Sign Along With Us holiday home dreams realised thanks to generous donations

An ambitious dream of Heywood sign language champions Sign Along With Us has been realised.

Thanks to the generosity of the public via a crowdfunding page, and the McGrath family, the Britain’s Got Talent stars have secured a fully-accessible holiday home static caravan in Blackpool.
 

Read more: Sign Along With Us raising money for inclusive holiday home to benefit those with disabilitiesPublished: 23 January 2021

In videos live-streamed on social media, a very excited Jade Kilduff and her family unveiled the massive surprise to thousands of their fans and followers, thanking everyone who has made the holiday home possible.

She said: “This has been a big dream of mine and 70 other members for a very long time.

“We got a caravan for Sign Along With Us! This is going to be used by people who can’t afford to go on holiday, people who struggle to get on holiday because it’s so hard to get on holiday sometimes when you’re in a wheelchair, or you have disabilities. If you’re coming on holiday we want to make it as easy and relaxing as possible.”

 

 

Jade added that typically, a similar campsite may have two or three accessible static homes – which are often booked up for months in advance.

“People can come and use this for free, and if you want to give a donation, you can. This is all thanks to you guys for your amazing generous donations, and to Dan, Tracy and Will, who have made our dreams come true. They generously donated so we could have this caravan.”

The caravan is wheelchair accessible with a ramp, including a large gravel covered parking space so that wheelchairs don’t track mud into the home.

Extra-wide with a large wet room bathroom, the caravan has plenty of space and lowered kitchen units, including a set-back sink in the kitchen which will accommodate wheelchair users. There are two shower seat sizes in the spacious wet room.

There are a number of beds throughout, including two large full size single beds, a sofa bed, a profiling bed, plus a mobile hoist, ceiling hoist and ceiling hooks. All the internal doors are sliding doors to make the best use of the space, whilst there is a hook for the front door.

Jade added: “It’s perfect; it’s going to be so much fun for people.”

Jade started Sign Along With Us in 2019, teaching Makaton sign language so she could communicate with her younger brother, Christian.

Jade began offering free signing classes to other local children and their families, to improve the lives of those with disabilities, and the Sign Along With Us choir was born.

 

 

Read more: Sign Along With Us Britain's Got Talent audition is one of the top 10 most viewed YouTube videos in 2020Published: 16 December 2020

The caravan is located at Cala Gran Haven Caravan Park in Fleetwood, which has access to a range of activities suitable for everyone, including adapted wheelchairs for the beach, a swimming pool with hoists, and a climbing wall for people in wheelchairs and is close to Blackpool.

Jade also revealed a charity will be up and running soon, called the Sign Along With Us Foundation.

Donations can be made via: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sawuadaptedholidayhome

Further information – including how to book a stay at the caravan – will be revealed on Sign Along With Us’ social media accounts in due course.

• www.facebook.com/signalongwithus