Responses from carers who had a break through the scheme:

“I have not had a holiday abroad for eight years and have never left my husband (who has Alzheimer’s) for two weeks ever.  A friend asked me to go on a cruise with her.  The though of having company and also she would do all the booking was too good to turn down. 

The cruise was to the Baltics visiting eight different countries.  We spent three days in St Petersburg where I had always dreamed of going.  What a treat, to be waited on, with company to laugh and have fun.  At home I am unable to go out in the evening, but I could go to a show every night, piano recitals in the afternoons.  Lectures about places we visited.  Just to sit and not worry about the time carers were leaving. 

The biggest thing I have achieved was to stop taking the tablets I have been taking for three years for stress.  I just hope I will not have to go on them again. 

I have also broken my bad sleep pattern and am now sleeping through the night. 

Thank you so much for the cheque towards the holiday.”

“I flew from Cardiff airport to Edinburgh.  I stayed with Simon and Jana (nephew and his wife).  Mum stayed with my brother Simon. I saw the Queens’s boat (Royal yacht) and went in the engine room.  You can roll the carpet up to make a big dance floor.  They had a big car called a Rolls Royce on the boat.  We saw the musical of ‘’Annie’’.  It was very good and I got the actors autographs in my programme.  Simon and I went to the Deep Sea World and we saw them feeding seals, baby fish and huge sharks!  Simon, Jana and I went to the cinema twice –on the last day (April 1st), then we met Mum, and Caroline and Rob (sister and brother in law) met us at Cardiff Airport late.  I did a lot of walking and I didn’t have to push Mum.”

“This was a chance to see my son and his wife in their home in Edinburgh – I had not seen it before.  Nicky stayed with my grandson and wife separately so that we could do different things.  Jon (my son) hired a wheelchair and we went for some drives in the country and to a few shows.  We saw ‘Oliver’ the 3 of us and I was shown their village, Haddington where they live, 20 miles outside Edinburgh (where Nicky was staying).  It was a wonderful change.  Caroline and Rob took us to the airport and met us and arranged for airport staff to assist us with the wheelchair.  It was a full 5 day break.  Excellent!”

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The Holiday Breaks Scheme is administered by PAVS to enable carers to take flexible, mch neeed holidays or breaks of their choice, to help them to continue in their caring role using the Carers Funding provided by the Local Authority.

THE FOLLOWING RULES APPLY FOR HOLIDAY BREAKS FOR CARERS:

• All carers must be living in Pembrokeshire and be providing care to someone aged 18+.
• Grants of up to £250 are allocated to Carers towards their Holiday break
• The Grant money must be spent on a holiday break for the main carer. If it is not used for this purpose, a refund will be requested. Carers are responsible for taking out their own holiday insurance.
• The grant money must be spent by the end of the financial year.
• The information on your application form will be used to decide on allocations.  All information will be treated in confidence.
• The decision will be made by a panel made up of the Carers Development Worker, Carers Assessment Development Worker, Voluntary Sector Representative and Carer Representative(s).
• We will let you know when we have received your application. The panel will meet up when the amount of applications received merits to call a meeting. We will let you know the result of your application within 2 weeks of the panel meeting. 
• There is a limited amount of funding available, therefore one grant per family is usually allowed only every other year.
• We may liaise with the named person on your application form as part of the monitoring process of the Carers Funding.
• You agree to give a short account after the Holiday or Break of when the Holiday Break was taken, how you were able to benefit from the break and to produce receipts. Non compliance with this requirement might effect your future application.

For an application form please contact Nicole.vanschie@pavs.org.uk