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We are very pleased to bring you an update about the plan by our client, the Bradley Lowery Foundation, to build a holiday home in Scarborough for sick children and their families.

About the Bradley Lowery Foundation

The Bradley Lowery Foundation is a charity, established in August 2017 by Gemma Lowery in memory of her son, Bradley, who died at the age of six after a lengthy battle with Neuroblastoma. The foundation’s goal is to support campaigns that raise funds for sick children who need medical treatment or equipment that is not available on the NHS. 

The vision of a holiday home

For many years, Gemma Lowery has envisaged a place where sick children and their families would be able to go on holiday, free of charge, to create long-lasting memories. The first concept was to buy holiday caravans on popular sites, but after considering the options, a custom-built holiday home was decided on. 

The investment required

The overall investment required to build the holiday home is £600,000. So far, around £300,000 has been raised, with lots of gifts-in-kind from businesses. Funds are still required, and the foundation’s plan is to raise as much of the build cost as possible, with the gifts-in-kind contributing towards the upkeep of the holiday home. The start of the build has been postponed due to the pandemic, but it is intended that the first families will be welcomed in July 2022. 

What the holiday home will offer

The holiday home is just 10 minutes’ walk from the sea front and promenade. It will be open to around 100 families per year, for stays of 4 or 5 days. With five large bedrooms, up to fifteen family members will be accommodated at any one time. 

The open plan, single storey format makes the building fully accessible to those with any illness or condition. It has been designed to be eco-friendly to keep energy costs down and will be sound proofed to give families privacy.

 Lynn Murphy, Co-founder of the Bradley Lowery Foundation said: ‘We were so excited for the build to begin, but due to Covid-19 all fundraising events for the holiday home have been postponed. That doesn’t mean we’ve stopped trying through, the team have been using online fund-raising tools and though donations have gone down due to the current climate, we are confident that once the pandemic is over, we will be able to carry on where we left off.’

Torgersens and the Bradley Lowery Foundation

Alison Henshaw, Partner at Torgersens said; ‘It has been our privilege to work with the foundation. The team members are immensely dedicated to improving the lives of poorly children. The holiday home is a great project - it will be an amazing place for families to spend time together.

For more information about the foundation

If you would like to find out more about the work the charity does, or if you would like to make a donation, please visit their website.

About the Author

Alison Henshaw Image

Alison Henshaw

Partner
 Alison joined Torgersens in 1996 and has been a partner with the firm since 2015. With broad experience in general practice, Alison is involved in the audits and accounts management of a range of clients including small and medium sized owner-managed companies, charities and not-for-profit organisations. Most recently, she has worked with a high-profile regional charity to develop its financial systems and reporting structures. Outside of work Alison likes spending time with her family enjoying walks along the North East coast line as well as regular visits to the Lake District, Northumberland and North Scotland.

To get in touch please e-mail alison.henshaw@torgersens.com.

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