‘Cornwall Hugs Grenfell’ offers August family holiday in Falmouth for 30 Grenfell Tower survivors.
Moved by the awful tragedy at Grenfell Tower, the community in Cornwall is pulling together through Cornwall Hugs Grenfell, to offer free holidays; a place of sanctuary and respite for residents and firefighters affected by the fire. Cornwall Hugs Grenfell now invites Grenfell Tower families and those from adjacent blocks to register interest in a week’s free holiday in Falmouth at the end of August 2017. This first set departure holiday is made possible by generous gifts of family accommodation and facilitation by Falmouth University and the University of Exeter. Guests will travel by train with complementary rail tickets.
Six families can stay independently, each in their own flat on the University campus with up to seven ensuite bedrooms and may choose to join free activities such as surf lessons, or trips to attractions like The Eden Project and St Michael’s Mount. Onsite catering is offered or those who wish it. Families should register their interest immediately via the website: www.cornwallhugsgrenfell.org. This offer is in addition to Cornwall Hugs Grenfell's individual holidays in accommodation pledged by Cornish holiday home owners, which will be available to fire-fighters and Grenfell Tower families until 2019.
“Cornwall Hugs Grenfell was set up to offer firefighters some R&R and put a ray of hope on the horizon for survivors,” says Esmé Page. “This immensely generous gift by Falmouth University and the University of Exeter enable us to offer a very special kind of ‘Cornish Hug’. The Falmouth trip is all about families. We hope the children will have fun and make some new memories in our wonderful county’.
‘We just wanted to support Cornwall Hugs Grenfell in realising its dream by offering a holiday in our beautiful seaside town of Falmouth and the whole team is looking forward to hosting all the families this summer,’ says Tony Sanders, CEO, FXPlus in conjunction with Falmouth University and the University of Exeter.
‘Cornwall Hugs Grenfell will be offering holidays over the next two years,’ comments Esmé, ‘So the August trip to Falmouth is for those who feel emotionally ready to travel, while others will want to wait. There is guidance on our registration site’.
The university’s offer joins over 200 pledges which have flooded in to the website www.cornwallhugsgrenfell.org since it was set up last month. ‘We’ve been humbled by the huge wave of Cornish kindness from individuals and businesses,’ says Esme. ‘We’ve had a stream of enquiries and the first firefighters are travelling to Cornwall shortly. There’s a tangible sense of ‘love in action’ and we want to thank all those who have pledged and encouraged. I especially want to thank the small team of smart women who are supporting me. We do have more needs now to help make the trips special and to scale up. We’re inviting companies to think creatively and I’m particularly keen to hear from:
A single London cab willing to offer transfers to and from Paddington station
A London catering company willing to provide picnic hampers for the train
Bus companies offering free travel within Cornwall
More Cornish attractions, activity centres and eateries offering vouchers
A manufacturer willing to offer suitcases
Surf and sports shops offering swimwear, beach towels, wetsuits
Print companies with offers for bespoke souvenirs and photo-books
CRM / case management software and a bespoke portal for volunteers
£4,000 sponsorship for an administrator’s time to help with communication and logistics
Organisations can pledge support through the ‘business offers’ button on the website at www.cornwallhugsgrenfell.org or cornwallhugsgrenfell@gmail.com. Individual donations can be made via the Just Giving Page ‘Cornwall Hugs Grenfell’.
Follow us on twitter @Cornwallhugs.
Like us on Facebook at Cornwall Hugs Grenfell.
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Image: Gyllyngvase beach, Falmouth, designed and donated by Cornish Bird in the Sticks.
Photo of Falmouth: with permission by ADAM GIBBARD Photography
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MEDIA CONTACTS - ONLY FOR MEDIA NOT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE PLEASE
Esme Page: Tel: 07803 594285 Email cornwallhugsgrenfell@gmail.com
Note to editors:
Cornwall Hugs Grenfell is a voluntary organisation set up by Esmé Page with the vision, ‘Imagine if we could put a Cornish holiday on the horizon of every Grenfell resident and firefighter family: a time to rest, a time to let our beautiful county bless these people and work its gentle magic.’ It is set to run until 2019.
