Sometimes we’re not able to help every family to have a holiday but are happy to signpost towards other charities or resources that may be able to help.
Family Holiday Charity accepts no responsibility for the content of third-party websites and cannot guarantee that all these services we are signposting may be able to help – situations and funding change from time to time. We offer the information to be helpful and in good faith.
If you have a child with a disability you should know about the Family Fund.
The Family Fund offers grants to lower income families with disabled children for things that make life easier and more enjoyable. We often signpost families to the Family Fund if they have a disabled or seriously ill child as they can help with a wide range of things that might be useful for you to be aware of. If a family has already had help this year from the Family Fund for something other than a break then we can consider an application, providing the family meets our own eligibility criteria. For more information visit www.familyfund.org.uk
Low cost breaks
Mellor Country House offers low cost, self-catering holiday accommodation for low-income families. www.mellorcountryhouse.co.uk
Holiday Homes Trust is a national charity, dedicated to providing low-cost self-catering caravan accommodation for families. They cater for people with a disability, special need or illness as well as low or single-income families. www.holidayhomestrust.info
Youth Hostel Association offers a bursary of up to 75% off Summer Camp prices for young people entitled to free school meals. Bursary places are limited and provided on a first come first served basis. www.summercamps.yha.org.uk
Breaks for one parent families
Care for the Family runs multi-activity holidays for single parent families with children aged 5 – 16. A limited number of bursaries are available for those in receipt of Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance. www.careforthefamily.org.uk
Gingerbread has local branches across the country that sometimes arrange breaks or days out for members. To find a local group, visit www.gingerbread.org.uk
Single Parent Travel Club is a self-help group. Members organise days out, short breaks and holidays in the UK and abroad for single parents and those with sole parenting responsibilities (e.g. grandparents, foster carers, etc.) www.singleparents.org.uk
Holiday support for women
Family Action runs a welfare grants programme and provides grants towards the cost of recuperative holidays for women who live in Greater London www.family-action.org.uk
Frederick Andrew Convalescent Trust (FACT) provide women with financial assistance during times of convalescence by offering grants of up to £1000 www.factonline.co.uk
Victoria Convalescent Trust fund short breaks for those in need of convalescence, recuperative and respite care http://victoriaconvalescenttrust.org.uk/
Women’s Holiday Centre offer affordable holidays for women and children www.hortonwhc.org.uk
Breaks for children
Go Beyond (formally known as CHICKS) provide activity respite breaks from March to December for children aged 8-15 www.gobeyond.org.uk
Diabetes UK Support Holiday offer adventure holidays for children with diabetes aged 7-18 years old, and weekend breaks for children with diabetes and their families www.diabetes.org.uk
Happy Days Children’s Charity provide day trips and short breaks to families with children in the UK living with mental, physical and emotional difficulties www.happydayscharity.org
The Jewish Children’s Holiday Fund help Jewish children to have a summer holiday www.jchf.org
Kids Out helps disadvantaged children and young people up to the age of 18 throughout the UK www.kidsout.org.uk
The Newman Holiday Trust provide holidays for children with disabilities and special needs www.newmantrust.org
Free to Be provides countryside adventure breaks during the school holidays www.freetobekids.org.uk
Breaks for seriously ill or disabled children
Calum’s Cabin provides short breaks in Rothesay, Argyll, for use by families who have a child suffering from cancer or a cancer related disease www.calumscabin.com
The Children’s Hope Foundation provides funding, including for holidays and days out. for children and young people affected by illness, disability or poverty www.childrenshopefoundation.org.uk/caravan.html
Destination Florida specialises in organising holidays to Florida for children between the ages of 7 – 15 who have missed out on the fun and laughter of childhood due to illness www.destinationflorida.org.uk
Donna’s Dream House is a Blackpool based trust providing free holiday experiences for children and teenagers with life-threatening illnesses and their families, and for recently bereaved siblings and their families www.donnasdreamhouse.co.uk
Dreamflight is UK charity that changes young lives through taking children with a serious illness or disability, without their parents, on the holiday of a lifetime to Orlando, Florida www.dreamflight.org
Dream Makers Children’s Charity helps children with illnesses causing lifetime disabilities such as cerebral palsy, respiratory difficulties, down syndrome and other fatal illnesses www.dreammakerschildrenscharity.com
The Ellen MacArthur Trust takes young people aged 8-24 from all over the UK on sailing trips to help inspire them in rebuilding confidence after treatment for leukaemia www.ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org
The Emily Ash Trust provides adventure days and holidays for children and young people suffering with cancer www.emilyashtrust.co.uk
The Henry Smith Charity offers grants towards holidays or UK days out for groups of children under 13 from areas of high deprivation, experiencing disadvantage or those with a disability www.henrysmithcharity.org.uk
Heswall Disabled Children’s Holiday Fund hosts an annual week-long summer camp for boys with physical disabilities aged 9-15 from North West England www.heswallcamp.org.uk
The Kids Cancer Charity (formerly the Christian Lewis Trust) provide programmes for families of children with cancer to have a break www.kidscancercharity.org
Make-a-Wish makes awards to children and young people with life-threatening illnesses www.makeawish.org.uk
The Oliver Curd Trust provide fully equipped holiday accommodation to UK families with children who have cancer and other life threatening illnesses www.theolivercurdtrust.co.uk
Over the Wall run camps for children aged 8-17 years old who are/have serious illness www.otw.org.uk
Rays of Sunshine helps seriously ill children in the UK aged 3-18 years old by granting wishes, and organising outings www.raysofsunshine.org.uk
Round Table Children’s Wish grant ‘handcrafted’ wishes for children and young people aged 4-17 with life threatening illnesses www.rtcw.org
Trefoil House provides holiday grants for Scottish children under the age of 18 with special needs or disability www.trefoil.org.uk
When You Wish upon a Star grants wishes to children aged 2-16 with a life-threatening illness www.whenyouwishuponastar.org.uk
The Youth Cancer Trust provide support and free activity holidays for young people aged 14-30 diagnosed and living with cancer or any malignant disease www.youthcancertrust.org.uk
Dreams Come True help life limited and seriously ill UK children aged 2-21 fulfil their dreams www.dreamscometrue.uk.com
Breaks for adults / children with additional support needs
Break provides short breaks for young people with disabilities and complex needs, aged 5-18 www.break-charity.org
Kidney Care UK funds short breaks and holidays for adults and families affected by kidney disease www.kidneycareuk.org
Deafblind UK owns three caravans which are let at a low-cost rate to deaf blind members for holidays located in North Wales and Norfolk www.deafblind.org.uk
The League of the Helping Hand can offer one off payments for carers to take time out away from their day-to-day situation www.lhh.org.uk
The 3H Foundation award grants to disabled people and carers on low income for UK breaks, and organises group breaks for physically disabled people over the age of 13 www.the3hfoundation.org.uk
Mind - some local Mind offices offer inclusive group holidays for their members, while others offer financial assistance to members towards the cost of a holiday www.mind.org.uk
Regional help with breaks
Family Holiday Charity strongly recommends checking for services available in your local area through, for instance, your local council’s website, as funding may be available for residents.
The Imago Community provide community short breaks for disabled children and young people based in Kent www.imago.community
The Kensington Foundation is Blackpool-based, funding the ‘Daisy Chain Project’ which offers holiday accommodation for respite breaks www.kensingtonfoundation.com
KIDS offer a portal for UK parents and carers to book manage short breaks for their child or young person with a disability www.disabledchildren.org.uk
Kingston Centre for Independent Living (KCIL) offer a holiday grant on behalf of Kingston Council for holiday costs www.kcil.org.uk
Tayside Children with Cancer and Leukaemia organise days out for families with children who suffer from cancer or leukaemia www.tccl.org.uk
Group trips
The Children’s Foundation provide regional grants for community projects in the North East, including group breaks www.thechildrensfoundation.co.uk
Days out
Museum Crush provide news and reviews on UK museums, galleries, heritage and archaeology site www.museumcrush.org
National Trust helps people enjoy their national heritage www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Netmums.com offers a guide to what’s on in your local area www.netmums.com
Riding for the Disabled Association organise activities such as horse riding, carriage driving, vaulting, show jumping and Hippotherapy for disabled people www.rda.org.uk
Safaripark.co.uk provide information on local wildlife parks www.safaripark.co.uk
Time Out has an up-to-date guide of free events and days out in the city of your choice www.timeout.com
Willow Foundation provide psychological and emotional support for seriously ill 16 -40 year olds through special day experiences www.willowfoundation.org.uk
Others
The Margaret Champney Rest and Holiday Fund provide grants for respite holidays for carers www.ogilviecharities.org.uk/funding-for-holidays-for-carers
Tourism for All UK help with finding accessible holidays www.tourismforall.org.uk
The Leonardo Trust helps people in Dorset who are voluntary carers for sick or disabled relatives or friends. www.leonardotrust.org