Help Maria spread some holiday happiness,
ONE of the area’s best-loved charities is reaching out to people across the East Midlands to help it buy a holiday haven for families hit by devastating illness in time for Christmas.
Founded by disabled Derbyshire woman Maria Hanson in 2006, the charity me&dee has provided thousands of treats and more than 1,000 holidays or short breaks in Mablethorpe and at Alton Towers for terminally ill children and adults.
But due to the fact that some families have so little time left to create final lasting memories, and can find travel exhausting, Maria has decided her charity needs a holiday home right in the heart of the Midlands.
She said: “The east coast may not seem that far away but it’s a 200-mile round trip from this area, which is where most of the families we help come from. It takes around five hours to get there and back. When you’re very poorly that can be too much.
“We’re keeping our two holiday caravans in Mablethorpe but want to offer families a short break on their doorstep – and we’ve found the perfect place, an amazing new woodland lodge near the Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire border.
“We just need everyone to get behind me&dee to help raise the £150,000 we need to buy it. We’re calling our fundraising project the 20/20 Vision but it would be a dream come true for me if we could buy the lodge in time for Christmas – and arrange for a family to enjoy their last festive break together there.”
The charity has set its heart on buying a three-bedroomed luxury holiday home at Sherwood Hideaway at Thoresby, a site set within a forest near Newark, Nottinghamshire. “The lodge is absolutely incredible – perfect for our families,” said Maria, 64, who has received an MBE and a Pride of Britain fundraiser award for helping people who are terminally ill. She works tirelessly despite struggling with constant pain due to her own complex health issues and is unsalaried.
Maria said: “It’s so peaceful in the forest, a lovely place for families to relax and have fun together away from hospital wards and medical equipment.
“It’s very important to me that everything is as special as possible for the people we support. They’re often in a great deal of pain and our holiday homes must have a high level of quality and comfort. The lodge has a hot tub, which could be so soothing for them.
“Most of the families we help have a member in palliative care. It’s their last holiday together. Increasingly, we’re being asked to provide short breaks as time is so limited, families need to be able to reach a hospital or hospice quickly.
“One father we helped recently only managed two days of his holiday before being too ill to continue. He died at the age of 35. Having a holiday home closer to home will make all the difference.”
In a bid to raise the £150,000 needed, me&dee has launched a
It’s so peaceful in the forest, a lovely place for families to relax and have fun together away from hospital wards and medical equipment.
website page where people can “buy” a section of the lodge for £50, £100 or £200. Maria is also hoping businesses and people across the East Midlands will support me&dee’s 20/20 Vision.
“It’s a big dream but I know we can do it,” said Maria, who has had lifesaving surgery for a rare gynaecological condition, numerous operations and battles with constant pain and mobility issues.
“It’s because I know what it’s like to struggle with health problems that I want to help others.
“It doesn’t matter how rich you are, if a partner or child is dying you haven’t got the head space to plan a break. That’s where we step in to do everything.
“We’re a small, local charity that pumps the funds we receive into making a big difference to people’s lives when they need it most. But now we need to ask for some help. If we raise £150,000 by the end of September, a family in desperate need of something to smile about will be enjoying Christmas in a woodland wonderland. Please help us make it happen.”
To support me&dee’s 20/20 Vision, visit www.meanddee.co.uk. Alternatively, email maria@meanddee.co.uk or call 01332 297011.