Christmas deadline for disabled holiday home fundraising

24/08/2008

A holiday home for the disabled could be forced to close its doors before the festive season unless its owners can raise £100,000 by Christmas.

The Donna Claire Venture in Seaburn, Sunderland has been put up for sale by owners
Geraldine Plunkett and Audrey Turnbull, who have run the home for 25 years, because they cannot afford to keep it open.

The home enables families across the North East of England to take their disabled relatives on holiday for Christmas and other occasions. The home also provides respite care.

The owners are hoping the home can be saved in time for Christmas. Ms Plunkett, 56, told local paper Shields Gazette: "We do not want it to happen, and the guests do not want it to happen, because it's an absolutely unique place. There's nowhere else in the country like this which provides a short break for people with physical disabilities not in a hospital or a nursing home."

18 staff work at the five-bedroomed home, which has views of the coastline. The home needs £100,000 by Christmas and a further £212,000 a year to stay in operation.

Ms Plunkett said: "We cannot have a short-term effort because we cannot be having this next year. If this is going to be successful, we need companies that will sponsor us so we can have an income all the time."