peer support groups are a group of people who have something similar in common. Usually they are just ordinary people who have got together and set up a group to help themselves and others when they feel that the help that they need is not there.
Typically, they have something in common; they may live in the same area, or face similar challenges. Maybe they live in an area where they want to make things better for others who live locally. This may mean that they set up a parent and toddler group, for example, or look at ways to improve the place they live. Or it could be that they are facing similar challenges; maybe they have a child with autism and don't know where to turn. Meeting other people in the same boat can be really helpful - they understand what you're going through and may know how to get help more quickly and easily.
A really good start is to go to Self Help UK who work to support self help groups in Nottinghamshire. They have an excellent searchable directory of groups in your area. Click HERE to find out what is on offer locally.
Are you struggling with debt? Are you getting all the benfits to which you are entitled? There are services, tools and resources to help you to get the most out pf your money which are free, confidential and easy to use. Click HERE to find out what help is at hand.
Click HERE to find out more about the different ways you can enjoy outdoor spaces. Includes information on:
- Parks, green spaces and visitor centres
- Walking groups
- Allotments and community spaces
- parkruns
- Activities for children and young people
- Activity & visitor centres, playschemes & famiy friendly days out.
Click HERE to find out more about Libraries in Ashfield, where they are, what they offer and when they open.
- Annesley Woodhouse Community Partnership Library
- Edgewood Library (Hucknall)
- Hucknall Library
- Huthwaite Library
- Jacksdale Community Partnership Library
- Kirkby-in-Ashfield Library & Learning Centre
- Selston Community Partnership Library
- Skegby & Stanton Hill Library
- Sutton-in-Ashfield Library
.png)
There are three Leisure Centres in Ashfield, click on each of the following links to find out what they have to offer.
Lammas Leisure Centre (Sutton-in-Ashfield)
Outdoor recreation and sports - click HERE to find out what is on offer in Ashfield (with an interactive map) including, BMX courses, cricket pitches, fitness areas, hockey, football pitches, MUGA or ball courts, skate parks and parkour or free running.
Events, activities and roadshows - Ashfield District Council also runs one-off events and actitivites throughout the district which include fun activities for children and young people.
Feel Good Families 
is a scheme run through Ashfield District Council which aims to provide opportunities for families in Ashfield to move, play and smile together through community based activities and events. This could include cookery, arts and crafts or sport and physical activity. You can sign up online HERE for free and search for activities by age and type of activity.
Parks - local parks have plenty of facilities which can be enjoyed by children and young people including play areas, children's play trails, mountain bike tracks, picnic areas, horse routes, cycling trails, skateparks, fishing platforms and community allotments. Click HERE to find out what is on offer in Ashfield District.
Activity and visitor centres, playschemes and days out - Ashfield and the surrounding area has a number of fun activities and days out for children and young people to enjoy, Some of these activities are only accessible by car, are further afield, and there may be a charge for using them. Click on each of the links below to find out more.
Ashfield Playcare Scheme - at Lammas Compound in Sutton-in-Ashfield provides a holiday play scheme for children aged 4-11 years. Activities range from arts and crafts to indoor and outdoor games. The Scheme also offers a pool table, a large varied outdoor play area with swings, climbing frames, a large grassed area and a wide range of indoor toys for the children to play with. As well as supervised times on computers and game consoles. The charge for a full day is £33 per child or £17 for a half day. and after-school club.
The Mill Adventure Base Holiday Club - offers adventurous holiday clubs for children and young people aged from 7 -13. The clubs run during February half term, Easter, May half term, summer holidays and October half term. At The Mill Adventure Base holiday club, your child will get to try new activities, learn new skills, and make new friends all while having fun! Young adventurers will experience at least three fun activities each day, ranging from climbing, canoeing, zip wire and many more. Bookings are for the whole week.
Rufford Abbey County Park - offers adventure play, adventure golf, archery, boating lake and a busy events calendar (some activities are only open from Summer 2025 onwards). Activity passes include archery, boating and adventure golf and cost £12.50 per person, or £40 for a group of four. Click HERE to access the events calendar to plan your visit, some events and activities are free or low cost, but car park charges (£7.00 per car) apply.
Sherwood Pines offers activity trails, play areas, bike hire, wild running and mountain biking trails. Click HERE to find out more about the Go Ape zip wires (age, weight and height restrictions apply). Parking ranges from £3.80 for up to 1 hour, to £12 for an all day ticket.
Sherwood Forest in Edwinstowe offers a range of family friendly events and activities in the heart of Sherwood Forest. Click HERE to check out the events page, HERE to plan your visit and HERE to find out more about the highly popular Robin Hood festival. Parking is £6 per day.
