A Staffordshire charity has reached its £5 million fundraising target to build the UK’s first holiday village designed for critically ill children and their families.
Kids’ Village, founded by Gary and Claire Fletcher and their daughter Sam, is now pressing ahead with construction ahead of schedule, with the site due to open in 2027.
The project has been boosted by a major £2.9 million donation from an anonymous donor, with further plans for the site in Wychnor, near Lichfield, set to be announced soon.
The idea for the village was inspired by Sam Fletcher-Goodwin’s childhood cancer journey and a visit to the Give Kids the World Village in Florida. With a 30-acre site donated and planning permission granted in 2023, the charity launched a £5 million appeal in 2024 to fund the build.
Sam Fletcher-Goodwin, co-founder of Kids’ Village, said: “I am completely overwhelmed with both joy and gratitude that we have reached this milestone. It’s been a really emotional time for me and my family who have been dreaming of creating this for so long, knowing that we can now build Kids’ Village and welcome families soon.
“I wish I could go back and tell the nine-year-old version of me who had this idea with her dad when she was sick, that all the challenges and hard work would be worth it. Our trip to America that inspired Kids’ Village gave me hope in the darkest moments and I am so pleased that we will now be able to offer that to children across the country.”
Daily Focus previous reported that Palletforce had donated £12,500 to the charity, which is just five miles away from the express freight distribution expert’s SuperHub distribution centre in Burton upon Trent.
And in summer Crown Highways, based in Burntwood, constructed a 573-metre internal road that will connect 10 lodge plots, allowing families to drive directly to their individual four-bedroom lodge for a free week-long holiday.
Reacting to reaching the fundraising target, Doug Wright MBE DL, chairman of Kids’ Village, added: “This is truly wonderful news and we could have only dreamed of reaching this point so quickly when we set out to tell the story of Kids’ Village at the beginning of last year.
“Thank you to every single person and company that has supported us and made this possible. This is undoubtedly the most exciting project that I have ever been part of and we cannot wait to welcome families to our magical village in 2027.”
