Summer at SELFA: Adventures, activities and achievements for children and young people

Posted: 4th September 2026

From mountain climbs and seaside adventures to gymnastics, music and family days out, it’s been a summer full of fun, confidence-building and new experiences at SELFA. This summer: 

286 children and young people attended a session with us. 

We held 70 sessions, which is 369 hours of activities! 

Our summer has been all about trying new things, building confidence, developing skills and making memories together. Now the summer holidays have come to an end, we’re looking back on an action-packed few months across our children and young people’s groups in Skipton and North Craven. 

As always, a big thank you to all of our wonderful funders! We couldn’t do it without you. 

Thank you to: FEAST provided by North Yorkshire Together, National Lottery Awards For All, Barbara Shuttleworth Memorial Trust, Charles & Elsie Sykes Trust, Feeding Britain, Igen Trust, North Yorkshire Council, Skipton Mechanics Institute, Souter Charitable Trust, The Tarn Moor Estate, Cash For Kids, North Yorkshire Sport (MAS) and the North Yorkshire Police. 

Getting active with gymnastics and circus skills

Our Bentham Primary group spent the last 12 weeks learning gymnastics with Ambitions Gymnastics. It’s been fantastic to watch the children develop new physical skills, challenge themselves and grow in confidence. Meanwhile, our Skipton Youth group took a trip into the world of circus skills, discovering that learning something new can be both challenging and lots of fun! 

Exploring the Yorkshire Dales

We’re incredibly lucky to be surrounded by some of the most beautiful countryside in the UK. But in a recent project, nearly 50% of the young people we asked said they had never accessed the Yorkshire Dales before they went with SELFA. So, we made it our mission to make sure our groups enjoyed the great outdoors! 

Our children and young people enjoyed adventures at Studfold Adventure and Fairy Trail, Greenlands Farm Village, and explored the meadows at Lower Winskill Farm in Ribblesdale. Days like these give our groups the chance to spend time outdoors, explore new places and enjoy shared experiences with friends. 

Selfa goes to the seaside

What better way to enjoy the summer holidays than a day at the seaside? Our groups headed to Morecambe, where they explored the play areas, played on the beach and enjoyed a brilliant day out together.

A huge thank you to Northern Rail for providing train tickets and helping us make this adventure possible. 

Taking on the Yorkshire Three Peaks

Challenges can help children and young people discover just how much they’re capable of, so our Skipton and North Craven youth groups took on the famous Yorkshire Three Peaks and climbed Whernside, Pen-y-ghent and Ingleborough! 

It was a tough challenge, especially on some very hot days, but the young people showed incredible determination, resilience and teamwork. They supported each other, kept going when things got difficult and achieved something they can be incredibly proud of. 

inclusive adventures for children & young people with SEND

Over the summer holidays, we’ve enjoyed taking children and young people with SEND (special educational needs and disabilities), along with their families, on a range of fun and accessible days out. One highlight was our trip to Play Bradford, where everyone enjoyed the big swing, sensory play, ball pools and lots more. 

Making music with Accessible Arts York

Creativity has also been a big part of our summer! We were delighted to welcome Accessible Arts York, who led a fantastic music session with our SEND groups. The children created their own songs, experimented with different instruments and enjoyed taking time to listen and relax with music. 

Help us create more opportunities for local families, children and young people

We’re incredibly proud of every child and young person who has taken part, and so grateful to the families, staff, volunteers, funders and partner organisations who help make these opportunities possible. 

Your support helps us provide activities, trips, groups and experiences for children and young people across Skipton and North Craven. 

Want to help us make more adventures possible?

You can support SELFA in several ways, by fundraising for us, volunteering and donating.

Spreading the word about what we do is important too – so please follow us on our Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn pages!