This month saw the official opening of our brand new respite holiday home, which is aptly named ‘Lennox Retreat’. The opening was held on Friday 19th July 2019 and was attended by some of our staff, as well as 12-year-old Oliver Doughty and his family, who are one of the first to stay in the beautiful seven-bedroom farmhouse.
Oliver was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) in January 2018 and is currently halfway through his three-year treatment plan. Oliver enjoyed a long weekend at the house with his parents, grandparents and three siblings.
After their break, mum emailed us saying:
‘On behalf of all of our family, we wanted to write and say a massive thank you for letting us have the farm for the weekend. We had no idea what we would be going to and to say it surpassed expectations would be a huge understatement. The house and the grounds are both amazing, and we have had a very relaxing break, allowing us the opportunity to spend quality time together as a family. I don’t think we realised how much we needed that break until we had it.’
The house, which boasts seven bedrooms, a games room, tennis court, vegetable patch and small animal stables, will benefit families from Suffolk, Essex, Norfolk and Cambridge, and the children receiving treatment at hospitals within those counties. They will be able to pick and cook their own vegetables from the vegetable patch, walk the micro pigs and goat, feed the ducks and relax in the garden while spending quality time together.
This Grade II listed building is set in the middle of the Suffolk countryside, just on the outskirts of the village of Bramfield and is owned by Sir Simon Robey and Lady Victoria Robey who live nearby.
After purchasing the property, the generous couple wanted to make sure it was put to good use and contacted us to discuss the possibility of making the house a place of respite and relaxation for those who need it most.
The Estate, House and Project Managers, Diane and Mark Bond, were put to work and have worked tirelessly to refurbish the house and grounds to make it ready for our beneficiaries to stay.
We also offer respite breaks at our two luxury holiday homes located on Shorefield Country Park in the beautiful New Forest. These each have three bedrooms and are used solely to give children and their families some time for rest and relaxation. This quality time enables each family to reconnect while enjoying the local nature, getting to know the famous New Forest ponies or simply relaxing on the veranda! You can find out more about our respite breaks on our website: www.lennoxccf.org.uk.