Urdd fund provides summer holidays for disadvantaged children

Stephen Price

This World Children’s Day, the Urdd is appealing to individuals, companies, and groups across Wales to help support its summer holiday campaign. 

With recent research showing that 28% of Welsh children now live in poverty, Urdd Gobaith Cymru, Wales’ largest youth organisation, aims to support some of the most deprived Welsh children and young people to experience a holiday in 2024. 

The Urdd’s Fund for All was established to offer a holiday to children and young people living in poverty or under difficult circumstances, and since 2019 the scheme has sponsored hundreds of youngsters’ summer holidays at the Urdd’s residential centres. 

To build on this success, the organisation has decided to increase its target for 2024 after receiving a record number of applications in 2023.

Cost of living impact

Successful recipients of the Fund for All scheme are able to experience a holiday at one of the Urdd’s Residential Centres – either in Glan-llyn near Y Bala, Llangrannog in Ceredigion, Pentre Ifan in Pembrokeshire, or Cardiff Bay.

Sabrina, a parent from Haverfordwest said: “Without the Fund for All, my daughter definitely wouldn’t have been able to go on holiday. The staff were amazing with her, from helping her settle in to boosting her confidence. She’s happier, has confidence and can’t stop talking about her experience at camp. In her words, she’s had the best experience of her life.”

Siân Lewis, Chief Executive of the Urdd, said: “The cost-of-living crisis is not only putting a financial strain on families, but also affecting the emotional health and physical activity of children and young people.”

She continued: “We have more than doubled our target for 2024 to offer holidays to 250 children and young people who might not otherwise get to enjoy a summer holiday. As a national youth organisation, we are constantly looking for ways to ensure that a family’s financial situation does not mean a child has to missing out on opportunities.”

Parents or schools are able to apply for a holiday on behalf of a child when applications to the fund open in early 2024.