A CHARITABLE trust which offers holiday accommodation in the Yorkshire Dales for those in need of a break has celebrated a milestone – and also marked the end of an era.

The Jonas Trust, a Christian foundation based in Redmire, Wensleydale, opened in 1996 and continues to provide accommodation to individuals, families and groups in a peaceful setting away from the strains and stresses of everyday life. The centre celebrated its 25th anniversary in October, with about 300 people attending the remote event via YouTube.

Centre director Simon Eastwood said 2021 has been a good year for the charity – but said next year he and his wife planned to step away in order to do something new.

He said: “We have run the centre for 20 years and initially it was a holiday centre open from Easter to October. We took it on with the view of it being for people who wanted to get away from towns and cities and enjoy the peace and nature.

“We often get referrals from doctors, social workers, priests, and from many organisations, asking us to take on a family or a group and the rate is subsidised. People may be going through a difficult time and need a break.”

When the pandemic hit, Mr Eastwood said: “In March 2020, we only had enough money to last until the May. But thankfully, the grants became available and we got £44,000 from an appeal to keep us going.

“We also worked with Richmondshire District Council to help homeless people during the pandemic. Some for a short time until the council could find them a home, and others stayed longer.”

Mr Eastwood said his goal for 2022 is to work more in the community in Colburn, where he lives, to make a difference closer to home and allow some fresh blood to go into The Jonas Centre. He said: “We wanted to do something different. Still helping people, but in a different way.”

One of the highlights of 2021 for Mr Eastwood was welcoming Syrian refugees and introducing them to other members of the community.

He said: “We have worked with many refugee groups over the years, and this year we had a couple of groups from Syria. They were taken on a walk by a Yorkshire Dales National Park Ranger and when going through Redmire then ended up talking to a man who came to the UK from Palestine in 1948.

“They invited him to dinner that night and he told them about his experiences of settling in the UK. It was one of those really special moments.”