A summer for everyone

We know from our recent research, that almost 1 in 4 disabled children have no access to play equipment, such as a bike or digital device. And almost 2 out of 5 parents and carers are unable to access as much respite care as they would like. In addition, 94% of families reported that they’ve experienced a negative reaction to their disabled or seriously ill children when on a family break or day out.

Every family deserves a summer they can enjoy

Through our summer campaign, ‘a summer for everyone’, we want to:

• raise vital income so more families can access our grants to give them a break at home or away 
• raise awareness of accessible days out so families can have a brilliant time together in a space they feel comfortable in 
• increase understanding of the challenges faced by the families we support to reduce stigma and negative responses from others 
• encourage more families to access the workshops we provide to help them and their children thrive this summer and beyond.

A break away from the routine

Summer looks different for the many families we support. Sometimes, like for Miranda and her son Luca, one of our grants is used for a holiday, offering a break from the usual routine and an opportunity to make memories together. Each year we provide around 20,000 grants for a break. 

“We’ve used [the grant] as a Hoseasons voucher,” said Miranda. “Just being able to switch off and detach from school and detach from general life things and go out in nature and de-stress.

“Just knowing that …we can just down tools, both of us go away and connect with each other. We’ve used that opportunity, most of the time we’ve gone to the Lake District, in the cottage for a week. And Luca just loves it because he loves nature. He loves being outdoors. It’s helped him in so many ways of, like, cold water therapy. He’s walked mountains with me, and we take our dog, and he helps Luca a lot as well.”

A haven at home

Summer can also be about creating a space for play at home: somewhere safe for children to play while providing a short breather for a parent or carer. More than 600 families receive a grant from us for outdoor toys and games each year. 

Parents like Kimberley have used their grant to create a space for play. Kimberley is mum to five children, including triplet sisters Emmy, Addison and Elsie. Emmy is nonverbal and has no concentration and no interaction. 

“We try to do days out as much as we can,” said Kimberley. “I always sort of have to take someone with me. So one of my older children or my mum or something like that, if she can cope. Because Emmy has different needs to her sisters, socially and stuff like that. 

“And just the cost of doing stuff like that is pretty difficult. So I try and buy what I can indoors, or for the garden so they’re not missing out on fun. But sometimes I just can’t do that. 

“I want to make my garden into more of a bit of a playground so if we can’t go out that day or someone’s having a bad day, we can be at home and we can be out there and you’re there still exercising and they’re still getting outside. For [Family Fund] to be able to help us achieve that, it’s massive for us.”

“It’s just so nice to see them happy and playing. They’re just off enjoying it and I’ll get to sit back in the garden furniture and enjoy myself as I’m watching them enjoy themselves. So yeah. It’s something I wouldn’t have been able to have done on my own.”

You can help make sure every family has a summer they can enjoy

Donating today will help support families across the UK: 

• £10 could go towards a garden swing, giving a seriously ill child the freedom to play outside.
• £20 could support our ‘Discover Digital’ summer festival, giving a child with additional needs an exciting accessible creative workshop whilst giving parents a much-needed break.
• £30 could go towards a day out – giving a family the chance to spend quality time together and create lifelong memories.