It had always been a dream of the charity that one day a home from home could be made available, free of charge, to families who have a child living with a life-limiting illness of have suffered a recent bereavement. After a huge fundraising drive by the charity and our loyal supporters Sophie’s Appeal purchased a static home at Rockley Park, Poole and made that dream a reality.
Sophie’s Rainbow Retreat was opened on 3rd March 2019, a special day for Lin and Mike as it would have been their daughter’s 21st birthday - a fitting tribute for such an inspirational young girl. Rainbow Retreat is a 6-berth caravan based at Rockley Park, Poole and is not far from Poole Hospital, should families need it, whilst staying at the retreat. Rockley has an indoor and outdoor pool, crazy golf, amusement park, restaurants, take-away facilities, entertainment, shops and access to the nearby beach.
The Rainbow Retreat logo has been taken from Sophie’s handprint, which she had stamped onto a tile. This image was transferred and used as a template to create the colourful helping hand logo, allowing Sophie to forever be remembered for what she started and continues to inspire.
If you would like to book a free respite holiday at the Rainbow Retreat, please fill out the online request form by emailing rainbowretreat@sophiesappeal.org. On receiving a Request Form eligibility will be checked and the Rainbow Retreat Manager will make contact ASAP with the outcome…
Our Rainbow Retreat Manager Kelly Griffiths - I first came across Sophie’s Appeal when I was invited to their Summer Ball. They really stood out to me as a fabulous charity because they made sure everything went directly to the cause. I offered to help at various events and become a trustee in 2017. I loved volunteering my time to help support children and their families.
Sophie’s Appeal major goal was to fund a retreat facility where families could be offered a free holiday if they had a child with a life-limiting illness or recently bereaved. That goal became a reality in 2018 when Sophie’s Appeal purchased a caravan at Rockley Park, Poole and that’s when my role changed. Someone was needed to manage the retreat and I was offered the contract. My organisation skills, being creative and my absolute joy that we can help so many families is what drives me to do my absolute best.
To help fundraise download the Sophie Barringer Trust Information Booklet…
