National charity Revitalise, a provider of accessible respite holidays for disabled people and their carers, celebrated Diwali this week at their cherished Jubilee Lodge centre in Chigwell, Essex. This fully accessible event, ‘Diwali Lights and City Delights’, allowed guests to enjoy the festive occasion and showcased a host of Diwali traditions.
New and returning guests alike were entertained by excursions and celebrations in London, revelling in the history and significance of Diwali at the Maritime Museum and Marble Hill, a Bollywood evening at Stratford Vue and Diwali celebrations at Yaatra.
Back at Jubilee Lodge Revitalise holidaymakers enjoyed a range of culinary specialties, live events and workshops, learning the art of colourful rangoli designs and traditional Diwali decorations and sampling a specially curated menu for the week.
The week-long event was inspired and supported by the Hindu community local to Jubilee Lodge and allowed guests of all faiths to come together in a brilliant show of inclusivity to experience the rich traditions of the festival of lights. The Chairman of the Epping Forest District Council, Councillor Darshan Sunger, and his wife Mrs Teri Sunger visited Jubilee Lodge during the festivities.
Revitalise’s mission is to provide genuinely relaxing and stress-free holidays for disabled people and their carers. This message is all the more poignant during festive periods when many are left without adequate access to care, and when there is increased attention placed on quality time with loved ones.
Holidays are vital – they prevent disabled people and carers from reaching breaking point and allows people to relax and have fun. Like all respite breaks at Revitalise centres, this Diwali themed celebration gave disabled people the opportunity to enjoy time with friends in a setting specifically suited to their care needs.
Rebecca Young, Director of Strategy at Revitalise said: “We are an important lifeline in the disability and care sector. Accessibility, affordability, and stigma are major barriers for our guests, and we believe every disabled person and carer should enjoy the holiday they want with the support they need.
“We are delighted to have been able to host the ‘Diwali Lights and City Delights’ event at Jubilee Lodge and hope all our guests were inspired by this unique event.”
