Holiday Home - Cerebra

Holiday HomeVallecchiaRegistered Charity no. 1089812w w w . c e r e b r a . o r g . u k

Registered Charity no. 1089812w w w . c e r e b r a . o r g . u kVallecchiaVallecchia is a large four-bedroomdormer bungalow situated in Hook,Pembrokeshire. It is Cerebra’s firstholiday home.It has a large garden and a detached double garage, which is equipped as agames room.One bedroom, with en-suite facilities, is on the ground floor.Layout plans are available should you wish to review the space anddimensions of the rooms.How much does it cost?It is FREE to families who parent or care for a child (age 16 and under) who has abrain related condition.When is the holiday home available?The house is available all year round and qualifying families may book for one week.Applications can be made between January and June for the following year. Please ringus to check availability on 0800 328 1159.Where is the holiday home?It is located in the village of Hook in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales. Hook has a populationof just over 1,000 people. The full postal address is –VallecchiaPill RoadHookPembrokeshireSA62 4LXIs Pembrokeshire a good place to go for aholiday?Although Hook is not known as a tourist destination theproperty is within three-quarters of a mile of the beautifulCleddau estuary. It is also well placed to visit the morepopular holiday centres of Tenby (17 miles), St David’s (20miles), Oakwood theme park (14 miles) and Folly Farm (18miles).2

The towns of Haverfordwest (6 miles) Milford Haven (10 miles)and Pembroke (8 miles) are also within reasonable driving distance.What is there to do in Pembrokeshire?There are over sixty beaches listed at: www.visitpembrokeshire.com/beachesincluding the well-known resorts of Tenby and Saundersfoot. There arealso castles, for example at Pembroke, Carew and Manorbier.Pembrokeshire is also the only coastal national park in the UK and somesections of the coastal path have been improved for wheelchair users.There is a large theme park at Oakwood, and there are other populartourist locations at Folly Farm and Heatherton.Water-based activities like boating and fishing are also popular. Youmay like to visit the following web site for further information:www.holiday-pembrokeshire.co.ukWhat if it rains?You get wet! However, there are a number of things you can do in theproperty, such as: Games room, multi-sensory room with fibre optic lightsand a bubble column, books, games, TV, DVD’s & CD’s and an internet-readycomputer with touch-screen facilities.When it stops raining you can make use of the landscaped gardens, thebarbeque or the children’s paddling pool.There are a number of restaurants, pubs, cinemas and bowling alleys in the areaand we can provide further information on these if required.3

Registered Charity no. 1089812w w w . c e r e b r a . o r g . u kIs the house suitable for someone in a wheelchair?The property has a ramped entrance, to allow wheel-chair access, but theinternal doors are standard width. This means standard wheelchairs may bepushed through the doorways, but there is not sufficient room for individualsto self propel.A mobile hoist is available at Vallecchia, but you will need to bring your ownharness.Can Cerebra help with any other support?Yes, we can arrange a cleaner to visit the property to help with any domesticrequirements and we can also arrange for a nurse to help with care.Can we bring our pets?Sorry, no, this is because some of the users of the property may be allergic toanimal hair.Is smoking allowed?No.Where can I find more information about Pembrokeshire?The following are links to other websites that you may find of interest:Pembrokeshire Coast National Park www.pcnpa.org.ukPembrokeshire County Council www.pembrokeshire.gov.ukOakwood theme park www.oakwood-leisure.comFolly Farm www.folly-farm.co.ukWales Tourist Board www.visitwales.com4

How long can I stay?Due to the high level of demand and in an effort to be fair to all,we restrict bookings to a period of one week only. If your applicationis successful you can arrive after 3pm on Saturday and you must leaveby 11am on the following Saturday, to allow us to prepare it for the nextvisitor.Is Vallecchia located in a quiet area?Yes. The house itself is a detached property on Pill Road, that leads tothe estuary. There are detached houses either side of Vallecchia andproperties across a road. However the house backs on to farmland.Is food provided?No, but Vallecchia has a fully equipped modern kitchen. It has an eightringcooker with a double oven, a small microwave oven, a dishwasherand a fridge. Cutlery and crockery is also provided. There is a washingmachine and tumble drier.There is a small local supermarket 500 metres from the property; Tescosupermarkets in Haverfordwest, Milford Haven and Pembroke Dock;Morrison’s in Haverfordwest and an Asda store in Pembroke Dock.Tesco and Iceland deliver items bought from their website.Is bed linen provided?Yes.5

Registered Charity no. 1089812w w w . c e r e b r a . o r g . u kThe Games RoomWe have provided a number of games and activities that we hope you andyour children will enjoy. These include:»»Table tennis»»Table football»»A pool table»»Air hockey»»A variety of toys and games to play in- and outside»»A computer and broadband connection»»A range of CDs and DVDs»»A TV and DVD player»»A music system»»A toddler’s paddling poolWhat else is provided at Vallecchia?The property has a fully equipped kitchen with cooker, microwave oven and fridge.It also has a washing machine and tumble drier.There is a telephone at the property, which is free for reasonable UK use.We have a mobile hoist, but you will need to bring your own harness to fit.In the dining room, we provide a Breezi and Breezi Max chair. These are featured on thehomepage of the company that provides them. See: http://www.dcsjoncare.comThe house is fully furnished and can accommodate 8-10 guests.A safeguard bed is provided in the ground floor bedroom. For full details of this please visit www.wessexsleepcentre.com/safeguardbed.htmlWe have also installed CCTV cameras, which will allow you to monitor your child/ children, even if youare not in the same room.How do we get to Hook?There are several interactive maps on the Internet that will allow you to enter your start location andVallecchia’s (your destination) and they give you directions and an estimated time to complete thejourney (to which you should add plenty of time for breaks). For example:http://maps.google.co.uk and http://www.rac.co.uk/route-planner/6

How do I book?Please complete the booking form and return it to our offices. Werequire two references. One of which should be from a clinical source,(such as your GP or Occupational Therapist) and the other from aprofessional that works with your child (such as a social worker or teacher).Each reference should confirm your child’s condition and that a holidaywould be beneficial to your child.NB We cannot process your application without these references.As you can probably imagine, we have a great deal of interest fromfamilies wanting to use Vallecchia. To increase your chances of beingsuccessful, we ask that you give us as many options as possibleabout the possible timing of your visit. Should you need any help incompleting the booking form, please contact Cerebra’s Office on 0800328 1159.We will endeavour to manage the use of this property in as fair a way aspossible.What happens next?Weeks for the following year will be allocated at the beginning of Julyand you will hear if you are successful or not, by post, before the end ofJuly. If you are successful, we may need to ask you more questions tohelp ensure you and your family enjoy your stay.GOOD LUCK!Return forms to:Vallecchia ApplicationsCerebraSecond Floor, Lyric BuildingKing StreetCarmarthenSA31 1BDTel: 0800 328 1159Email: vallecchia@cerebra.org.uk7

CerebraFor Brain InjuredChildren & Young PeopleSecond Floor OfficesThe Lyric BuildingKing StreetCarmarthenSA31 1BDTelephone 01267 244200Fax 01267 244201Emailinfo@cerebra.org.ukWebsitewww.cerebra.org.ukRegistered Charity no. 1089812w w w . c e r e b r a . o r g . u k