Save Woodmill
An important update on the future of Woodmill, challenges ahead and how you can help us save this valuable comminuty space.
Help us save Woodmill’s Summer of Adventure!
Since taking over six months ago, our volunteers have opened Woodmill to thousands of young people who previously had no access to the adventure and outdoor opportunities Woodmill can offer. We are fighting hard to keep that momentum going, but we have hit a major hurdle: We urgently need to restore our toilets and showers to the site both in the short and longterm.
Your donation today will go directly toward these vital repairs, ensuring Southampton’s young people have a place to learn, grow, and explore this summer.
Choose Your Donation Amount
All donations massively help towards our goal and support the installation of a temporary system to keep Woodmill open this year.
UPDATE
Unrepairable Failure To Septic Tank
In October, our septic system failed, forcing us to close all toilets and showers. While we planned for a repair this February, our contractors instead discovered a catastrophic, historic failure of the entire treatment plant - an issue dating back years before we even took over Woodmill.
A full replacement will cost over £120,000 and take at least a year to complete. With our peak season just weeks away, hundreds of school, youth, and Scout bookings are now in immediate jeopardy. Without an urgent temporary solution, the future of Woodmill is at risk.
£20k
For minimised disruption this year
£150k
For a permanent solution
What Happens Next
There’s three stages to the solution
1 - Immediate
Continue use of portaloos to sustain existing use.
We’ve hired in portaloos in order to continue welcoming scout groups, school bookings, and other charities to site.
2 - Summer 2026
Installing a temporary tank to restore some facilities.
We’ve got a busy summer with numerous residential bookings, this will enable us to use our toilets and kitchen as normal.
3 - 2027 and beyond
Replacing the system or installing a mains connection.
A full solution is estimated to be 12 to 18 months work. Our team are working hard investigating different options.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes, we are currently remaining optimistic that a temporary solution can be found for the summer. In the meantime, we have portaloos for visitors.
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We are expecting to get an accessible portaloo from 3rd March. At the moment, there are no accessible facilities.
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A mains foul wastewater connection ideally. We believe that not only is this feasible, but likely to cost less money than replacing the treatment plant.
This is still a significant undertaking and we will begin fundraising for this work immediately once we have a solution to operate the site for the summer.
Our bookings team are here to help if you have any questions.
Choose Your Donation Amount
All donations massively help towards our goal.
Latest Updates
See our recent progress
Get Involved
Join us in shaping the future of Woodmill Outdoor Centre. Whether you're interested in volunteering, partnering, or supporting our vision, there are many ways to be part of this transformative project.