A KIDDERMINSTER-based charity has opened a brand new holiday home to give disabled children and their families a much-needed break.

Crackerjacks Children’s Trust has unveiled ‘Ray’s Sunshine Holiday Home’ which is based at Holiday Resort Unity at Brean Sands in Somerset.

The charity worked to raise the £41,000 needed to complete the home, which was named after dedicated Crackerjacks trustee Ray Smith, who sadly died in August last year.

It has been designed with a large dining and living area to accommodate a child’s wheelchair along with a ramp and veranda to allow easy access.

It also boasts a large shower, two toilets a fully equipped kitchen and three bedrooms which are able to accommodate two adults and four children.

The facility will cost around £6,000 a year to maintain and enhance facilities and to help support the maintenance fund, Crackerjacks will be hosting its first Children’s Disability Awareness Week, starting on Saturday, May 19.

Fundraising events will be taking place throughout the week at Kidderminster, Stourport and Bewdley to support the cause.

Terry Bull, Crackerjacks CEO, said: “We are so happy to have finally completed this wonderful and worthwhile project.

“So many disabled children and their families will benefit from a break at Ray’s Sunshine Holiday Home.

“It’s been so encouraging from the fantastic support and response that schools, nurseries, local businesses and the community have shown over the last 18 months and we are especially grateful to our staff who have worked so hard to make this project a big success.

“The icing on the cake is to finally see the respite applications start to come in and the Holiday Home being used.

“We all had a lovely day where Mr Smith’s family attended a small and personal naming ceremony where Ray’s Sunshine Holiday Home was officially declared open.”

To find out more about Crackerjack Children’s Trust, the respite holiday home and the Disability Awareness Week, people can visit crackerjacks.org.uk.