Respite breaks for carers across the UK at a Caister–on–Sea holiday home

Run by Great Yarmouth and Waveney Mind charity
Edited by Jane Hill editor@wellbeingnorfolk.co.uk
Carers are being offered the chance to take–a–break beside–the–seaside in a holiday home that has just opened. The newly refurbished house at Caister–on–Sea, offers respite breaks for carers, and is run by mental health charity Great Yarmouth and Waveney Mind.
The three–bedroom holiday home is the first of its kind in the region and is available for rent by any person or family who cares for a relative and is need of a respite break. The holidays are specifically aimed at offering carers a break, though they can choose to bring those who they care for on the holiday too.
Any profits generated from the holiday home will be directly reinvested in Mind’s charitable work, supporting carers and encouraging mental health and wellbeing in the Yarmouth and Waveney area.
Stuart Bennett, development manager at Great Yarmouth and Waveney Mind, said the new home offers a valuable resource to carers in the region and further afield: “Grants for respite breaks are available to carers so we’ve ensured the rental is affordable with week–long stays from only £250, helping people to make the most of this funding. The house isn’t only for carers from East Anglia. We hope people from across the country will appreciate a holiday on the Norfolk coastline for some summer sunshine or a quiet winter break.”
The house has been refurbished with help from a £5,000 grant from the national Mind charity and also donations from local businesses, such as John Lewis and Hughes Electrical. The holiday home is situated in a quiet residential area of Caister, just 10–minutes from the beach.
Roger Gowen, a carer from Yarmouth, realises the value of such a service. “There is a desperate need for services like this for carers who have to deal with the stress, worry and physical work of looking after a loved–one, he said. “Young carers who also have the pressures of school will especially benefit. Having a break at a respite home offers a different environment and makes carers feel less trapped. It is so important to help maintain your ability to cope.”
Bookings are being taken now. For more information telephone Lisa Leech on: 01493 842129. Visit the Great Yarmouth and Waveney Mind website at: www.gywmind.org.uk.