Inside Yorkshire's New Holiday Let For Children With Cancer
Children with Cancer UK are launching the UK's first holiday let designed solely for children affected by cancer and their families
Amar Naher, the interim CEO of Children with Cancer UK, joined the charity in 2023. In February last year he took over the role of the charity’s CEO and has already seen it grow. ‘There has been plenty of exciting milestones that I have been proud of achieving while I’ve been here,’ he says, ‘overseeing the world’s first children’s cancer documentary Kids Like Us, our own wave of runners at the Vitality Westminster Mile, and the launch of Raines Retreat.’
The charity’s vision is a world where every child and young person survives their cancer diagnosis. ‘We do this by funding life-saving research, as well as supporting children and their families as they go on their cancer journey,’ says Amar. ‘Sadly, every day in the UK 10 families hear the words no-one should, “your child has cancer”. Until that changes we will continue to work hard to improve both survival rates and the quality of life for young patients.
‘What began as a small memorial charity in 1988 has evolved into the leading childhood cancer charity, raising more than £300 million and investing in over 300 pioneering research projects.’
Raines Retreat will be the UK’s first holiday let designed solely for children affected by cancer and their families. Planned to be complete this spring, it will open on the site of the former Raines Farm in Allerston, near Pickering. ‘The retreat will include four standalone holiday cottages, one being fully wheelchair friendly, and the redevelopment of an existing farmhouse into two holiday lets, allowing capacity for up to 27 people at a time,’ says Amar. ‘The retreat will also include a new reflection garden, which will offer families a safe space to relax and connect with nature. The garden was created by award-winning North Yorkshire garden designer Thomas Clarke and is set to be unveiled at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May, before being returned to the retreat in time for its opening this summer.
‘When a child is diagnosed with cancer, their and their family’s lives alter in an instant. They become isolated as their world shrinks to doctor’s appointments, hospital stays and home convalescence. Raines will open up their horizons and get families back out into nature. Designed as a sanctuary for children, our mission at the Retreat is to provide children with a place where they can escape, play and simply be kids.’
When searching for a location for a new holiday retreat the charity’s team wanted to find a place that would give families a break from the day-to-day stresses that come from a childhood cancer diagnosis. ‘Raines Retreat, with its rural location and beautiful grounds, offered us just that, and is as far removed from a clinical setting as it’s possible to be,’ Amar explains. ‘Its location in North Yorkshire also means it is well positioned because it’s in a central location for the UK and the 21 Primary Care Centres that families visit following diagnosis. Add to the fact that everyone who visits Yorkshire falls in love with it, and we knew we had to have our retreat here.’
The charity wouldn’t be able to complete work like this if it wasn’t for its supporters, and there are various ways to help – through fundraisers, business partnerships or volunteers who would like to donate their time to help maintain the garden. ‘Currently the retreat is accommodation only, but we anticipate being able to offer optional group activities and workshops in future phases, providing families with opportunities for connection and well-being,’ adds Amar. ‘We are also looking to develop a programme of activity to better support siblings of children undergoing cancer treatment. But key to any future plans are the families themselves. We will be led by what they need and we will never stop listening to what they have to say.’
