Calls are being made to open a new respite care holiday centre in Southport after the shock closure of the Sandpipers Centre last year.
Revitalise Respite Holidays, which provided breaks for disabled people and their carers at the Sandpipers Centre in Southport for nearly 40 years, completed the closure on 25th November 2024.
The retreat, which was opened by the then Prince Charles in 1988, offered guests a wide range of activities and entertainment as well as a hydrotherapy pool with views across Marine Lake.
It was a devastating blow to disabled people, their families, and carers across the UK who previously travelled to Southport for much-needed respite holidays.
The two acre site was quickly placed on the market with Christie & Co with ‘offers invited’.
At a full Sefton Council meeting at Bootle Town Hall next Thursday (16th January 2025), Southport councillor Mike Sammon will call for a new respite centre to be created in Southport.
He will put forward a motion, saying: “The closure of Revitalise Sandpipers in Southport is a huge loss to the community and a devastating blow to people living with disabilities and their carers who relied on it.
“The highly skilled staff and dedicated volunteers who kept Sandpipers running for decades will be greatly missed. It was one of two such facilities in the UK run by Revitalise, the closure of the charity now puts into question the future of respite care in the UK.
“The Council notes that: Respite care is an essential service. It is vital that people living with disabilities and their carers can enjoy a holiday in a safe and relaxing environment to help take the pressure off everyday life.
“Respite care cannot end with the closure of the Revitalise charity. It is regrettable that the closure of Sandpipers and Revitalise happened so suddenly and was unable to be prevented.”
Cllr Sammon will ask councillors to agree for Sefton Council to write to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care requesting that the Government preserves the future of respite care by looking to establish a new respite care holiday centre in Southport.
He also wants the council to publicly thank everyone who worked and volunteered at the Revitalise Sandpipers venue and to offer them support to find new jobs and volunteering opportunities, if required.
Since the closure, thousands of people have signed a petition launched by Laura Hancox campaigning to save Revitalise Respite Holidays’ Southport location on Change.org
The petition,which was shared through Stand Up For Southport last October, has been signed by over 5,000 people.
Laura Hancox, who started the petition, writes: “For myself and countless others living with disabilities, Revitalise Respite Holidays has been nothing short of a lifeline for the past 60 years. This charity provides invaluable respite and short breaks to those of us who desperately need them.”
In a statement last autumn, Revitalise Respite Holidays said: “It is with great sadness that Revitalise Respite Holidays must announce that the difficult decision has been made to close the charity. Despite every effort to ensure the charity’s survival, the financial challenges we face have become insurmountable.
“Revitalise would like to thank all of our guests for their loyal support throughout the charity’s 60 years of operation. To our dedicated staff, volunteers, donors, and supporters, we extend our deepest gratitude for your unparalleled efforts and passion for Revitalise’s mission. Your contributions have made a tangible difference in helping provide vital respite for disabled people and their carers.
“We are deeply sorry that as the UK’s last remaining provider of holidays with 24-hour care for people with complex disabilities, the breaks we provide will now be beyond reach for the majority of our guests.
“It remains our lasting hope that policy makers take heed of the critical state of affairs in the social care sector and ensure that respite is properly funded.”
The Sandpipers Centre is now on sale with estate agents Christie.
They say the site has ‘redevelopment potential for alternative uses’ including residential.
Close to where the new £73 million Marine Lake Events Centre and the new Light Fantastic feature in the Marine Lake are currently being built, it is in a prime location for investors and is sure to be snapped up quickly.
Christie & Co describes the site as a ‘34 Bed Respite Care with Holiday Use (C2); Waterside Location; All ensuite wet rooms; Development Potential’.
In their sales brief they highlight its “beautiful waterside location with panoramic views overlooking Marine Lake and within close proximity of the beach and promenade”.
Planning consent was granted in 2022 by Sefton Council to increase the capacity of Sandpipers to 50 bedrooms.
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