Rebecca’s story
After a 9-month hospital admission, Rebecca was eager and ready to head to Calvert to make some unforgettable memories…
The group of carers and care users from Berkshire Respite Holidays visited Calvert Exmoor for a proper holiday, where they could have fun and take part in care free activities that would build self-esteem, confidence and independence.
They embraced joy and a brought a can-do mentality, highlighted by a fancy dress party at the disco (pictured).
Berkshire Respite Holidays were a wonderfully friendly group and great guests to have on site, so we extend our biggest thanks for booking a break with us here in North Devon.
The group shared their lovely comments and pictures, with permission to create their Calvert Exmoor story…
The whole group had a brilliant week, and fully engaged in all activities. Many overcame significant fears which massively boosted their confidence. Spending 5 days away from their usual routine contributes to independence and encourages everybody to try new things in a safe environment.
Bikes, canoeing and bushcraft
The courtyard garden was lovely – well kept and attractive.
Wi-fi was much appreciated and worked well.
The availability of lots of space, various rooms to use, all-day refreshments etc was amazing.
One of our travellers lost her mum a couple of years ago and struggles with finding independence due to her needs. She was able to sit on a horse and ride unaided, which was wonderful to see.
She was so excited afterwards that she literally couldn’t speak.
In the stables
Another lady is completely blind and has little self-confidence. She was terrified of abseiling as she also struggles with physical co-ordination. For at least an hour beforehand, she had been crying and generally panicking.
She stood at the top of the rock with her carer, crying and saying that she couldn’t start the descent. With encouragement from the brilliant and patient instructors, she and her carer were able to start moving steadily down the wall.
By the half-way point, she was laughing and enjoying herself, and successfully got to the bottom. This gave her confidence such a huge boost; she was still talking about days later.
Abseiling and zipwire
One of our ladies is cared for by her mum, who also accompanies her on our trips. They are very close and do everything together. At the disco however, she was joining in on her own, and was so obviously thoroughly enjoying herself, showing off her dancing skills.
Swimming
"One of the activities that most of our group enjoyed was swimming: a warm pool, a hoist and accessible changing rooms make this easy for everybody to join in with. It provides such freedom for so many, allowing them to leave their wheelchairs and move around on their own – so important for them."
Want to read more stories?
Tom’s story
On his first of several trips to Calvert Exmoor, Tom overcame his nerves to try new activities alongside enjoying some activities he knows and loves.
Nicci’s story
“It’s as though the world has opened up that bit more and got that little bit bigger!” – heartwarming family story at Calvert Exmoor.