Summer Holiday
For over 35 years, Oundle Mencap Holidays has provided a week-long residential summer holiday for children and young people with learning disabilities aged 8-18.
Each year, we organise on site activities ranging from art and crafts to music to team games and group theatre alongside a number of visits to the seaside, theme parks and other fun days out.
The core purpose of the week is to provide a host of fun, safe and stimulating learning experiences for our holiday makers.
We think that the holiday has a profound effect on those who take part – not just on our holiday makers but also on their families, who are given a valuable break from direct care, and also on our volunteers, whose understanding of and attitude towards disability is often fundamentally changed.
Accommodation & Staff
We use on site, fully catered accommodation in Oundle, with one-on-one care provided for each child throughout the week.
The holiday is entirely staffed by volunteers, numbering roughly 75 each year. Junior volunteers are paired with our holiday makers, sharing a room every night with the same person or people.
We have an extremely experienced team of senior volunteers, many of whom have been involved with the holiday for ten years or longer. Their professional skills are key to our holiday.
Costs
The charge per child for the Oundle Mencap Holiday in 2024 is £295, for the full week.
We keep the costs of the holiday low, owing to the fact that all our helpers are volunteers. The holiday is also heavily subsidised by charitable donations, volunteer fundraising and grants which cover roughly two thirds of our annual running costs. You can find more information on supporting us or fundraising on our behalf on the SUPPORT US page.