There are lots of charities in the UK that offer help to families looking for a holiday or special day trip. These charities may provide financial support, fully funded holidays and day trips, or other assistance to help families take a much-needed break from everyday life.
Family Holiday Charity accepts no responsibility for the content of third-party websites and cannot guarantee that all these services we are signposting may be able to help – situations and funding change from time to time. We offer the information to be helpful and in good faith.
On this page:
Jump to the section that’s most relevant to you based on the charity's area of support.
Carers
Children in care
Disabled/seriously ill
Disadvantaged families
Single parent families
Where applicable, we've further grouped these charities into three titles: Family-focused, Children & Young People-focused, and Adult-focused, depending on who they primarily support. Some organisations may fall under more than one section.
Carers
Family-focused
3H Fund offer grants to assists people with disabilities and their carers, who are on a low income, to enable them to organise a break for themselves in the UK.
The League of the Helping Hand can offer one off payments for carers to take time out away from their day-to-day situation.
Children & Young People-focused
The Honeypot Children’s Charity offers respite breaks and ongoing support to young carers aged 5-12 years old.
Adult-focused
Carefree provides breaks for full time unpaid adult carers.
The Margaret Champney Rest and Holiday Fund provide grants for respite holidays for carers.
Children in care
Break provides respite breaks for children and young people on the edge of care, in care and leaving care.
Disabled/seriously ill
Family-focused
Family Fund offers grants to lower income families with disabled or seriously ill children for holidays as well as things that make life easier and more enjoyable.
Calum’s Cabin provides short breaks in Rothesay, Argyll, for use by families who have a child suffering from cancer or a cancer related disease.
Holiday Homes Trust is a national charity, dedicated to providing low-cost self-catering caravan accommodation for families. They cater for people with a disability, illness as well as low or single-income families.
The Sandcastle Trust provides days out for families affected by rare genetic conditions, aiming to create positive memories and offer a respite from daily challenges.
Variety, the Children’s Charity provides grants for equipment and experiences, including days out, to improve the lives of disabled and disadvantaged children.
Dream Makers Children’s Charity focus their support or children who are terminally ill, severely disabled or suffer from a life-threatening illness.
The Emily Ash Trust run days and short breaks for children suffering with cancer and their families.
The Kids Cancer Charity provide programmes for families of children with cancer to have a break.
Lennox Children's Cancer Fund provide respite breaks for children who have been diagnosed with cancer and their families.
Make-a-Wish brings light and joy to children and their loved ones by granting wishes for children who has been diagnosed with a critical condition.
The Oliver Curd Trust provide fully equipped holiday accommodation to UK families with children who have cancer and other life threatening illnesses.
Rays of Sunshine grants wishes which can include a holiday for seriously ill children and their families.
Willow Foundation is open to all 16-40 year olds in the UK being treated for a life-threatening illness, they offer a range of experiences including days out and breaks.
Deafblind UK owns a caravan in Norfolk to let at a low-cost rate to those affected by sight or hearing loss.
Kidney Care UK funds holidays for families affected by kidney disease.
Round Table Children’s Wish grant ‘handcrafted’ wishes for children and young people aged 4-17 with life threatening illnesses.
Dreams Come True fulfil dreams for children who are living with a disability, serious illness or life limiting condition.
When You Wish upon a Star grants wishes to children aged 4-16 with a life-threatening illness.
Calvert Trust provides outdoor adventure holidays designed for people with disabilities. Their facilities are fully accessible and their staff are trained to support a range of needs. They have centres in Exmoor, Kielder, and the Lake District.
Tayside Children specialise in supporting families in their local area who have a child under 18 who has been diagnosed with cancer and leukaemia with holidays in their lodge.
Trefoil House provides holiday grants for Scottish families who have a child under the age of 18 with additional needs or disability. Trefoil supports a wide variety of applications but with a broad focus on sport, art, music, life skills and adventure.
Children & Young People-focused
Caudwell Children provides family support services, including funded short breaks for children.
The Newman Holiday Trust provide holidays for children with disabilities and additional needs.
Destination Florida specialises in organising holidays to Florida for children between the ages of 7 – 15 who have missed out on the fun and laughter of childhood due to illness.
Dreamflight is UK charity that changes young lives through taking children with a serious illness or disability, on the holiday of a lifetime to Orlando, Florida.
The Ellen MacArthur Trust takes young people aged 8-24 from all over the UK on sailing trips to help inspire them in rebuilding confidence after being diagnosed with cancer.
Heswall Disabled Children’s Holiday Fund hosts annual summer camps for disabled children aged 9-15.
Over the Wall run camps for children and young people with health challenges and disabilities.
The Youth Cancer Trust offer holidays for young people (aged 14 to 30) living with or beyond cancer.
KIDS offer a portal for UK parents and carers to book and manage short breaks for their child or young person with a disability.
Adult-focused
Frederick Andrew Convalescent Trust (FACT) can support women recovering from an illness or injury with grants to take a relaxing short break.
Willow Foundation is open to all 16-40 year olds in the UK being treated for a life-threatening illness, they offer a range of experiences including days out and breaks.
Deafblind UK owns a caravan in Norfolk to let at a low-cost rate to those affected by sight or hearing loss.
Revitalise offers respite holidays for disabled people and their carers. Their centres provide 24-hour care, accessible accommodations, and a variety of activities.
Disadvantaged families
John Lyon’s Charity funds projects that support children and young people, including those offering holiday schemes and activities for disadvantaged families.
Mellor Country House offers low cost, self-catering holiday accommodation for low-income families.
Youth Hostel Association offers a bursary of up to 75% off summer camp prices for young people entitled to free school meals. Bursary places are limited and provided on a first come first served basis.
Family Action runs a welfare grants programme and provides grants towards the cost of recuperative holidays for women who live in Greater London.
Victoria Convalescent Trust fund short breaks for those in need of convalescence, recuperative and respite care.
Go Beyond (formally known as CHICKS) provide activity respite breaks from March to December for children aged 8-15.
The Jewish Children’s Holiday Fund help Jewish children to have a summer holiday.
Kids Out helps disadvantaged children and young people up to the age of 18 throughout the UK.
Free to Be provides countryside adventure breaks during the school holidays.
Happy Days Children’s Charity provide day trips and short breaks to families with children in the UK living with mental, physical and emotional difficulties.
The Henry Smith Charity offers grants towards holidays or UK days out for groups of children under 13 from areas of high deprivation, experiencing disadvantage or those with a disability.
Single parent families
Care for the Family runs multi-activity holidays for single parent families with children aged 5 – 16. A limited number of bursaries are available for those in receipt of Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance.
Gingerbread has local branches across the country that sometimes arrange breaks or days out for members. To find a local group, visit their website.
Single Parent Travel Club is a self-help group. Members organise days out, short breaks and holidays in the UK and abroad for single parents and those with sole parenting responsibilities (e.g. grandparents, foster carers, etc.)
Women’s Holiday Centre offer affordable holidays for women and children.