In Need of a Getaway

Has anyone ever asked you what your childhood was like?

If they have, what probably comes to mind isn’t the toys you had or even the school days you endured. It might be the rainy camping trip to Devon, taking it in turns to bat water off the tent roof. The cheese sandwiches that somehow tasted better after a long day on a cobbled, windy beach in Brighton. The woodland walk in Epping where you got lost and joked that you probably live among the squirrels now.

These moments shape childhood. They build confidence, spark imagination, and create the stories families tell for years to come.

But for many families in Milton Keynes, those experiences can feel a world away.

Families living in poverty often face challenges that stretch far beyond simply struggling to pay rent or put food on the table. The stress of making ends meet can affect mental health, relationships, and family wellbeing. School holidays, which should be a time of excitement and adventure, can instead bring real anxiety to whole families as loneliness, hunger, and isolation compound poverty's impact, and the mental health gap between children from low- and higher-income households widens.

Yet research shows that holiday experiences play an important role in children's wellbeing and development, making their absence another way that poverty can shape a child's future.

For families living with sustained financial pressure, a break can provide something that day-to-day support cannot: uninterrupted time together, relief from chronic stress, and positive experiences that build resilience after the holiday has ended.

That's why The Getaway Foundation, supported by an £8,200 grant from MK Community Foundation — our third year of funding the charity — is helping local families enjoy a break away together.

The need continues to be identified through The Getaway Foundation's partnership with Milton Keynes City Council Family Support Services and Family Centres. Family support workers have identified a significant number of families with young children who had never experienced a holiday together, and in some cases had never had a holiday at all. Through referrals from these services, The Getaway Foundation ensures support reaches those who need it most.

The Getaway Foundation has worked alongside local authorities across the region, with follow-up research consistently demonstrating lasting benefits for the families they’ve supported.

"The Foundation treated us with dignity and kindness. We felt valued. Not like charity cases— like a normal family on a holiday." — TGAF family, MK

"We have never done anything like this as a family. I did not know how much we needed it. We laughed more in three days than we have in years." — TGAF family, MK

The holidays remove every financial barrier. Accommodation, travel, meals, and activities are all covered, meaning families can focus on spending time together, rather than worrying about the cost.

For children, that might mean trying something new, exploring somewhere unfamiliar or simply enjoying time with their family. For parents, it offers a chance to step away from the daily stress of making ends meet and reconnect with the people who matter most.

The impact lasts far beyond the holiday itself. The Getaway Foundation's follow-up research found that 96% of families reported improved well-being a whole year after their break, while 83% of families experiencing mental health challenges reported lasting improvements.

For families facing the pressures of poverty, a holiday isn't a luxury. It's an opportunity to rest, reconnect and create the memories every child deserves to carry with them into adulthood.

"My kids have been talking non-stop since I told them. They have never seen the sea before. For the first time in a long time, I feel like a good mum." — TGAF family, Buckinghamshire

Read about the impact of the Getaway Foundation's programme.