ROOKHOW
LAKE DISTRICT group accommodation & woodland
SUBSIDISED STAYS FOR COMMUNITY GROUPS
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.
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 Outdoors- encouraging 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 Club- drug 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 Charity, Hadfield Trust, Frieda Scott Trust, Southall Trust, Cumbria Community Foundation, Henry and Christine Armitage Burtt Trust, Swarthmoor Area Meeting, BYM 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 & further funding for the installation of a hearing loop in 2025.
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.
