Respite and Retreat

03 August 2026 — lia-rogers

Whether respite means escaping the day-to-day, or spending quality time with those you love, there are organisations all over the UK ready to help you get away. 

It may be the summer holidays, but it doesn’t feel like that for everyone. If you’re feeling like a break is out of reach, Cancer Care Map lists a whole host of charities and organisations offering retreats for people with or recovering from cancer and their loved ones, as well as respite breaks for carers and bereaved families. 

All the charities mentioned in this blog will gratefully receive donations to continue their invaluable work, offering people going through the worst the opportunity to have the best time possible. 

If getting out in the wild is what you need, Odyssey Outdoor Cancer Recovery Course is a free 5-day outdoor experience for people living with or beyond cancer, helping to combat the psychological and emotional side effects – an opportunity to reconnect with nature, try new things, and regain confidence. Participants are guided by walk leaders and the programmes are tailored so everyone can participate comfortably. 

In the beautiful seaside town of Weymouth in Dorset, Matt’s Respite Retreats offers free 3 to 4 day breaks at a Haven site called Weymouth Bay Holiday Park. These breaks include free use of the facilities, including two pools and an adventure village. 

“My advice to others coping with cancer (and this includes their carers) is this: talk to others and accept help, don’t turn people away and be a martyr, it seriously helps to accept your situation.” – Matt

The 4 Cancer Group is a respite charity providing days out and short breaks for families affected by cancer. Bike 4 Cancer, Run 4 Cancer, Trek 4 Cancer, Ski 4 Cancer, Sail 4 Cancer – something for everyone who likes a bit of action and adventure on their holidays. 4 Cancer believes that just a day doing something different, being yourself and feeling ‘normal’ can be a huge confidence boost and leave you feeling revitalised. The 4 Cancer Group also has two respite holiday properties on the South Coast of England.

Hannah’s Holiday Home Appeal was set up in memory of Hannah who died at the age of ten from Hodgkin lymphoma. She raised £10,000 for Southampton General’s Children’s Cancer Ward with her family during her illness, and now the charity set up in her honour offers free retreats and short breaks in the New Forest to families affected by childhood cancer. All three homes are based in family holiday parks.

“What better way to honour such a wonderful young lady by setting up a charity in her memory to continue her wonderful legacy”

For those who have lost a child or are dealing with a terminal diagnosis, Alice’s Escapes is a charity offering family holidays for those with a terminally-ill child in receipt of SR1 / BASRiS and bereavement escapes for those who have lost a child of any age (from pregnancy to adulthood). Alice’s Escapes was inspired by Alice Pyne who died of cancer at 17. During her illness, she made a bucket list of all the things she wanted to do with the time she had left and raised over £100,000 to make sure other families could make the most of their time together. She received a Pride of Britain award and British Empire Medal alongside her sister in 2012. 

As you can see, a lot of these charities were set up by people who understand first hand how important it can be to get away from it all and spend quality time with loved ones.

For more ideas and opportunities, type your postcode into the Cancer Care Map homepage or try the keywords ‘respite’ ‘break’ or ‘holiday’.