Impact for families using Juniors Caravan at Craig Tara Holiday Park

Family of three (Mum, Stepdad and Child) Low-income family who couldn’t otherwise afford a break away.  Both Mother and child are autistic and had never been on holiday as a family before this, only day trips.  Mother suffers from anxiety, but with support she was able to make the necessary plans and arrangements to enjoy a five-day break at the caravan. Before their break, family had a series of traumatic events including death of a close family member and a diagnosis of cancer. The family reported feeling refreshed after their break away and were able to make memories as a family such as swimming in the sea, attending the holiday club in the evenings and even succeeded in trying new foods. They said the position of the caravan was ideal for their health needs as it was close enough to the club house to walk, but far enough away to allow for quiet and privacy.

Mum and daughter, low-income family referred by social services as family in need of a break.  As a lone parent, Mum couldn’t afford a holiday, so we provided the caravan, a food parcel, passes for the club and social services covered their travel costs. Daughter is in the process diagnosis for neurodiversity and has been unable to attend school due to anxiety and difficulty being around others. Mum has been unable to work as her daughters needs mean she needs to be with her 24 hours a day. The strain on Mum increased as relations with their neighbour broke down resulting in arguments and confrontation at home.  Mum felt there was nowhere she could go to rest and recharge.  Going to the caravan allowed them time to themselves, time to think and have a break from the demands of everyday life.  Mum said the break gave her the time to prepare herself and her daughter for the diagnosis process but also by being away from her home situation she was able to gain some clarity over disputes with neighbours and calm herself to a point she could have a conversation and try to resolve the disagreements. Part of the dispute was a noise complaint as her daughter can experience emotional ‘meltdowns’. Since returning, Mum contacted the neighbour and could calmly explain their situation and found the neighbour to be understanding and supportive now they understand circumstances.

Gran has kinship care of her grandson aged 4 who has global developmental delay meaning his care needs resemble that of a baby including inability to walk or talk yet. Until their break at the caravan, gran was providing all her grandson’s care needs but due to her age, she had concerns at being able to look after him and his additional support needs long term. Coming from a fractured start, her grandson has no contact with his father and his mother passed away shortly after he was born. Gran was the only family member available to provide care at the time, however his mother’s sister was interested in being involved in some capacity.  The break gave her the opportunity to invite her grandson’s aunt to spend some time with them with a view to potentially assisting with his care needs going forward.  On return, gran reported the holiday was a breakthrough for them, building relationships and identifying support needs for both gran and grandson.  Grandson also learned to walk on holiday which family are attributing to having both adults undivided attention. Aunt is now committing more of her time to giving gran a break such as taking him overnight and assisting with appointments. 

Mum and three children under social work, currently living in temporary accommodation. Relationship break up resulted in Mum being lone parent with three very young children and homeless.  Offering this family a break provided a bit of normality and an opportunity to make new happy memories.  Living in temporary accommodation with young children was proving stressful for the family as they had none of their belongings and all furniture was provided through the landlord.  Mum reported being scared to let the children play in case they broke or damaged anything so was spending most of the day outside with them, only returning for bedtime. This cycle needed to be broken as mum was exhausted, and her mental health was declining.  Having a break let her clear her head and put down some of her worries for a short time. On return, Mum engaged with her GP and received the help she needed to improve her mental health. The family have now been offered a permanent lease and access to funding to furnish their home.  The family are adjusting well to their new life.

Mum, Dad and two children went to Ayr every year for their family holiday.  This year has been difficult as Dad was made redundant and family are struggling to make ends meet. The family had shared with us they wouldn’t be able to go away this year as they couldn’t afford the cost.  When we shared with the family, we had a caravan in Ayr and would be able to send the family away for a break, they were delighted.  Suddenly experiencing a period of low income had made the parents feel like they were failing, constantly having to tell their children they couldn’t do things anymore or couldn’t afford treats. Having a holiday helped the family gain a sense of normality and we re-assured them this situation was only temporary.  Dad has since secured full time employment, and their situation has improved.  Family now supports the charity by making food donations to our community larder and volunteering their time to help with events.

Blended family took the caravan for a week to introduce subsequent children to each other in a neutral environment.  Family had a great time, and children got on well with each other.  Family reported it was great having all the children together as it gave the children others to play with. They had been concerned about the first meeting, but the children got on so well that they look forward to spending more time together.

Mum, Dad (Stepdad) and three children.  Oldest child was adopted at birth by grandparents as Mum felt unable to cope on her own with a child. Mum met new partner and had two children with him. In this time, the situation broke down with the oldest child living with grandparents and mum was asked if she would take her daughter back.  Having had limited contact with her daughter, it was agreed a break away as a family may give them an insight into whether this was viable or not.  The older daughter has autism, and their second child is in the process of being diagnosed so the family were unsure if they could meet her daughter’s needs.  The holiday was a success and since returning, the family have been working closely with social services to have her with them permanently.  Being away gave them the opportunity to get to know each other, spend time as a family and identify what support they would need, while alleviating some of the fears the family initially had. Mum sees her daughter several times a week and communicates daily by telephone while they await a final decision on parental rights being transferred back to mum. Her partner also intends to file for adoption to become the daughter’s legal guardian.

Mum and two children.  Family here on temporary student visa while mum completed her medical training.  Just as she was about to sit her final exams for the British Medical Board, her husband died suddenly, leaving her a lone parent with no support network or access to funds. Mum has spent the last year overcoming her grief, supporting her young daughter as she underwent heart surgery, secured employment that allowed her to work from home and sat her final exams.  We felt a break was in order while mum awaits her exam results and offered the caravan to the family. When we first met mum, she felt her world had ended and couldn’t see how she could survive.  In the past year mum has shown an unbelievable resilience and strength to provide for her family while still realising her dreams. The break away became a celebration of not only surviving but thriving in the face of adversity. We have supported the family with necessities and emotional support to keep going.  Although mum has employment, it is low paid, and the family still struggle financially to meet all their bills.  However, the hope is this situation is only temporary as mum has the skills to lift her family out of poverty, and they can see a future now. Mum said on return ‘A day at the beach can wash away the cobwebs’.

Dad and son.  Dad has struggled with his mental health resulting in him unable to work and generally has his son at weekends.  He wouldn’t be able to afford a holiday under normal circumstances so being able to take his son away for five days has meant the world to both him and his son. Dad reported a lift in his mood, feeling ‘normal’ because they were able to enjoy playing at the beach and eating ice cream. He found himself laughing and enjoying the holiday, feelings he thought he wouldn’t feel again. This break has shown him there is light at the end of the tunnel and placed him on a path to seeking help for his recovery.

Gran always took her family, daughter and grandchildren away every year for a family break. Since Covid, gran has been unable to work, suffering from long covid.  She felt she was letting her family down as she didn’t want them to know she was struggling financially but couldn’t afford to book a break away, a break she desperately wanted. Pride was stopping her talking to her daughter about her situation.  We offered her the caravan and reassured her we wouldn’t share any of the details with her daughter if she wanted to give the impression, she had booked it as usual.  Gran agreed but on return told us she had a meaningful chat with her daughter about her situation and explained how they’d got the caravan. Her daughter has been supportive, and gran is glad she was able to open up.  She was worried her daughter would see her as failing them, but it couldn’t have been further from the truth.  Daughter was glad to have an opportunity to ‘pay her mum back’ for everything she has done for them as a family.

Having the caravan has allowed us to give families a break from their daily challenges and provide breathing space for people to recharge and gain a different perspective on their lives.  For some this is a break, for others its been a turning point in their lives.