Living with a rare disease or disability during the cost of living crisis can be challenging. We have put together a centralised resource hub where you can find relevant organisations that can assist with various aspects of life. On this page you can find organisations that offer help with leisure activities and equipment. Scroll down to see links that you will find useful or you can return to the cost of living page to navigate to other resources.

The Rough Guide to Accessible Britain via Motability - Get accessibility information for over 200 days out across the UK.

Euan’s Guide is a disabled access review website where disabled people, their families, friends and carers can find and share the accessibility of venues around the UK and beyond.

AccessAble have surveyed 10,000s of venues across the UK and Ireland, including shops, pubs, restaurants, cinemas, theatres, railway stations, hotels, colleges, universities, hospitals and more. You can use AccessAble to find wheelchair friendly venues or check out disabled access and facilities .

Bendrigg Trust - specialises in delivering a range of activity courses and breaks for disabled people. 

The CEA Card - is a national card scheme developed for UK cinemas by the UK Cinema Association (UKCA). The Card enables a disabled cinema guest to receive a complimentary ticket for someone to go with them when they visit a participating cinema. 

Autism-friendly cinema screenings - are sometimes called relaxed or sensory-friendly screenings. Adjustments are made to reduce stress and sensory input, such as low lighting and sound, freedom to move and staff trained in autism awareness.

Merlins Magic Wand - provides Magical Days Out to children who need them most. Their eligibility criteria includes children facing many types of adversity as well as those facing an illness or a disability.

National Trust - The Essential Companion card allows one or two carers or companions to visit a National Trust property with you, free of charge.

The Sandcastle Trust provides families affected by a rare genetic condition with opportunities for family fun and respite to help them build positive memories, strengthen their family relationships and improve emotional wellbeing and resilience. Support is delivered through four support programmes.

National Trust - want everyone to be able to access the places they care for across Wales. So, whether you’re looking to get closer to nature by exploring the countryside or want to soak up the beauty of a historical garden, they have multi-use trails at many of their places that are pushchair-friendly and perfect for wheelchair users and those with mobility aids. Top wheelchair and pushchair-friendly walks | National Trust. You can also find their access guide below.

Variety - day trips for children and young people who may otherwise not have the chance to go on a special outing.

Valley Daffodils - A fully inclusive charity for individuals with all disabilities and additional learning needs, and their families. Purely volunteer led, they offer a range of sessions and activities to meet the needs and promote the independence of both children and adults.

Cadw historic monuments - Disabled Person’s Membership allows a disabled person plus a companion to enter all Cadw staffed sites for free.

Dynamic - has a range of services that are available for children and young people, all require a referral/application and some services do have a waiting list for places. If you live in the Wrexham area you can find out more about eligibility and the services available via the link below.

Wellchild have listed some national organisations who provide grants for equipment, therapy and respite for children with disabilities in the UK. They have also included some other tips to help you get funding for the equipment or therapies that your child needs.

React – Rapid Effective Assistance for Children with potentially Terminal illness is a charity working to improve the quality of life for children with life-limiting illnesses living in financially disadvantaged households throughout the UK. React may supply a wide range of equipment from specialist wheelchairs, beds, baths and mobility aids, to essential everyday homecare items like pushchairs and domestic appliances. This may include educational equipment to ensure a child’s developmental needs are met; React Holidays at one of React’s mobile holiday homes; and, funeral expenses and memorial headstones.

The Genie’s Wish is a UK registered charity whose mission is to enhance the lives of people aged 0-40 years, living in England and Wales, who are suffering from a critical or terminal illness or living with a life-limiting medical condition. Their purpose is to bring respite and joy into the lives of our beneficiaries and their families, by providing them with a life-changing wish, experience, or ongoing opportunity. They also provide wish experiences, bespoke events, and activities for young carers, aged 5-16, in recognition of the bravery, kindness, and selflessness they display on a daily basis by caring for a family member.

When You Wish Upon a Star has a simple mission, to grant the Wishes of children living with a life threatening illness. Some children Wish to be a fairy princess or soldier for the day, meet celebrities or sporting heroes that range from the Red Arrows to Mary Berry and others Wish for a laptop to keep in contact with their friends and family whilst in hospital. One of their most popular Wishes remains the exciting opportunity to swim with dolphins and meet all their favourite characters in Disney World, Florida. In addition to their Wishes throughout the year, they also organise a number of days out and treats for the children like Harry Potter-themed trips on-board the beautiful Belmond Northern Belle train. Every December the charity also enables hundreds of children to swap hospital beds for sleigh rides transporting them away from appointments, treatments and injections to the winter wonderland of Lapland in Finland on board our Santa Express flights.

Make A Wish - empowering a child with the chance to choose a wish that's unique to them, when so much else has been decided for them because of their health needs. In doing so, a wish creates hope, happiness and memories for the whole family to cherish. If you want to find out whether your child is eligible follow the link below.

The Dream Factory - aim to do everything possible to grant a child’s dream, which could be to meet their favourite celebrity, their favourite sporting hero, live the lifestyle of a millionaire for the day, own a laptop, or the latest mobile phone. They could choose to take a magical trip to Lapland or Euro Disney or to be a princess for the day.

Willow believes that every moment should be precious and are dedicated to helping young adults take much needed time out from the reality of living with serious illness, creating magic moments that become lasting memories. From Special Treats, little boxes of joy, to Special Days at Home for all the family. From fun-packed Special Days Out to quiet Special Breaks away from it all; Willow offers the chance to meet heroes and legends or the opportunity to fulfil a lifelong dream. To be eligible for support from Willow, applicants must be:-

• Aged between 16 and 40 years old (inclusive)

• Receiving active treatment for a life threatening illness, or within 6 weeks of final treatment

• Receiving treatment/care for a degenerative or palliative illness

• A resident in the UK

• Have not received support from Willow previously (includes Special Days and Special Treats)

Rays of Sunshine is a national charity that brightens the lives of seriously ill young people and their families by granting wishes and providing ongoing support in hospital and within the community.

Time Away – sources self catering holiday accommodation and gifts it to families facing both emotional and financial difficulties following a child’s life changing diagnosis. Click on the link below to find out more information and to see if you’re eligible.

Calvert Lakes - provides adventure breaks and holidays for people with disabilities.

Caudwell Children run “FANTASTIC, FREE, FUN opportunities for children and young people with a disability”. You can find out more about their short breaks and see if your child is eligible via the link below. 

Family break grants from the Family Fund – Family Fund work with a selection of partners in the UK to offer family break grants to suit your family’s individual needs. These grants provide quality time for you, and your family, to enjoy together to make memories.

Holistic Thinking Holidays – award winning accessible accommodation providers. Holistic thinking holidays have a number of accessible holiday homes across the UK.

Accessible Holiday Escapes is a website created by a family living with disability who understand exactly how important it is to find accessible holiday accommodation. Their website says “Whether you are dreaming of escaping to the sun, enjoying a city mini-break, relaxing in a glamping lodge or tent, visiting a lively holiday park, enjoying your own space in a cottage or barn conversion, or even spending the night in a railway carriage; our wonderful collection of accessible accommodation has something for everyone!”.

The Thomas Centre - A holiday park, “for those who are affected by autism, epilepsy and other special needs. Providing holidays for families and groups like yours, on a dedicated 25 acre site in a safe & non-judgemental environment”.

If you need to find accessible destinations and places to stay, Tourism for all provides a handy search engine. 

Harry’s Pals offer respite breaks and counselling / therapy services that are right for families to help them to take time out to re-energise, refocus and relax. Having something to look forward to can make all of the difference when you are really in the thick of it all.

The 3H Foundation awards grants to people with disabilities and carers, on low income and in receipt of a means tested benefit, to help them to organise a break for themselves in the UK.

NEWCIS have a number of different break options to suit your individual needs, with help to secure funding, depending on your circumstances. Lottery funded breaks including Caravan, B&B and cottage breaks – suitable for families. Eligibility applies. You can contact them with your enquiry. They also have a Prestatyn holiday home – a self catering 3 night break (mid-week or weekend) for up to 4 people (carer and cared for).

The Estuary Riverside Chalets are award winning luxury self catering holiday accommodation located on the outskirts of the village of Hambleton in Lancashire. The stunning accommodation is suitable for everyone and modern properties offer bungalow living with a difference. Designed and built with accessibility in mind, it allows them to cater to guests’ needs.

The Bluebells in Hampshire – by The Sebastians Action Trust - is a purpose built facility, offering accessible breaks exclusively to the families of seriously-ill children, and where possible, to those who are recently bereaved.

In addition to short-stay breaks, the Trust offer half day and full day visits. Their aim is to provide privacy, space and exclusivity to guests.

The Bluebells has two large apartments which can comfortably accommodate a maximum of 8 people and has a wide range of on-site facilities. There is a hydrotherapy pool, music room, sensory room, arts and crafts space, a cinema room, and extensive grounds which include a wildflower meadow, mini golf course, play area, outside seating and a beautiful garden of reflection. Breaks are offered all year round to families from across the UK.

If you’re looking for charitable funding, grant giving or wish granting organisations, Together for short lives have put together a family fact sheet which offers advice on sources of charitable funding and other forms of support from grant-giving and wish-granting organisations.

Please do share any useful websites or support organisations focusing on cost of living so we can add them to the resources. Your support is very much appreciated.