Essex charity Revitalise launches 'Give me a break' appeal

A leading UK charity, that provides respite for disabled people and carers in Essex has launched their 'Give me a break' appeal, as concerns grow for carers and disabled people's abilities to get away from day-to-day life and take time off.

Revitalise has centres in Southport and Essex, which provide lifelines for those needing respite breaks, but many are facing affordability barriers.

The charity feels their vision to ensure every disabled person and carer can enjoy a holiday whilst getting the respite they need is becoming increasingly harder for people to access.

Neil Crouch, who has muscular dystrophy, has been a resident at Jubilee Lodge, one of their centres, for 20 years, but his funding was cut in 2020, making it harder to get away for respite. He's told Greatest Hits Radio there's concerns for carers who don't take a break longer term:

"In the end, the carers get worn out, then we start to suffer because we're not receiving the right care because the carers are tired. They put so many hours into looking after us and also it's no good for our mental health to be in all the time.

"But going to Jubilee Lodge, and Revitalise is my only time to actually get out and do stuff for me, which I quite enjoy as well. So really it's a mixture of both. But for the carers, it's so important."

What do Revitalise do?

Revitalise offers 4,600 breaks a year to more than 2,600 people each year, and are the only provider of accessible respite holidays for people needing 24 hour care in the UK.

They cater to over 150 disabilities, including Alzheimer's, MS and Motor Neurone Disease, allowing disabled people to come with their carers or on their own to achieve a break away and leave feeling refreshed.

Rebecca Young is Director of Strategy, Impact and External Affairs. She said:

"What we know is that over the last five years the funding to allow a carer to have respite by the disabled person going to a respite, holiday centre such as ours has fallen by 42%.

"And that's at a time when more and more people are actually being looked after in their own homes, so it's absolutely desperate situation.

"We provide holidays for people with some of the most complex disabilities that there are, typically they will be cared for in their home by a family member, sometimes round the clock. And that is absolutely tiring and exhausting and in order for that caring relationship to continue for that person to stay in their home, which you know is in their best interest rather than go any care, home carers need respite.

"They need a break. But the other thing is that disabled people need a break from their own 4 walls. The chance to do something different and I guess that's what we offer is that it's a proper holiday. It's a holiday for the disabled person. It's break for the carer. They can come together or they can do their own separate things, whatever they'd like to."

A recent guest survey carried out by Revitalise has shown that 56% of people who need a break simply cannot afford to take one.

The charity is hoping their appeal will raise awareness of carers this carers week, and the importance of taking time out of caring for the relationship to continue.

41% of carers have not had a break at all in the last year. (Carers UK, State of Caring Report, November 2022).

Carers week in Essex

This week is Carers Week, and Essex County Council have praised unpaid carers across the county - which is estimated to be a reported 124,000.

This week Essex CC has reiterated their support for unpaid carers continuing to be a top priority for the council, as well as the week marking one year since their launch of the All-Age Carers Strategy.

In the last year, the Council's made small grants of over £150,000 to carers in ‘Time for you’ awards, for carers to use on something that supports their own health and wellbeing.

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