The Glanfield Group
The Glanfield Children's Group was set up in 1987 in memory of Father Frank Glanfield, a priest who was involved with the care of children with special needs both in Lourdes and in England. Since 1987 the group has taken to Lourdes many children with learning difficulties as well as chronic and terminal illness each August as part of the Catholic Association Pilgrimage.
The Glanfield Children's Group has a Roman Catholic basis but many of the children and the helpers are of other faiths or none. All appear to gain much from both the spiritual and the sharing aspects of the group. The Glanfield Group has its own Chaplain, Fr Tony Rogers, and it encourages the children to learn about prayer and fellowship through fun and simple liturgies, such as the ‘night prayer’ gathering every evening.
There is much integration within the group, and for parents it offers the opportunity to meet others in similar situations to themselves, offering invaluable mutual support.
The aim of the group is to provide both a holiday for the children and a much needed rest for their parents who are welcome to either join the group or stay at home. For many of these children – some from deprived backgrounds – this is their first holiday abroad. Due to the skills and expertise of the helpers, the group is able to give the children experiences that their disabilities would not usually permit, such as swimming, horse riding and abseiling in the Pyrenees. The group stays in a modern, well equipped hotel, the Mediterrannée, and each child is under constant supervision. There is a registered nurse on duty at all times and a doctor is always available.
Most of the helpers pay their own expenses, with a small proportion of those receiving a subsidy according to their means. The majority of the finance therefore goes towards subsidies for the children and their parents, and paying for the activities of the holiday. Much of this money comes from fundraising efforts by helpers, past and present, but donations from other sources are always needed as the cost of the holiday is substantial.
Further information about the group, or about making donations, can be obtained from the group leader: