“It’s just endless. I feel there is no let-up, no relief. I don’t know how much longer I can go on.”
Support funding for breaksOur founder, Joan Brander, witnessed the overwhelming isolation and frustration of people with disabilities and their families, virtual prisoners in their own homes, with little prospect of even the briefest respite.
She also witnessed the plight of family carers, whose devotion to their loved ones without relief was taking a devastating physical and emotional toll.
She saw that families were in desperate need of support and, 60 years ago, she set about providing it. In 2014, inspired by the example of her and others, access to respite became a statutory right.
Funding for respite breaks needs to be protected. Without something to look forward to, without a break from the day to day, we’re going to see more caring relationships break down, a greater reliance on full time residential care and an increase in mental health breakdown. This isn’t just a holiday. It’s a lifeline.
Beyond physical and mental pain, disabled people: feel excluded, isolated, and are often confined to their homes for significant proportions of the day.
More than half (55%) of disabled people meet with someone who lives outside of their home less than twice within a week. (ONS Disability Survey, 2021)
There is also a need for better awareness of access to funding.
Over 50% of people don’t know they are entitled to the right to respite. (Revitalise research, July 2021)
Harjinder had been trying to go away for his birthday for the past 3 years but had been unable to due to Covid, travelling and finance. Finally he was able to take a holiday this May, but he struggled to find suitable transportation. Read more about how Revitalise has supported Harj’s breaks.
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Andrew has been coming to Revitalise Holiday centres for at least 10 years. He’s made loads of friends over the years and they’ve kept in touch. They try to arrange to take a holiday together, but most of his friends were unable to join him this year because they just couldn’t get the funding.
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Angela had only £200 in her account to last the next 2 weeks on food. Her financial situation had caused her a breakdown, and the added stress of having to look into funding was causing it to worsen. Keep reading to learn how we helped Angela fund her lifeline break.
Read moreFor more information about the aims and impact of this vital appeal and to find out how you can help, please call the Head of our Appeal, Sarah Boud on 0207 288 6876 or contact our fundraising team via fundraising@revitalise.org.uk
We’d love to hear from you.
This campaign aims to raise both regional and national awareness of the severe challenges facing disabled people and carers and calls for more to be done to provide respite funding.
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With your support, we can provide a lifeline to even more disabled and carers who desperately need respite. Donate today and help give a break to those who need it most.
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We’re celebrating our 60th anniversary with the launch of a new capital appeal to renew and expand our centres so more disabled people and carers can take a break.
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