Browse through our blog posts to find out what life is like at Hoe Grange Holidays along with some great ideas for days out in the Peak District.
Hello!
I’m Vivienne, Felicity's sister, and I am here to tell you all about SHOUT, the UK’s first 24/7 text service for people in crisis.
This week along with husband Niall, I’ve been looking after Hoe Grange Holidays, but as SHOUT is a text based service I can still act as a volunteer for my usual shifts. Felicity and David are on holiday themselves for a well-earned break, so we are standing in on the admin side. Thankfully neighbouring Farmer Sam is looking after the sheep and cows!
Running the holiday business is harder work than you think, but who can complain when the views from the office are so spectacular? On Mondays and Fridays there’s lots of cleaning to be done alongside the dedicated housekeeping team. Senior housekeeper Zoe has been with Hoe Grange for over 9 years so knows everything about welcoming guests and keeping standards up to scratch! Once the cabins and glamping pods are all cleaned and we’ve put the goats and chickens to bed, all we can do is collapse in front of the fire!
On other days, so long as we get the laundry out to dry, and deal with email enquiries and bookings, we can pace ourselves and have energy left over. That’s when I can log on and do an evening shift with SHOUT.
SHOUT is the UK’s first 24/7 text service, free on all major mobile networks, for anyone in crisis, anytime, anywhere. It’s a place to go if you’re struggling to cope, anxious or over stressed and you need immediate help. Anyone in crisis can text SHOUT to 85258 - it's free and more importantly confidential and non judgmental.
Shout is grateful for the work and generous support of The Royal Foundation; whose founding grant launched the charity.
SHOUT is powered by a team of volunteers like me, who are at the heart of the service. We take people from crisis to calm every single day.
We work from anywhere in the UK with a secure internet connection, so this week I have been able to do my shifts whilst enjoying the Derbyshire countryside. As volunteers we are trained to listen to texters and support them to move from a hot moment to a cool calm.
We are a team, working together in a virtual world, supervised and coached by mental health professionals. It’s tough. As you can imagine there are some distressing and emotional cases, but the work is very rewarding. What we do can really make a difference to people's lives.
In a crisis? Simply text SHOUT to 85258 to get support and help.
Becoming a volunteer is extremely rewarding. You receive training on how best to communicate with people in trouble, and how to improve your problem solving skills and crisis management. You become part of the SHOUT volunteer team with an experienced supervisor to assist you if needed. After the initial 25 hours of online training you are committed to fulfil 200 total hours of volunteering; that’s just 2 – 4 hours volunteering per week, which is fairly easy to fit in.
You can find out more by following Shout on Instagram and Facebook
Finding ways to live in the moment helps you deal with stress and anxiety.
The weather this week in the Peak District has been perfect: cold and bright. In the hectic high tec world of today contemplating the setting sun on the misty December hills brings quiet and respite.
Keep calm and stay on a farm!
Nature is the perfect antidote to stress, so why not book a winter stay at Hoe Grange in a cosy log cabin or gorgeous glamping pod? Then simply sit back, relax and enjoy the views. A self-catering holiday in the Peak District countryside is a great way to connect to the natural world whilst spending quality time together with family and friends.
Vivienne