I loved Derwent Hill as a kid - now I've donated to help keep its water activities afloat

Among them is Sunderland-born businessman and academic Dr Paul Holland, who, with his wife Jenny, has generously funded a new safety and rescue boat for the outdoor education centre near Keswick.

Dr Holland visited Derwent Hill in the 1980s and he and his wife’s donation allows the centre to continue to deliver water-based activities safely to visitors, including over 2,500 Sunderland youngsters who take part in residential trips to the centre each year.

The boat will set sail on Derwent Water as part of water-based activities at Derwent Hill, which is owned by Sunderland City Council.

Derwent Hill, which is operated by the city council’s children’s services partner Together for Children, plays host to hundreds of young people from Sunderland and elsewhere every year, delivering powerful experiences that help them grow in confidence and build important life skills.

Dr Holland and his wife have joined the Friends of Derwent Hill – a collective of trustees who aim to support the centre, which has been delivering high quality outdoor education and training since 1962 – and have funded a Pioner Multi lll Pro boat often favoured by the police, fire and rescue services and the marine industry.

The boat has been purchased and has recently taken to the water.

The couple have also committed to donate a further £20,000 to Friends of Derwent Hill on the 1 April, which with the gift aid added, will be used to fund 50% of the course fees for 200 youngsters.

Paul, 56, grew up in Hastings Hill and went to Grindon Infant School then Broadway School, where he first visited Derwent Hill.

In all, Paul visited Derwent Hill three times – once at primary school and twice during his time at Thornhill sixth form – and was left with a life-long love of the outdoors, which led him to join the Territorial Army, before he followed a passion for science, pursuing a career as a gas metrologist and analytical chemist.

The father of three set up his own business, EffecTech UK in Uttoxeter in the Midlands, eventually employing 50 people, including 15 engineers and 25 scientists, by the time he sold it in 2022.

He officially left the firm in March 2024, giving him the time to pursue other interests and - keen to give back, and still inspired by his time at Derwent Hill – he decided to channel his passion into supporting a charity that does so much good for children in the city he is from.

Paul - who now works as a visiting professor at Loughborough and Cranfield Universities – said: “I have a deep connection to the outdoors and to my hometown of Sunderland. It was during my school years at Derwent Hill that I first fell in love with the outdoors, a passion that, decades on, still remains.

“Derwent Hill has always held a special place in my heart, and I’m thrilled to be re-engaging with it, not as a student this time, but as a fundraiser through Friends of Derwent Hill.

“I think it’s wonderful that Derwent Hill remains in council ownership, providing such valuable experiences to the schoolchildren of Sunderland, and I hope that it still catalyses and cements a love of the outdoors, just like it did for me.”

Paul’s love of the outdoors continues to inspire him to push boundaries, and he climbed Mount Everest’s base camp in February 2025 – itself a challenging feat that took 17 days.

“I think Derwent Hill instilled in me a can-do attitude. I am sure that – for the hundreds of people from the city to visit each year – it will raise their aspirations and give them the opportunity to boost their confidence.

“When you push yourself out of your comfort zone, it transforms you and makes you believe you can do anything. It’s a privilege to be able to support an organisation that can have such an impact on people’s lives.”

Paul’s wife Jenny has also joined the Friends of Derwent Hill. She is a teacher of 25 years and now works as an online tutor for an access project which helps underprivileged young people apply for university courses.

Paul added: “Both Jenny and I believe in shaping young people and the power of raising their aspirations, so we are so proud to be supporting people from Sunderland, by giving what we can to Derwent Hill.”

Derwent Hill occupies a 28-acre estate bordered by the River Derwent and overlooking Derwent Water, one mile from Keswick. Each year, thousands of children attend the centre – 80% of which are from Sunderland and attend at a subsidised rate.

The centre team also offers a diverse array of development training courses for business of all sizes including Nissan, focusing on leadership and management development, effective teamwork, and continuous improvement.

Councillor Michael Butler, cabinet member for children's services, child poverty and skills at Sunderland City Council, said: “It’s absolutely wonderful that – some 40 years on from visiting Derwent Hill – Paul’s passion for the outdoors fuelled by his visits to the centre continue to impact his life.

“The fact he is now paying that forward, ensuring generations of young people from Sunderland can enjoy life-changing experiences at Derwent Hill, is just brilliant and we’re so grateful for his support.”