Benjamin Foundation set to benefit from holiday park partnership

Staff from Holiday Park of the Year, Kelling Heath, near Holt and its sister park Woodhill near Cromer, will support the charity through a variety of fundraising events and activities and they hope to raise £10,000 by the end of 2014.

Chris Elliott, Marketing and Fundraising Manager at The Benjamin Foundation said:

“We’re very grateful to everyone at Kelling Heath and Woodhill Park for choosing to support our charity and are looking forward to working with them in the coming year.

“Funds raised by the parks will help us to continue supporting children, families and young people across Norfolk. The chance to raise awareness of the work we do among the park’s thousands of customers is also very exciting.”

The partnership will be officially launched at the Friends of Kelling Heath dinner at the park on 21 March, followed by an announcement to holiday home owners at a fundraising dinner the following evening [22 March]. Mark Durrant, Operations Manager at Kelling, said:

“We are very proud to be supporting such a fantastic local charity and pleased that any funds we raise will help continue its valuable work. The Benjamin Foundation’s ethos relates closely to our core business of providing entertainment and facilities for families to enjoy and supporting the local community.

“We asked staff to decide on the charity we would work with this year and The Benjamin Foundation was a clear favourite. Employee development and morale is crucial for us and we hope that staff will benefit from the partnership by embracing the opportunity to unite behind a common cause.”

Kelling Heath staff will be supporting The Benjamin Foundation’s fundraising events this year as well as raising money through activities of their own. It is also hoped that young people using The Benjamin Foundation’s services will benefit from using the facilities on offer at Kelling Heath throughout the year.

About The Benjamin Foundation
The Benjamin Foundation works with children, young people, families and individuals across Norfolk delivering services that provide hope, opportunity, stability and independence. The services include:

  • housing solutions for young homeless people or those leaving care
  • resettlement services for rough sleepers and those in crisis
  • one-to-one support for children in schools
  • positive activities for young people with limited opportunities
  • support for parents and families in difficulty
  • high quality childcare and kids clubs
  • services in local communities such as youth clubs, drop-in centres and counselling services, community cafes and re-sale shops, special needs groups and rural outreach.

Here is more detail:

  • Supported accommodation schemes in North Walsham, Fakenham, Kings Lynn, Great Yarmouth and Thetford. They provide support and a safe place to live for vulnerable 16–25 year olds with no home, helping them to get their lives back on track.
  • The Heart & Home Supported Lodgings service offers an alternative for homeless young people who may benefit more from living in a family home.
  • A residential facility for young people with learning difficulties in King’s Lynn helping them to develop independent living skills.
  • Based in King’s Lynn, The Hub provides emergency housing for 16 and 17 year olds with nowhere else to go.
  • Parent Support Advisors work with families in crisis: helping them repair damaged relationships and create a happier family unit.
  • Meet Up in Thetford provides a safe, supportive and stimulating place to meet, for children who could otherwise feel lonely, isolated and ‘left-behind’.
  • Time for You offers one-to-one support for children, helping them to make sense of confusing and upsetting situations.
  • Kidzone at North Walsham Junior School and Hoveton St Johns Primary School, Town Tots Pre-School at North Walsham, Ditchingham Day Nursery and Hoveton & Wroxham Pre-School offer parents a great range of quality, affordable nursery and wrap-around childcare enabling them to return to work with the reassurance that their children are in safe, nurturing hands.
  • The charity’s children’s home in Great Yarmouth – The Boat House – provides a safe, nurturing, family-type environment for eight 11 to 16 year olds who need to be looked after.
  • Copperfield School is a small, independent school for 11-16 year olds who are experiencing challenging situations and need time out in a smaller school environment. Children living at The Boat House may spend time at Copperfield School if appropriate.
  • The Benjamin Foundation operates two social enterprise schemes, the profits from which help fund all the other work of the charity. Restore has branches in Holt, Dereham and Norwich selling pre-loved furniture and electrical goods. Kidstore, in North Walsham sells nearly new kids clothing, baby equipment and toys. The Benjamin Foundation is difficult to sum up in one sentence. But everything it delivers is driven by the needs of people in Norfolk.