Our History
The first fun day out for disadvantaged children took place back in 1990
Lady Grantchester, of the Moore’s family and owners of Littlewoods, suggested to the Rotary Club in Kingston, where she lived, that they take disadvantaged children on a day out. She approached Peter Jarvis who, together with fellow Rotarians Graham Child and John Saxton, devised and promoted the concept of KidsOut.
Lady Grantchester (1925-2019), KidsOut Founder and Patron
A deal was struck, and in 1990 the Kingston Rotary Club and Kingston Littlewoods store organised an outing for 200 children to go to Thorpe Park. The day was so successful that Lady Grantchester offered a one-off grant to any Rotary Club willing to take part in a similar event on the second Wednesday in June.
Overnight 800 Rotary Clubs from all over the UK joined in and the National Rotary KidsOut Day was created. It immediately became the biggest single outing for disadvantaged children in the UK, with tens of thousands of children taken out each year.
Every year we now gift…
30,000+ fun days
…and help
20,000+ kids
How can you help?
By buying a disadvantaged child a fun day out, you can help make happy memories that last forever.
