The kitchen team at the Revitalise Sandpipers Respite Holidays Centre in Southport have shown amazing kindness by donating all their surplus food to Southport Soup Kitchen after the facility closed its doors for the last time.
Staff and volunteers at Sandpipers, on the edge of the Marine Lake, said farewell on the last day on Friday (29th November 2024) after more than half a century providing much-needed respite breaks for people with disabilities and their carers.
The following day, the Sandpipers team headed over to Southport Kitchen with a very welcome delivery.
A spokesperson for Southport Soup Kitchen said: “We would like to say a very special, humongous thank you to the staff of Sandpipers Revitalise Southport who visited us on Saturday (30th November 2024).
“Sandpipers closed its doors for the last time on Friday, after decades providing respite care and wonderful holiday memories for individuals with complex disabilities, supported by an incredible team of staff and volunteers.
“Aggie, who ran the kitchen at Sandpipers, organised to donate all the remaining groceries that they had left, to help us make up food parcels for our guests at Southport Soup Kitchen.
“Together with Cara and Karolina, she brought in a huge selection of groceries, donated on behalf of all the staff and volunteers at Sandpipers.
“At a time of such sadness, we were absolutely blown away by this thoughtful gesture.
“An act of kindness that truly embodies the spirit of our amazing local community.
“We can’t thank you enough.”
The Revitalise Sandpipers Respite Holidays Centre in Southport was put up for sale even before the doors closed, and just weeks after its closure was announced.
Revitalise Respite Holidays had been operating for more than 50 years.
Revitalise announced in October that the centre would be closing this month.
The two acre site is already on the market with Christie & Co with ‘offers invited’.
Christie & Co describes the site as a ‘34 Bed Respite Care with Holiday Use (C2); Waterside Location; All ensuite wet rooms; Development Potential’.
Planning consent was granted in 2022 by Sefton Council to increase the capacity of Sandpipers to 50 bedrooms.
Hundreds 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 in October, has been signed by nearly 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.”
Based in central Southport Soup Kitchen provides hot meals and support for those in need in the local area.
For more details on how you can support them please visit: southportsoupkitchen.net
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