SHEFFIELD CHARITY MARKS 50 YEARS PROVIDING HOLIDAYS FOR FAMILIES IN CRISIS

Sheffield Family Holiday Fund (SFHF), a volunteer-led charity founded in 1976, is marking its 50th anniversary of providing holidays and short breaks to families facing adversity in the local area. The organisation works with community partners to identify families navigating illness, disability, bereavement, domestic abuse or homelessness. Chair David Meadows, one of 12 volunteer trustees, stated that holidays represent "a proven intervention that repairs fractured relationships, boosts children's confidence, and improves mental health" for families in crisis. In 2025 alone, the charity sent 221 individuals across 57 families, including 113 children, away for a break.

The SFHF organises trips to traditional seaside destinations including Cleethorpes, Filey and Butlins in Skegness, as well as an annual Christmas pantomime visit to the Lyceum Theatre. Referrals come from frontline services, with 22% of support directed to young carers, 19% to families raising a child with Special Educational Needs, and 19% to those facing homelessness. For the past twenty years, the Sheffield charity has partnered with the national Family Holiday Charity, which works directly with families recommended through community groups including Sheffield Young Carers Project, Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Shelter and Zest.

According to data from the national Family Holiday Charity, 62% of families supported had never taken a holiday before, and 93% of families reported an improvement in their children's mental health following a break. Meadows noted that holidays enable children to participate in classroom discussions about their experiences, improving their confidence and connection with peers. One recent beneficiary was Brad, whose eight-year-old daughter Skyla is autistic and has ADHD; after a relationship breakdown, Brad became a full-time carer whilst also managing the effects of multiple strokes that affected his eyesight.