Short Breaks
Find out more about our short breaks and holidays...
From the moment you are diagnosed with cancer, your life is taken over by medical tests, worry and uncertainty. Quite often, a cancer diagnosis means that one adult will have to give up work because they are either ill themselves or they need to care for another family member. This can put families under huge financial pressure. As a consequence, family days out and longer holidays are usually the first casualty of reduced financial means, yet they are so important to help alleviate stress, which in itself is a huge aggravator of the disease.
For a day or a week, ‘4 Cancer’ takes cancer patients and their families away from the disease and the nightmare that they are living through. We offer families the chance to rebuild relationships, create positive memories and to have some quality time together. Based on feedback from families that we have helped, spending time away from home is important. Quite often, people’s homes are punctuated with constant reminders about the family member’s illness. Some time away can make all the difference…
Please note: As of March 2023, due to unprecedented demand, we are now currently operating a waiting list for respite trips. Applications are still being accepted but there may be some delay in processing.
So why not find out more about our days out and short breaks. Find out more about our respite partners and read testimonials from families we have helped. You can also see photos from our many days out and holidays here >
UK Holiday Parks
Quite often the families which are referred to us are not able to travel far from home as they need to have access to specialist medical facilities should the they need them at short notice.
Consequently, we offer a wide range of short break options at numerous holiday parks across the UK – from Devon to Scotland! Of all the kind of short breaks we offer, UK holiday park breaks are by far the most popular.
There is always something for every member of the family – young and old. Children are always drawn to the excellent facilities from swimming pools, water slides, play parks and bowling alleys. Many centres offer a wide range of sporting activities too for all age groups.
European Breaks
Depending on our commercial agreements which can vary from year to year, we are usually able to offer a number of overseas breaks every year for specialist cases. These trips could include cruises through the Norwegian fjords to beach holidays in Spain and Greece.
Depending on the cost of such holidays, we sometimes ask you to make a financial contribution towards the cost of the trip. Similarly, we require full medical permissions from the cancer patient’s oncologist before a holiday can book.
Comprehensive travel insurance is a prerequisite for any booking. Not every cancer patient can obtain travel insurance and the costs can be prohibitive. Although we can put you in touch with a range of specialist insurers, the cost of such insurance must be borne by you.
Alpine Breaks
Emerging medical research suggests that people living in alpine environments, i.e. at higher altitudes, have a lower chance of dying from certain forms of cancer and tend to live longer than others.
We passionately believe in the therapeutic powers of the alpine environment. To this end, our Ski 4 Cancer subsidiary sponsors alpine respite holidays for people living with cancer – mostly in France and Austria.
Most of our alpine accommodation ranges in altitude from between 1,000m and 2,000m above sea level. Families can visit in both winter and summer but we must stress that this type of break is not for everyone. Full medical permissions must be sought before such trips can be planned.
