Helping the terminally ill, disabled, and underprivileged

Hello, we are Joe and Tom, from East Sussex, England,

This 'go fund me' request is to top up the funds being given by our father (about 30% of the final requirement) for the creation of a low cost holiday centre for the disabled, terminally ill and their families.

The past:

Our mum had breast cancer in 2012, leading (despite apparent remission) to a brain tumour in 2018, from which she passed in 2019. A slow descent that had no obvious end, until it did. With us personally providing her full time care we soon became aware of the many difficulties and the stigma attached to those so afflicted.

Out of this hardship came the driving force for our dad’s efforts to complete our new-build arts-and-crafts style house our parents started in 2005.

What was once to be our family home was now a means to an end. Finish off the almost complete house, sell it and start a charity.

Despite this plan he was still very proud of what he was building. Often going into the house at night, just to turn on the lights and admire it.

7th May 2025

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg8gp1816jo

A fire occurs and spreads during the night. Despite the efforts of the Fire Services it lays waste to 90% of the new house, most of his equipment in the house, everything in dad’s workshop, and nearly all of our late mother's personal belongings. Due to financial constraints and high costs over the years, the construction insurance had been allowed to lapse. It was truly sad watching helplessly as the fire slowly moved from room to room, erasing years of effort as it went.

The future:

Before the fire, our dad’s plan was to fully finance the charity idea himself through the house sale, this is no longer possible. In this situation our dad, at 67, could be forgiven for just selling up and living on the remaining proceeds. However it is clear to us how important this idea was to him, it was the reason he would get out of bed to work on the unheated building even in the middle of winter and was often the last thing spoken about at night.

If sufficient funds are raised his plan is to sell the burned house site as is, and start his search for a suitable charity property as soon as possible, probably within Europe due to suitable property costs being lower and the ability to help the maximum number of people. UK users would, it is hoped, be assisted with travel expenses. The charity would mainly be staffed by volunteers, and if those were in their later years, would help them to build and extend friendships too.

A management structure would be in place to take the charity forward, implementing it’s goals. So as to benefit all ages our dad also hopes that it could, at school break times, provide poorer schools with a site to allow group holidays for their pupils under their own teacher leadership.

All monies raised would be kept in escrow, accounted for and strictly used for the charity purpose only. We will create a website to provide updates and elaborate on ongoing ideas.

Thank you for taking the time to read this,

Joe and Tom.