ROOKHOW 

LAKE DISTRICT group accommodation & woodland

SUBSIDISED STAYS FOR COMMUNITY GROUPS


next round deadline

1st APRIL 2025



ROOKHOW RETREAT AWAY FUND

Rookhow is a registered charity. By staying here you will help to support our charitable work. We give 5% of every booking to our Retreat Away Fund to enable community groups to stay at Rookhow for a reduced cost. We also provide groups with support to find other charitable funding to stay with us.

"Beautiful stay for all the group. Lots of walks in the grounds, searching for the Gruffalo and bears. We sat in the yurt for bedtime stories and ate smores. We played family games, card games and enjoyed magic tricks! The families had the opportunity to connect with each other and find some space to breathe. Thank you from all of us!" Family Action Barrow- Mums Minds Matter

"We wish to express sincere thanks to the Quaker Mental Health Fund for making this possible. The facility was perfect and enabled our residents to take time out from their extremely busy routine. Together we are stronger - this is a great example of partnership working to help our communities." The Well Communities

"We are in deep appreciation about being able to run some of our wellbeing days for our young people at Rookhow. Rookhow in itself is a place where healing takes place effortlessly due to its beautiful setting and its atmosphere.”

Rookhow was initially granted £10,000 from the Quaker Mental Health fund UK to subsidise stays for mental health groups. This was so successful that Rookhow trustees have decided to donate at least 5% of their booking income to enable more charitable groups to stay at Rookhow and local Quaker Meetings and individuals have helped to continue the fund.

Contact us to find out more or click below to donate to the Retreat Away Fund.

"You provided a safe place to come together and to team build and to look at how we move forward with our services for people affected by abuse in Cumbria. Thank you." (Safety Net) 

GROUPS WHICH HAVE BENEFITTED SO FAR


Always Another Way- LGBTQ+ youth group Whitehaven

Anti-Racist Cumbria- youth group

Autus Cumbria- support for young autistic people in Cumbria

CADAS (Cumbria Alcohol & Drug Advisory Service)

Cancer Care Refresh- peer support group young people

Cannock Chase Welcomes Refugees

Creative Recovery- therapeutic work with people with drug & alcohol dependency

Drop Zone Youth Projects- Barrow

Family Action Barrow

Furness Multi-cultural forum- refugee support

Global Link- refugees living in a hotel in Morecambe

Good Things Collective- creative cooperative in Morecambe

Home 2 Work- support and skill building for long term unemployed in Cleator Moor

KEY youth project, Milnthorpe

Lakes Malayalee Association- families from Kerala living in Barrow

Lancashire Youth Challenge

Lighthouse Community Mental Health Hub

Love Barrow Families

Marsh Community Centre- young group, Lancaster

Mind over Mountains

Morecambe Bay Academy- targeted support for pupils with mental health issues

Mosaic Outdoorsencouraging BAME groups into outdoor volunteering

Newbridge Learning Community, Wigan

PANAH Women’s refugees (North Cumbria)

Penrith & Eden Refugee Support- training mentor refugees

PiNC (Pride in North Cumbria)- support for LGBTQ+ young people

Project 6- support for people affected by substance misuse in Yorkshire

Safe Passage Young leaders- UK-wide young refugee & asylum seeker leaders & campaigners

Safety Net- therapeutic work for people dealing with trauma

Sanctuary Cookalongs- sharing cooking refugees from Preston 

Scouts Carlisle (123rd group)- scouts and young explorer leaders

Silloth Scouts

Springfield Domestic Abuse Support- supporting women dealing with domestic abuse trauma

The Deen Centre- female BAME led community organisation helping women & children in Pendle

Transpiration Wellbeing- support for trans young adults

Vision for Adventure- adventure activities for people with visual impairments

Vulture Clubdrug and alcohol addiction recovery

Wave Forward (formerly Well Minds)- support for young people with mental health problems

We Be Kids- families group and adults group (Pendle)

Well Communities- support for people with alcohol and drug dependencies

Whitehaven Harbour Youth Project

Wise Up Workshops- creative activities for young people, Morecambe

Women's Community Matters- Barrow

Worldies Official CIC- encouraging marginalised women into the outdoors


Participants from CGL (Change Grow Live, St. Helens) talk about their stay at Rookhow and what it meant for them.

CHARITABLE FUNDING

Rookhow is grateful to the following grant making trusts for supporting Rookhow's development:

Centrica's Energy for Tomorrow scheme and Baywind Energy Community Trust for improvements to the Bunkbarn's efficiency. 

William A. Cadbury Trust, Sir James Reckitt CharityHadfield TrustFrieda Scott TrustSouthall Trust, Cumbria Community Foundation, Henry and Christine Armitage Burtt TrustSwarthmoor Area MeetingBYM Meeting Houses Fund and an anonymous donor for improvements to the Bunkbarn.

Hadfield Trust , Dulverton Trust Fund (through Cumbria Community Foundation) and Frieda Scott Trust for contributing to the restoration of the Friends Community Room and kitchen

Sawell Family Fund (national Quaker charity) for measured drawings and surveys & The BYM Meeting Houses Fund for initial restoration work.

Colton Parish Council for funding the commissioning of a new wooden carved sign for Rookhow by 2 local young woodcrafters, Kez and Jack and for the tarpaulin.

Rusland Valley Community Trust for contributing to paying for our bat survey and the tarpaulin for groups to use in the woods.

The Inlight Trust for initial funding towards the bat survey, French drain, new Bunkbarn kitchen and for our ongoing development work.

Cumbria Community Foundation (CCF) Covid-19 Response Fund for the weekly online Zoom cafe during the Covid pandemic.

Eric Wright Charitable Trust & Crofton Trust (through CCF) which donated some money towards the renovation of our yurt.

Quaker Mental Health Fund UK for helping set up the Rookhow Retreat Away Fund.

Roselands Trust Fund (through CCF) for a grant towards making the Meeting House accessible to community groups.

Historic England Emergency Heritage at Risk Covid response fund for renovations to the Meeting House floor and chimney rebuild.

Southall Trust for a contribution to accessibility and outdoor provision and for the Bunkbarn renovations. 

All Churches Trust, Lakeland Disability Support and Beatrice Laing Trust towards installing an accessible toilet and ambulant shower in the Meeting House and make the entrance and access in the building more accessible.

Lake District Foundation and Baywind Energy Community Trust for the hemp loft insulation and air source heat pump.