AN OVERTON family say they feel ‘trapped’ in their own home after a respite holiday centre that gave them a much-needed break was forced to close.

Michelle and Tony Le’Warne from Overton have been sending their son Peter, who has cerebral palsy, to Revitalise’s respite holiday home in Netley, Southampton, for 28 years, giving them both the chance to go on holiday twice a year.

But the UK charity had to close the centre because of a lack of funding, leaving families such as the Le’Warne’s without this crucial support.

Now, the charity has launched a major fundraising campaign called ‘Give Me A Break’ to ensure that people do not face barriers to getting the respite they urgently need.

READ MORE: Basingstoke veteran fined for leaving clothes for charity

The charity said the families it supports are facing an ‘acute affordability crisis’, which is leaving some at breaking point because of drastic cuts in local authority funding and spiralling cost-of-living increases, meaning that disabled people and their carers are not getting the breaks they need.

Michelle, 65, who cares full time for 41-year-old Peter, said: “When Revitalise closed it meant that over 2,000 families from the south have been affected because that was our respite. The whole place has been left empty. It was really well adapted with the right equipment.

“The problem is that everything else has gone up, but money for carers and disabled people and elderly people has gone down.”

The mother-of-two said she is struggling financially, and feels that she is “at the bottom of the pile” when it comes to funding.

“It’s extremely frustrating,” she said, adding: “With the right kind of help we would manage and we would be fine. But what worries us is what the future holds.”

SEE ALSO: New plans revealed for development of Brighton Hill Retail Park

Michelle said Peter used to love the breaks with Revitalise in Netley where he stayed twice a year since he was aged 13, allowing her to go on holiday to Devon with her husband and have a break from their caring responsibilities.

Now, the couple’s only way to have a holiday is to ask their daughter to take time off work to look after Peter.

Janine Tregelles, chief executive of Revitalise, said: “We know that there are over two million disabled people out there who, along with their carers, directly need our support. Yet while the need to support them is getting bigger, the number we are able to help is decreasing due to funding provision.

“Years of austerity have cut social care budgets to the bone and local authorities are openly admitting they are having to act unlawfully, denying people access to care, as there is simply not enough funding to meet the level of need.

“We know that some our guests are at breaking point; research shows that almost two thirds of disabled people are chronically lonely and day centres are closing up and down the country, particularly since Covid.

“We are a lifeline for so many disabled people and their carers but there is just not the funding available to help people and disabled people and carers are being put in a very dire situation.

“This is of huge concern to us as we know how tough it is for so many people who enjoy coming to us, but it does not need to be this way. We have fully accessible respite centres available with the most wonderful staff and volunteers and we need to find ways to ensure that people can access them at a time of great need.”

Janine added: “For disabled people and carers, taking a break is fraught with difficulty. Mainstream holidays do not cater for those with more complex care needs, and with very little specialist options available, most disabled people end up in a respite bed in a care home.

"We help disabled people and their carers enjoy a proper holiday, but something needs to be urgently done so this can continue to be accessible for all.”

The charity’s fundraising appeal aims to generate much-needed funds for disabled people and carers to take the breaks they need.

For more information visit revitalise.org.uk.