A Message from Nigel

Following great consideration Julie and I have decided to step back from the charity we founded, Ellie’s Haven Cornwall.

Over the past 13 years Ellie’s Haven has developed into a much respected charity helping many families with children with special needs from Devon and Cornwall and beyond by providing holiday accommodation and a sensory studio day centre.

From the point of inception in 2007 to the present day, the support we have received was beyond our wildest dreams or even expectations and to this day we are still shocked at how people consider us to benefit from their kindness. We have been able to meet some fantastic people with many becoming friends as they wanted to make our dream come true.

To try and pick out standout moments is almost impossible, given all the generosity and kindness and loyalty that people we know or even complete strangers have showed us. If I was to pick out one moment it would have to be the day we opened the Haven on the 26th September, 2015. We had achieved our goal together of getting the Haven open in readiness for the hard work to begin to sustain the project. Over the next five years we learnt extremely quickly that to improve and maintain Ellie’s Haven required commitment and passion to continue the success.  Again we were ready for this challenge.

Over the years our charity shop in West Looe has benefitted from great support in the form of volunteers and donations.  We have also enjoyed great business relationships with many companies, in particular Thomas Westcott, our accountants, and Caunters Solicitors (Liskeard). 

There have also been some times where things haven’t gone well, but again we would like to think we have acted in the best interest of the charity, and tried to learn from these experiences.

We have decided, after discussions with trustees, that given the pandemic of the last 18 months and the potential affect of us stepping back on funding, that Ellie’s Haven should merge with another organisation. After a due process of selecting possible organisations we are now close to completing a deal with a charity called Kids In Action (www.kidsinaction.org.uk).  We have built a relationship with KIA over the past several months and are now close to completing all the necessary requirements. We shall become part of an organisation that already serves families with disabled children by providing holidays, days out, and a youth club in Bedfordshire.  Ellie’s Haven will carry on as before,  retaining its name and its local involvement and continuing our work in Cornwall and Devon.

We would like to thank you so much for your support and empathy over the years and really hope you continue to following us even after these changes, as the children and their families we help really need your support.

Thank You

Nigel Libby