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Hi Everyone,

Sorry it's been a while, we've been beavering away behind the scenes getting things back up and running and although the centre has been closed, we do have some news to share with you about what we are doing to help you get back to Bendrigg.

We miss all our visitors very much and hope you are managing to stay safe and well.

Thanks for checking in I hope you enjoy this month's Bendrigg Buzz.

Martha x

Grant from Cumbria County Council Short Breaks gets the "Back To Bendrigg" wheels in motion

We were extremely grateful to receive £5,700 from Cumbria County Council Short Breaks to be able to provide free day activities to disabled children and their families from the local area. These are taking place each week throughout August and the demand for places has been huge.

It's our first step in starting activity sessions back up again and we are so happy to see people enjoying themselves at Bendrigg again.

Feedback from the Close family

"Throughout lockdown we didn't have much access to outside space, other than a walk around the lanes near to where we live and we feel less safe now that restrictions have lifted as there are so many people who choose to ignore the safe distancing rules.

Our day of activities at Bendrigg was an amazing experience, we all loved the canoeing. Bethany was super chilled and we felt really safe. The slide was great too, Bethany loved the Adrenalin rush and that’s something she rarely gets to experience. She was super happy all afternoon.

All the staff were very professional and we'd love to be able to come on one of your family weekends in the future."

We hope to be able to offer more day activities later this year. Would you be interested in hearing from us when new dates are released? Click here to register your interest with us a nd we'll be sure to get in touch when new dates are released.

Find out how Bendrigg is adapting in the ongoing pandemic and what safety measures we are putting in place for day activities, self catering accommodation & facility hire on our designated Covid webpage.

Bendrigg are 1 of 12 charities to recieve a share of £1.2 million charity fund from ScottishPower Foundation

We are extremely appreciative to have been awarded £96,102 towards our 2020 Adventure For All project.

The project was originally split into 2 sections, with £45,000 of sponsorship enabling disabled people who would otherwise not be able to afford a trip to Bendrigg the opportunity for adventure, and the remaining funds supporting the improvement of our services and resources specifically for people with Hidden Disabilities such as hearing or speech impairments, and/or learning disabilities.

With the Covid-19 pandemic hitting earlier this year, we had to close the centre and many of our projects and services have been adversely impacted. This means that our Hidden Disabilities project has had to be postponed however the ScottishPower Foundation kindly agreed that these funds could be redistributed to cover our unavoidable core costs during this incredibly difficult time for charities.

We are very grateful for their generosity and flexibility as it means that we have a much stronger chance of being able to survive and welcome back clients, who after prolonged periods of isolation, will undoubtedly need to access our services more than ever before.

We believe our hidden disabilities project to be extremely important and will be looking to secure funding in the future to be able to carry out the important work we'd initially intended to do.

Click here to read the full news article

Want to become part of the Bendrigg Team? We're hiring...

Bendrigg Trust are seeking an experienced Trusts and Foundations (Fundraising) Officer on a part-time basis (2 days, 14.5 hours a week) who will have the primary responsibility of raising income from charitable trusts and foundations. This exciting role is vitally important to the organisation at this critical and challenging time.

Find Out More About This Position

Bendrigg Grounds Access

Throughout June and July we opened up our grounds for shielding families to book a time slot so they could come and enjoy a safe outdoor space.

The demand for this was huge, with some families travelling 50 miles just to come to Bendrigg for a few hours and have some time out of the same 4 walls with their loved ones.

We were glad to provide this service with a very small team of staff and help those families who were most in need.

"I visited Bendrigg Lodge grounds access with my brother Tyson, my mum Lesley and my dog Skye. It was not a bright sunny day but we just had a few spots of rain whilst there. I enjoyed the forest area a lot and the path through the archway. We took some snacks and sat in the campfire area. It was so nice and quiet,we sat there in silence listening to nature,we could hear the sheep. I say it was all amazing. I have attached my favourite photo taken on the day". - Aiden

“What a lovely day our family had at Bendrigg. Going to get our family booked on a break with you next year! Can’t wait!” - Jennifer

"Thank you so much for our session on Monday, Erin, me & my husband thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Your grounds are beautiful, I wish we could have stayed longer. It was so nice to be able to relax outside without worrying about bumping into other people." - Dine Family

"We had such a lovely time today. It was so nice not to have to worry about bumping into anyone. Fantastic for shielding families like us. Thank you so much."

Self-Catering Accommodation
Acorn House

Due to the centre closure and cancellations due to covid-19, we have been able to offer out Acorn House specialist accommodation for families to book on a self-catering basis for a much needed break away.

This stunning building has all the accessible aids you would expect for a specialist centre including :

Automatic doors & lights
Ceiling mounted H-tracking hoists from bedrooms to bathrooms
Additional single-track hoists in the lounge
Adjustable changing/shower beds, shower chairs and commodes
Profile beds (with/without bed sides)

You'll even have shared access to our 15-acres of woodland and play field. We are situated close by to the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks so it's a great place to base yourself for day trips and sight seeing.

We have dates available for hire throughout September and October. To check availability and find out more click the button below and if you'd like to book please call us during office hours on 01539 723766.

Priority will be given to families with a disabled member, however if the building is empty and we are unlikely to find another booking we would consider hiring to non disabled guests.

Find Out More

Self-Catering Accommodation
Fell End Bunkhouse

Our 18th Century Bunkhouse, offers basic accommodation across 2 buildings, Green Slack (pictured left) sleeps 5 and School House (pictured right) sleeps 9, for up to a maximum of 14 people (ensuring you adhere to government guidelines).

Situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty with spectacular views of the Howgill Fells. Fell End is ideal for outdoor activity groups, friends or families wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and relax or explore the Yorkshire Dales & Lake District National Parks.

Our listing on Air BnB has the full property details, you'll be able to check availability, prices and options to book a stay.

Check Out Our Listing

Family Weekends
Funding for South Lakes Families

We know how tough families are still finding the current Covid-19 pandemic. That's why, thanks to some fantastic funders, we are providing some heavily subsidised family weekends for families in the South Lakes area.

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, places are limited and group sizes will remain small. Current dates available are:
Fri 20th - Sun 22nd November 2020
Fri 5th - Sun 7th February 2021

Cost is £81pp for a 2-night, fully inclusive stay including accommodation, food and a full programme of accessible activities.

We hope to add more dates and expand to include families from other areas in the future.

If you are interested in finding out more please call 01539 723 766 or email jo@bendrigg.org.uk

Bendrigg Family Weekends for all - New Dates Released!

Find Out More

What Impact Has Bendrigg Had On You?

We are putting together our 2019 Impact Report and would love to hear what Impact Bendrigg has had on you. Whether it be the short term impact from during your stay, or connecting with other families and making new friends, it could even be the impact on your confidence and independence if you've been able to go home and achieve something you might not have otherwise.

Not only could your story help to give other families and groups the confidence to book a trip with us, it could also help to strengthen our funding applications in order to help subsidise our costs to you, our service user and enable us to offer new services and embark on new projects to help keep Bendrigg one of the leading specialist outdoor centres in the UK.

If you have time to share your story with us it would also have a big impact for Bendrigg and our service users.

Share Your Story With Us