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Wall of Love

Read heartfelt stories from unpaid carers who found comfort and support following their break.

Rebekah avatar
Rebekah
I was able to have some quality time with my partner, which doesn't happen often. I felt able to take some time to take some time to not worry about everything and relax in a way that I haven't in longer than I can remember.
Aug 12, 2026
Kerry avatar
Kerry
Having respite is always important, as I cannot remain at a consistently high level of alert and demand before feeling on the verge of a breakdown. Lack of sleep is an issue too, so it’s important to be able to get a full night without being interrupted whenever possible. The hotel was lovely, and the pool and spa area were a bonus!
May 23, 2026
Danielle avatar
Danielle
I booked a Carefree break for myself and one of my children. Lots of my time is taken up caring for my other son, that I feel my youngest often misses out. The Carefree break was an opportunity to take my son away for some one-on-one time and fun together. We had an amazing time at the hotel, all the staff were super friendly :) Our highlight was the super relaxing swimming pool, with jacuzzi and sauna room...super relaxing. The food at the hotel was also delicious. We also got a free upgrade to a lovely, huge king room, which was a really lovely gesture ;)
Jan 26, 2026
Lisa avatar
Lisa
I care for my daughter, who is autistic, she self harms and attempts suicide and this makes life extremely stressful. To be able to have a couple of days to myself was truly needed and most appreciated. We stayed at The Chesford Hotel. Our room was amazing, the food was lovely and the staff were very welcoming and friendly. A really lovely place and I am very grateful for their hospitality. I would love to go back and will be recommending them to anyone looking for a spa break. This break was so important to give me a chance to re charge so I can help and support my daughter on her very difficult life journey. Thank you to all at Carefee and The Chesford Hotel , I appreciate everything you do to give carers such a lovely break from their every day hard work ✨
Sep 30, 2025
Emilia avatar
Emilia
Hotel was amazing 👏 well-deserved break from day-to-day life and having time for myself improved my mental health, as well as cleared my head. Thank you
Sep 15, 2025
Kerry avatar
Kerry
It was so lovely to escape the what can be a rather gruelling routine with my daughter. The lack of sleep and physical and mental drain of caring can really start to take its toll and affect one’s ability to care and meet the needs of the looked after person. Escaping the area and do normal and simple things, such as shopping, having a swim and just sleeping, is worth its weight in gold! The hotel was very nice and accommodating, a lovely breakfast was on offer and I really enjoyed using the facilities on offer! Thank you!
May 28, 2025
Carmen avatar
Carmen
Due to caring for my son, we cannot afford a break from him normally, we prioritise holidaying as a family. This Carefree break is so important for us, the parents, to spend some time as a couple and spend the quality time together. We really appreciate the work this charity dow for carers and we are so thankful to the hotels that provide the rooms. Village Hotels Farnborough is a great place if you want to be quite near to lots of walks. The hotel itself has a pool, sauna, steam room and gym. We did not know we are able to access it so did not go prepared for it. We took this opportunity to go cycling in the countryside on 22 cycle route.
May 13, 2025
Adrienn avatar
Adrienn
Thank you so much for this weekend break. It was just nice to spend some time together with my husband and reflect on the last year caring for our autistic son and our two other children. This break allowed us to really relax and talk a lot about our youngest son without him being there. To have a responsibility lifted from us for a short period of time enabled us to reflect on where we come from and where we're going next. We had lots of fun and fully enjoyed this break.
Mar 15, 2025
Lindsey avatar
Lindsey
I've had the most amazing break. I chose London at Christmas to see the lights and grabbed some cheap theatre tickets. The hotel was everything you could wish for, the staff was really friendly, and helpful, and the food was delicious. I've never been away from my kids, but my eldest daughter insisted and was able to take on caring duties. I am so grateful I was able to have this experience and would like to thank you all for making it happen.❤️
Dec 18, 2024
Danielle avatar
Danielle
It was lovely to take some time out for myself, the hotel was very nice and felt very luxurious.
Nov 19, 2024
Bella-Elena avatar
Bella-Elena
My husband and I only have time by ourselves as adults without our son, when we go on our Carefree breaks. And for that we are truly grateful. The breaks take that bit more off our shoulders in financial terms as often the hotel and breakfast are included so we have to worry only about finding suitable babysitting and putting aside some money for our break away. This year we went to Thaxted and stayed at the The Swan. Although Thaxted is quite a small town and the hotel room we stayed at was above the pub we actually did manage to relax and the noise from the pub didn’t get through. So whilst we didn’t do anything fancy, we had such a tranquil time, necessary to restore our physical bodies without someone constantly asking something from us. The staff at The Swan were absolutely fantastic, we could not fault them. And though there wasn’t lots to do around Thaxted, it felt like all the people we met were so welcoming and friendly, smiling and saying hi. It just really lifted our spirits and our morale and we came back home feeling refreshed in our minds, body, and spirit. A huge thank you for making this possible for us.
Oct 2, 2024
Tracey avatar
Tracey
I had a great break at St Giles Hotel London. The staff were so friendly and quick to help with any requests we made. I was free from being just mum and carer. The break reminded me I have my own identity. I can't wait to go back. Thank you so much.
Sep 25, 2024
Jody avatar
Jody
I went away with my teenage daughter who helps care for my daughter - it was great to have some time just us !
Sep 16, 2024
Lisa avatar
Lisa
I can’t express how grateful I am to have had such a lovely, relaxing break. The hotel was really lovely, with fantastic grounds, a great hearty breakfast, a fabulous room, and a swimming pool. Three days and two nights to myself almost never happens, and having that time and freedom was invaluable. Thank you so much to everyone! I loved every minute of my break.
Aug 3, 2024
Lucy avatar
Lucy
I just came back from a Carefree break in London with my husband. We picked London because it's a special place for us both, and there is so much to see and do. We chose Saturday night as it is easier for us to arrange childcare. The hotel was the Hilton Excel, and when we arrived, we were greeted with warm cookies, had our room upgraded, and received complimentary parking for our stay. The hotel was lovely, and all the staff were extremely welcoming. Those little touches really made our weekend. It was nice to get away and relax, and I will certainly be doing it again when the opportunity arises. Thank you to Carefree for making it happen for us.
Jun 10, 2024
Adrienn
Video transcript: Hello, carefree. Thank you so much for this opportunity that we could go away with my husband and spend a couple of days away from our carers responsibility. We absolutely loved it. We went to Stratford Manor. The staff was very kind and caring, and the facilities were amazing. And we had a lot of time to chat about our little son and things we tried and things we should have done better, or what we can try out, like, for example, teaching him how to cycle and how we're going to do that. And we were able to talk about whether it's. Whether we should employ someone, a speech and language therapist, to help him. And we just generally could relax and feel like, be able to sleep a bit longer and have walks and didn't have that constant 24 hours responsibility on our shoulder to take care of him for that couple of days. But this time made a massive difference in our life. And I'm very, very grateful for both the hotel and both you for providing this opportunity. And I could suggest to all other parents, if they get the chance, to try this out, it's very much a wonderful experience and it will help you as a carer, to step away from it for a tiny bit of time and help you to evaluate your goals and how you're going to achieve them, how you're going to teach your child for whatever needs they have. Thank you. Bye.
Charlene avatar
Charlene
I can't even tell you how much this break meant to me. I would not have been in a position to have this break without Carefree. I'm so grateful and appreciative. The experience was just beyond anything I could have dreamed of. Some time to rest and reset. I felt so much happier and I don't remember the last time I was able to have a lay in! Thank you for everything. Thank you for making the process so easy and offering this service to carers x
Apr 17, 2024
Carmen
Video transcript: Hello, this is Carmen. I just wanted to say thank you for the break we had away. We had two nights in London, a courtesy of Carefree and St. Giles Hotel in London. We had a wonderful break. First time after a very long time. We've only me and my husband been married twelve years. This is only the second time we are away without the children since. So this was wonderful. It gives us a chance to sort of be together, sort of concentrate on ourselves rather than the children. The children were happy, cared for by the family and we're thankful for them, for also helping us. And, yeah, we have two days. Room was really good. Position of the hotels are wonderful. We were able to just go and have a meal and just enjoy ourselves. Thank you.
Natasha avatar
Natasha
Please continue offering your service to people like myself that deserve time out!
Apr 2, 2024
Jo avatar
Jo
Having some adult time and not having to constantly be listening out for my child was bliss. Thank you.
Nov 22, 2023