Summer Breaks

In the past Hoppers has hosted the Summer Breaks Project where groups of people come to stay for an affordable and enjoyable holiday whilst forging friendships and support networks.

National statistics show that around 2.2 million families - about 7m children and parents - don't go on holiday each year, because of poverty, and around 1.5m million families cannot even afford a day at the seaside. Therefore almost one in three families cannot afford a break away from home, and those excluded from holidays are often those most in need.

We were identifying an increase in families that were struggling to financially survive. For these disadvantaged families not having a break away in its self brings about social exclusion which is damaging - physically and emotionally, it can have an adverse effect on health and well-being as well as causing feelings of depression.

Taking a small group of people away for such a break helped friendships and self supporting networks which carry on back home, thus growing a better supportive cohesive community.