Revitalise began 60 years ago, and through six decades of growth has become the vibrant, innovative, revitalising charity of today.
The charity now known as Revitalise began 60 years ago as the Winged Fellowship Trust (WFT) in 1963, thanks to the vision and tenacity of Founding Trustee, Joan Brander MBE. The WFT charity grew out of an earlier organisation, Winged Fellowship, which had been founded by Lavinia Loria (later Greenbaum) as early as 1958.
The catalyst for the foundation of the WFT was the realisation that disabled people and their families had very little access to even the briefest respite. Joan, Lavinia and their pioneering contemporaries realised that these families were in desperate need of support and set about to provide it.
In 2004 the Winged Fellowship Trust became Vitalise to reflect our hard-earned status as a modern, dynamic and visionary charity. We began a new chapter in our story in December 2014. Vitalise became Revitalise, a name which better describes what we do.
By staying true to Joan’s vision, Revitalise continues with a person-first approach to disability. Our vision is to create a society in which every disabled person and carer is able to take the break or holiday they want. We firmly believe that disabled people should have the same rights, freedom, responsibilities and quality of life as those without disabilities.
Joan’s original passion, energy and determination is still evident in our work today, and has helped the charity grow in size, influence and stature. Revitalise now provides over 2,500 breaks each year. In the past 20 years alone, over 200,000 guests and carers have chosen to take a holiday at Revitalise, supported by over 50,000 volunteers.
Our approach to our 60th year has been a renewed determination to build on our heritage, respond to today’s challenges and meet the needs of disabled people in the future. We want to ensure that our facilities match and augment the quality of the personal care we provide. The refurbishment of all bedrooms at Jubilee Lodge in Chigwell started in 2021 will be completed this year. We also hope to start the expansion and refurbishment of our much-loved holiday centre in the heart of Southport, Sandpipers.
Explore how you can help us create vital respite holidays for disabled people and carers in our 60th year. However you get involved, you’ll be helping make society more accessible.
We make a real, tangible difference to the lives of thousands of disabled people, carers and volunteers each year, through our respite holidays and unique volunteering programme.
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Find out more about our Executives, Board of Trustees, Patron, Vice Presidents, Head office and centre staff. Only with the sum of our experience and by working together is our mission possible.
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Our annual reports provide information on our performance for the year, our goals and achievements and our plans for the future.
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