We are so happy to announce that we now own two brand new respite homes. Our second respite home was purchased this summer thanks to a wonderful donation. Each home includes full wheelchair access, with widened doorways, double patio doors that lead onto a large veranda with a large returning ramp, a wet room with a specialist shower chair, track hoisting, portable hoist and a profiling bed, making them some of the most accessible caravans in the UK.
We have also ensured that a full-sized changing place with hoist and a changing bed were installed in the main facilities, as well as an indoor and outdoor pool hoist, a pool wheelchair and a large flotation aid. These facilities are accessible for everyone, which is something we are immensely proud of as there are no other UK holiday parks like it.
The homes are situated in Milford on Sea on the edge of the New Forest, close to an accessible beach at Sandbanks, where beach wheelchairs can be used. There are also many fully accessible attractions including Poulton’s Park, which has three wheelchair accessible rides, Longtown Farm, which has a fully accessible changing place and Beaulieu Motor Museum that is also fully accessible.
With staycations being the only form of holiday, our very vulnerable children can take, due to being unable to fly, the long-term impact of COVID-19 and the lack of fully accessible accommodation, means this project will provide a lifeline to families. The Caravans also contain sensory equipment and lighting, Amazon Alexa , an accessible Nintendo Switch, iPad, Toni audio story boxes, a Smart TV and games to keep the whole family entertained.
The respite homes and their facilities will enable our children and their families to experience a fully inclusive holiday together, recharge, have a break from hospital visits and a clinical/palliative setting in order to create lasting memories.
