News

Followers of Sebastian's Action Trust will know that we have been working towards building a unique holiday respite house for the last six years. The house will give children with life-limiting or life-threatening illness the opportunity to enjoy precious moments with their families in a purpose-built facility that can cater for their special needs.

A beautiful site in the picturesque Hampshire village of North Waltham was gifted to the Trust by an extremely generous benefactor and planning permission was finally granted in September 2008, subject to the discharge of 17 pre-commencement conditions and a section 106 agreement which restricted the land to charitable usage.

Over the last 14 months our legal and planning partners have been working to overcome these formalities and we are delighted to announce that we are now in a position to proceed with construction. We are about to go to tender for building this wonderful facility, which will be the first of its kind in the UK and we are now planning for a celebratory groundbreaking ceremony on the 18th February 2010 - which would have been Sebastian’s 16th birthday.

Trust Director, Jane Gates said: “The last six years have been full of many highs and a few lows; we are all eagerly awaiting the final realisation of this special wish.”

Once built, the house will enable at least 100 families each year to enjoy a holiday in our exclusive resort, which will offer self-catering accommodation in one of two spacious four-bedroom apartments, with plenty of on-site leisure facilities including an indoor pool, games room, home cinema, music room sensory room and wet play area. Outdoors, the two acre site will boast outdoor seating for al fresco dining, a host of play facilities and even a secret meadow for adventurous escapades. Sebastian’s last wish, to create something special that will benefit other children facing an uncertain future, is finally becoming a reality.”