Charity No. 505590
SHEFFIELD FAMILY HOLIDAY FUND
Annual Report for 2024
Welcome and Chair’s Update
In my first full year as Chair, I set the focus on maintaining a steady income of £30k. I am delighted to report that the charity has raised an outstanding £36,840 during 2024 with total income tipping over £40,000 for the first time since before the pandemic. This would not be possible without the support of our local trusts and foundations. Once again, they have given the largest proportion of the charity’s income, contributing £28,950 - an increase from £21,850 in 2023. I am particularly pleased to see The Talbot Trusts and Harry Bottom Charitable Trust back on board for 2024, and an increase in support from both the Sheffield Town Trust and the Queen Victoria and Johnson Memorial Trust.
The charity has been fortunate in gaining more new individual supporters in 2024, helping to take the supporter income to £7,890, an increase from £3,230 in 2023. A very generous local supporter made a £3,000 donation to support families. After meeting face to face, she shared our passion to support as many families as we can, and I have reported back directly to her about the impact the donation has been making on our families. A special mention must go to Mr and Mrs Ferretti for hosting another open garden event selling their wonderful bakes to the visitors.
The charity holds shares in three investment holdings including the JPMorgan Claverhouse Investment Trust, City of London Investment Trusts and Merchants Trust. The steady income provided by these funds ensure guaranteed income to support families year on year. 2024 was the first full year of dividend payments from all three investments and I am pleased to report the dividend income increased to £3,181 from £2,585 the previous year.
In 2024, the charity has continued to deliver on its mission to provide much-needed holidays and short breaks for disadvantaged families across Sheffield. A total of 170 individuals (70 adults and 100 children) benefitted from a short break. These holidays offered a vital lifeline for families referred for reasons ranging from domestic abuse and mental health challenges to having children with special educational needs or acting as young carers. Many families were experiencing multiple difficulties, and referrals also highlighted issues such as isolation, crisis situations, and poor housing.
The positive impact of our support is clear. 78% of parents and carers reported improved mental health during their holiday, and 88% had similar improvement in their children. For 62% of families, they experienced their first ever holiday together. We know these experiences foster cherished memories, bring families closer together, and offer a new outlook on life.
In December, families referred to the Family Holiday Charity (FHC) by Sheffield Young Carers (11 families), Southey and Owlerton Area Regeneration charity (15 families), and the Sheffield Council Special Guardianship support service (18 families), were treated to a trip to the pantomime, funded by our charity. Families were supported with travel costs to the Sheffield Lyceum and were all treated to an ice-cream during the show. Many of the families had never been to the theatre before and it is pleasing to know that thanks to our support, they’ve all had an experience they will never forget.
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The biggest challenge is the ever-increasing cost of holidays and day trips. Working with the FHC, our focus must be on the quality of holidays and not the quantity. The additional support offered to families in the form of travel expenses, food vouchers and a choice of accommodation all come at a cost. However, the evidence is clear - giving families agency over their holiday decision and supporting them with additional funds ensures they have the best possible holiday experience.
The focus for 2025 is to continue raising money to support as many families as we can. There is absolutely no doubt that times are difficult for families across the city. We can bring hope to these families to escape the troubles they have and help to broaden their outlook whilst creating lifelong memories.
Once again, I’d like to thank Mags Rivett and the staff at the FHC for looking after our families and ensuring they have a positive experience when going on breaks and day trips. Without the relationship with the FHC, it’s hard to see how our charity would exist. I am sorry to hear that Chief Executive Kat Lee has moved on from the charity and we wish her all the best for her future. Moving into 2025, I am excited to further enhance our working relationship with the FHC and to work alongside them to respond to the challenges that charities are currently facing.
Trustee Alison Gardner takes on the London Marathon this April and I hope that you will join me in wishing her well with her run and the fundraising she is doing to support family holidays. Donations can be made directly to Alison’s Just Giving page - www.justgiving.com/page/ali-gardner-lm2025
Thank you to all our trustees for spreading the good work of the Sheffield Family Holiday Fund. 2026 will see the charity celebrate its 50[th] Anniversary. I look forward to working with all stakeholders and especially our trustees throughout 2025 to put plans in place to make 2026 a memorable one.
David Meadows, Chair of Trustees, April 2025
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Charity No. 505590
Minutes of 48[th] Annual General Meeting
Thursday 14[th] March 2024, 1pm Investec Offices, Beech House, 61 Napier St, Sheffield S11 8HA
Attendees: David Meadows, Michael Lofthouse, John Hopkins, Rachel Hopkins, Ellie Ford, Liz Murray, Jim Fulton, Alison Gardner, Olivia Weir (patron) and Penny Hopkins (Guest)
- Apologies for absence: Steve Allen, June Blower, Sara Gowan, James Parker, Kat Lee (Family Holiday Charity) and Mags Rivett (Family Holiday Charity)
James Parker has left Investec. However, he has expressed his desire to stay on as a trustee of SFHF Michael Lofthouse was welcomed and attended as a prospective trustee.
- Minutes of the last AGM - to be agreed – Tuesday 14[th] March 2023
Trustees agreed the minutes were an accurate and true reflection of the meeting held in 2023.
- Annual Accounts and Annual Report - Chair's Update, 2023
David Meadows talked through the highlights of 2023 and summarised the annual accounts.
Attendees agreed the accounts to be accurate. Proposer: Liz Murray - Seconder: John Hopkins
4. Appointment of Independent Examiner - Bob Gardiner
Proposer: Rachel Hopkins - Seconder: Liz Murray
5. Election of Trustees
David Meadows, Liz Murray and Sara Gowen retire by rotation and offer themselves for re-election. Ellie Ford was appointed a trustee on 6[th] September 2023 and accordingly offers herself for re-election.
Proposer: Jim Fulton - Seconder: Alison Gardner
- Update from Mags Rivett, Director of Income & Engagement, Family Holiday Charity
Unfortunately Mags was unable to attend to present an update. However, trustees reviewed the update that had been provided before the meeting. Trustees were invited to send any questions to David Meadows to be collated and sent to Mags Rivett.
7. Any other business
David Meadows has settled into his role as Chair. His focus in the short term is to increase the regular income from charitable trusts and foundations - he will be getting some support from a colleague at the
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University of Sheffield to identify new opportunities. Can trustees please send any information or leads on to David.
Ellie Ford and James Parker have helped to write a privacy policy for the charity. Ellie Ford and Michael Lofthouse are both very happy to support other work including other policies needed and any technical requirements.
Rebecca Hopkins recently gave a professional talk at a business in London she has donated her consultancy fee to the SFHF - the trustees thanked her through John Hopkins.
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Charity No. 505590
Financial Accounts
INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT- YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DEC 2024
| INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT- YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DEC 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| INCOME | 2024 | 2023 |
| £ | £ | |
| Donations from Charitable Trusts, Organisations and Individuals | 36,840 | 25,080 |
| Dividend Income | 3,181 | 2,585 |
| Bank Interest | 262 | 235 |
| Total Income | 40,283 | 27,900 |
| Less Sundryexpenses includingInvestec nominee fees | 507 | 1,058 |
| NET INCOME FOR THE YEAR | 39,776 | 26,842 |
| ~~es~~ | ||
|---|---|---|
| ~~es~~ | 2024 ~~es~~ ~~es~~ |
2023 ~~es~~ |
| ~~es~~ ~~GO~~ |
£ ~~es~~ ~~es~~ ~~GO~~ |
£ ~~es~~ ~~GO~~ |
| FIXED ASSETS ~~GO~~ ~~rs~~ ~~a~~ |
~~GO~~ ~~rs~~ |
~~GO~~ ~~rs~~ |
| Quoted Investments at cost(Note 2) ~~a~~ |
33,352 |
33,352 |
| Capital Fund cash balance(Note 3) ~~aa~~ |
3,764 ~~a~~ |
467 ~~a~~ |
| ~~a~~ | 37,116 ~~a~~ |
33,819 ~~a~~ |
| CURRENT ASSETS ~~ee~~ |
~~ee~~ ~~es~~ |
~~ee~~ |
| Cash at Bank and with fund manager ~~ee~~ ~~es~~ |
13,719 ~~ee~~ ~~es~~ ~~es~~ |
12,757 ~~ee~~ ~~es~~ |
| Debtors ~~es~~ ~~a~~ |
454 ~~es~~ ~~es~~ |
2,437 ~~es~~ |
| ~~a~~ | 14,173 |
15,194 |
| Less Creditors ~~aes~~ |
0 ~~es~~ |
0 ~~es~~ |
| Net Current Assets ~~ee~~ ~~a~~ |
14,173 ~~ee~~ ~~es~~ |
15,194 ~~ee~~ |
| ~~es~~ ~~a~~ |
~~es~~ ~~es~~ |
~~es~~ |
| NET ASSETS ~~a~~ |
51,289 ~~es~~ |
49,013 |
| ~~aee~~ | ~~es~~ ~~ee~~ ~~es~~ |
~~ee~~ |
| Represented by: ~~rs~~ |
~~rs~~ ~~es~~ ~~es~~ |
~~rs~~ |
| ACCUMULATED FUND ~~rs~~ |
~~es~~ ~~rs~~ ~~es~~ ~~es~~ |
~~rs~~ |
| Balance B/fwd ~~es~~ |
49,013 ~~es~~ ~~es~~ ~~es~~ |
49,671 ~~es~~ |
| Add: Excess of Income over Expenditure ~~es~~ ~~a~~ |
39,776 ~~es~~ ~~es~~ |
26,842 ~~es~~ |
| ~~a~~ ~~a~~ |
88,789 |
76,513 |
| Less: Transfer to FamilyHolidayCharity ~~a~~ ~~a~~ |
37,500 ~~es~~ |
27,500 |
| ~~aes~~ | ~~es~~ ~~es~~ |
~~es~~ |
| ACCUMULATED FUND at 31.12.2024 (2023) ~~ee~~ |
51,289 ~~es~~ ~~ee~~ |
49,013 ~~ee~~ |
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Charity No. 505590
NOTE 1
Holiday Arrangements for 2025.
The Sheffield Family Holiday Fund (SFHF) has agreed with the Family Holiday Charity (FHC) that the direct arrangements for holidays in 2025 for disadvantaged Sheffield families will be continued by the FHC. SFHF will continue to raise funds for the provision of holidays and has agreed to transfer money to FHC in advance to finance the holidays.
NOTE 2
The Quoted Investments had a market value of £42,058 at 31[st] December 2024 (£41,280– 2023)
NOTE 3
Capital Fund
2024 Balance £3,764 (2023 - £467)
NOTE 4
SUMMARY OF FUNDS TRANSFERRED TO FAMILY HOLIDAY ASSOCIATION
| 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| Funds held byFHC b/fwd | 7,500 | 15,096 |
| Payments made for holidays | 37,500 | 27,500 |
| 45,000 | 42,596 | |
| Cost of holidays and daytrips in 2024(2023) | 31,668 | 35,096 |
| Funds held byFHC c/fwd to 2024(2023) | 13,332 | 7,500 |
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Charity No. 505590
Independent Inspection
My inspection of the records and the preparation of the accounts is undertaken on a voluntary basis, and not intended to be treated by the committee or members as being an audit for the purposes of the Charities Act, nor as an independent examination by a reporting accountant as defined by the Charities Act.
My inspection is undertaken at the voluntary discretion of the Trustees with the sole purpose of assisting in the preparation of a fair statement of the Fund and subject to the foregoing, I am satisfied that the statements are in accordance with the records and explanations received, and further subject to those records, are free from material misstatement.
10 April 2025
R Gardiner Accountant
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Charity No. 505590
| TRUST & FOUNDATION DONORS 2024 2023 ~~a~~ |
|---|
| £ £ ~~a~~ |
| Town Trustees of Sheffield 3,500 2,000 Church Burgesses Trust 3,000 3,000 ~~a~~ ~~a~~ |
| Freshgate Trust 3,000 3,000 ~~a~~ |
| JG Graves Charitable Trust 3,000 3,000 ~~a~~ |
| HarryBottom Charitable Trust 3,000 0 ~~a~~ |
| Queen Victoria and Johnson Mem Trust 2,500 2,000 Charles and Elsie Sykes Trust 2,000 2,000 ~~a~~ ~~a~~ |
| ZacheryMerton & George Woofindin Conv Trust 2,000 2,000 Talbot Trusts 1,800 0 ~~a~~ ~~a~~ |
| James Neill Trust Fund 1,500 1,000 Cutlers CompanyCharitable Trust 1,000 1,200 ~~a~~ ~~a~~ |
| Sheffield Benevolent Society 1,000 1,000 Dixon Pitchfork Charitable Trust 750 750 ~~a~~ ~~a~~ |
| Hyman Winstone Foundation 500 500 Marcegaglia Stainless Steel Ltd 400 400 28,950 21,850 ~~a~~ ~~a~~ ~~a~~ |
| OTHER DONORS |
| 2024 2023 ~~a~~ |
| £ £ ~~a~~ |
| Anon(SP) 3,000 0 ~~a~~ |
| Soroptimist Int of Hallamshire 1,000 0 ~~a~~ |
| Gift Aid Reclaim 750 534 ~~a~~ |
| Mr and Mrs Ferretti Open Garden Event 720 680 ~~a~~ |
| Anon(HC) 500 500 ~~a~~ |
| POSSE 500 0 ~~a~~ |
| S Lynch and R Purkiss 350 0 ~~a~~ |
| Anon(Misc) 250 0 ~~a~~ |
| Anon(DF) 200 0 ~~a~~ |
| AMC Staniforth 200 250 ~~a~~ |
| D Meadows 120 220 ~~a~~ |
| K Murray 100 0 ~~a~~ |
| J Massey 100 100 ~~a~~ |
| M Archer 100 0 ~~a~~ |
| Abbeydale RotaryClub 0 250 A Fretwell-Downing 0 240 ~~a~~ ~~a~~ |
| J Hopkins 0 200 ~~a~~ |
| P Gannon 0 200 ~~a~~ |
| Donations less than £100 0 56 ~~a~~ |
| 7,890 3,230 ~~a~~ |
| 36,840 25,080 ~~a~~ |
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Charity No. 505590
Sheffield Family Holiday Fund Impact Report 2024
Our Purpose
To provide holidays and short breaks for disadvantaged families in the
Sheffield postcode region.
- Update on activity Holidays ~~a~~ - 170 individuals have benefited from a holiday or short break - - 2024 37 families have completed a holiday
-
70 adults and 100 children
-
8 families (32 people in total) were at the final stages of booking
their holidays and will travel in 2025.
The primary reasons the referrer has put the family forward for a holiday:
-
18% - Domestic Abuse
-
12% - Child with Special Educational Needs (SEN)
-
10% - General Wellbeing
-
7% - Young Carer
-
5% - Mental Health conditions
It is worth noting that many families may be struggling with more than one of these issues.
Additional reasons for referral include: low confidence, support with isolation, family in crisis and inadequate housing.
Referrer feedback
“The family thrived on the holiday, made wonderful memories and had a brilliant time!”
“The family relationships have significantly improved.”
“Thank you for continuing to allow my clients to access such a great service.”
- “It’s a great charity that really helps families in need.”
"I believe charities like yourself make a massive difference to families and give these children the experiences they have never had and improves family morale so having more of these will really benefit children in areas that are deprived. Also having travel support helps with the cost of travel as the prices of this have really increased and the majority of our families are having to prioritise food over family experiences."
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Charity No. 505590
Family feedback
“The place was so beautiful, so many beaches , so many beautiful views everywhere. Thank you so much for this stay and this experience , we will never forget this stay. We all stayed together after going through a lot of stress. Everything was perfect”
The Impact of a holiday*
62% of families had never had a holiday before.
93% of families reported they enjoy looking back on happy memories from their holiday .
78% of parents/carers said while on holiday they felt their mental health improved.
88% families said their children's mental health improved whilst on holiday .
80% reported that the relationship within the family has improved .
59% of families visited nearby towns and villages.
76% of families said they have a new outlook after the holiday.
100% of families said they would like to go on day trips and outings again in the future .
What families did on holiday
67% - went swimming
64% - played arcade games and went on rides
58% - spending time on the beach
49% - did outdoor pursuits
The average cost per head for a family holiday was £131
On average a holiday for a family of 4 costs £525.
*statistics collected from all holidays awarded by the Family Holiday Charity in 2024
Locations visited
| Butlins, Skegness | Golden Palm Resort, Skegness | Widemouth Bay Caravan Park, Bude |
|---|---|---|
| Wemyss Bay, Inverclyde | Barmston Beach Holiday Park | Sunnydale Holiday Park, Saltfleet |
| The Bay, Filey | Cayton Bay, Scarborough | Skipsea Sands, Driffield |
| Withernsea Sands | Coastfields Holiday Village, Ingoldmells | North Shore Holiday Park, Skegness |
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Charity No. 505590
Referring organisations in 2024
| Sheffield Young Carers Project | Milestones Childcare Ltd |
|---|---|
| Homelessness Services | Various Sheffield Schools and Nurseries |
| Sheffield Housing Associations | Sheffield City Council - Amber service |
| Sheffield City Council - Family Intervention Service | Sheffield Council Special Guardianship support service |
| Shelter | SOAR - Southey and Owlerton Area Regeneration charity |
Sheffield Postcodes that benefitted from holidays
S2, S5, S6, S8, S9, S12, S14, S20 and S35,
- Update on activity Group trips
With funds from the SFHF the following groups enjoyed a trip to the pantomime in December.
11 families (44 individuals) from Sheffield Young Carers
15 families (72 individuals) from SOAR
18 families (60 individuals) from Sheffield Council Special Guardianship support service
Cost per head £28 - includes ticket, travel and a subsistence (usually an ice-cream) whilst at the theatre.
Case Studies
A holiday so good it must be repeated!
Erika and her children, seven-year-old Evie and 10-year-old Noah had such a fantastic break in Skegness that they are already making plans to go back. Erika, her children, and her mum Jayne, who went along to support, had a weekend break at Parkdean Southview Leisure Park.
Like many families this was their first holiday for a long time. The pandemic was incredibly challenging, but it was an even more anxious time for Erika than many. Evie was diagnosed with a heart condition before she was born and as a result has extremely complicated health needs. Evie has recently had a new pacemaker fitted.
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Charity No. 505590
Erika says, ‘Evie was in hospital for three days. We had to travel to Leeds which was a long way. I was just eager to get her home so we could all be together. It was a worrying time, especially with the backdrop of Covid, but Evie has recovered well from her operation and she’s doing fine now.’
Now that Evie has recovered from her heart surgery, Erika was able to consider having a break away for the first time in a long while. But Evie uses a wheelchair so finding an accessible holiday with adapted accommodation was crucial.
Erika was so impressed with Parkdean Southview Leisure Park which is fully accessible for people using wheelchairs.
‘The park there is amazing. There was even a swing that Evie can use while in her wheelchair. I’ve never seen one of those before! It was great because it meant that Evie could go on the swing while her brother Noah could play in the park. It’s lovely, there’s plenty of ponds with geese and ducks which the children loved.’
While the journey was a little stressful, Erika was able to arrange assistance for the train. Despite sharing a carriage with kids going to a rugby competition and a stag do, it was OK, made easier by having Jayne along for support.
But on arrival the holiday park’s reception staff were really helpful and the family were able to get on with enjoying a well-deserved break. For Erika, the best bit was just how relaxed everyone was and how much they enjoyed themselves. Noah, who helps out at home with some caring duties, was able to let off steam. He loved going to the centre of Skegness where he enjoyed the arcades, going on the log flume and riding a donkey!
Erika says, ‘We’re all a bit more relaxed because we’ve been away and done something as a family. Noah hasn’t stopped talking about it, he absolutely loved it! And it was easier for us to go at a quieter time. The holiday was something long overdue. The children definitely benefited from it more than the grown-ups. It was so good that I’m already planning for us to all go back.’
For other families with accessible needs, Erika definitely recommends going to Parkdean Southview Leisure Park. ‘The people we spoke to arranged for us to have an adapted caravan. It came with a ramp and accessible shower room which definitely took the stress of having to lift Evie in and out. It meant that Evie could be comfortable and safe.’
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Charity No. 505590
Nasrin’s story
Nasrin is readying herself for her next round of chemo. Diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, she underwent surgery and extensive treatment for several months, but she found out earlier this year that the cancer has come back.
One thing keeping her going is her happy memories of a holiday away in August with her husband and two daughters at Butlins in Skegness. “Those five days away did us a lot of good,” she says. “It was just really special.”
“When I had chemo the first time,” she goes on to say, “I had this guilt that I wasn’t able to spend time with my girls. I couldn’t even do a day trip to the park.” When Nasrin first found out about the cancer, her youngest daughter Yasmin, now nearly three, was only a few months old. Her illness and the long recovery process impacted hugely on their time together during her daughter’s early years. Her older daughter Asma, 12, was also badly affected and started struggling at school.
The cancer diagnosis came very soon after the sudden death of Nasrin’s mum. “It was a shock. She was only 59. It was hard for me to grieve because I was heavily pregnant with Yasmin at the time.”
Nasrin’s life has been turned upside down by the double trauma and so the opportunity to take a short break with everyone together, although daunting because of her health condition, was one that she didn’t want to miss.
Fortunately, because everything was close by on site at Butlins, she was able to really enjoy the time with her family. “I was nervous if I’d be able to do everything and keep the girls happy,” she explains, “I thought I’d have to plan something each day or go places which I can’t do, I can’t plan ahead anymore.”
“But you don’t have to book anything,” she continues, “not even the swimming. You could just do what you wanted to do on the day, and I could take a break whenever I wanted to rest.”
Seeing her daughters laughing and playing together lifted Nasrin’s spirits no end and she was content to just sit on a bench and watch them darting in and out of the water sprinkler or collecting shells on the beach.
One of her favourite moments came when Yasmin squealed with delight when she met Peppa Pig and had her photo taken. For Asma, because the holiday camp provided a safe environment, she was able to explore independently and make her own way to the arcades when her mum needed to rest.
“Looking at Asma now,” Nasrin says, “the holiday kept her busy and her mind off things. There’s a positive change in her and it has really boosted her. That’s why to me, it was the best holiday compared to any other holidays I’ve been on.”
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Because Nasrin’s going through so much at the moment, and has low moods and anxiety as a result, she very nearly didn’t go away. But not wanting the girls to miss out, she overcame her worries and is glad now that she has joyful moments to draw on as she goes through the next round of chemo.
“Whenever I have low moods, I just remember those five days, what we did there and the pictures that we took. I talk to Asma about what was funny and what made us laugh. It’s given me more strength for my chemo.”
Thank you for supporting the Sheffield Family Holiday Fund in 2024
Information provided by our partner charity the Family Holiday Charity (FHC).
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