15/06/2026
The hidden reason why Brean became the home of Julie’s Haven ❤️
Brean was never just a holiday destination for us.
It was recovery before I even understood what recovery was.
It was living in the present when my mind often wanted to stay in the past.
It was something to look forward to when life had already brought so much grief, trauma and loss.
Every part of our journey has now become symbolic.
As children, we were gifted holidays in a static caravan. Looking back now, I often wonder what memories I would have held onto if we hadn’t had those holidays.
Would I only remember the difficult times? Or would I still have memories of laughter, adventures and precious time spent with our Mum, Stepdad and sisters?
Years later, Brean became part of our own little family’s story too.
It was where we had our first family holiday.
From one child, to two, then three, we returned when we could. Sometimes for a holiday, sometimes just for a day trip.
We walked along the beach, visited Unity Beach, explored the markets and car boot sales, spent hours at the theme park, and climbed Brean Down together.
We never had much money being teenage parents and for many years we lived in hardship.
Those holidays were only possible because Lee’s mum had a caravan there for a couple of years and generously took us with her after.
She had taken me in when I was homeless after losing our mum. 2 weeks before I birth my first child.
What she gave us was far more valuable than a holiday.
She gave us memories.
She gave us photographs that captured our children growing up.
She gave us time together.
Looking back now, those photographs mean more than I could ever have imagined.
They captured moments I didn’t realise would become so important in my own healing journey.
When people ask what helped me, I often find myself coming back to the same answer.
Time together.
Happy memories.
Having something positive to hold onto when life threw more challenges our way.
I often wonder whether my recovery would have taken even longer if we hadn’t been gifted those holidays and these precious memories.
Because when I look back, I don’t just see beaches and caravans.
I see my children growing up sitting on a hill having time with their Dad and a short time where they could be children not looking after their own mother.
I see family.
I see love.
I see moments that reminded me there was still joy amongst the trauma.
Brean became part of our story long before Julie’s Haven existed.
And years later, when we created Julie’s Haven, it felt right that it should be here.
Because before Brean became a place where families could make memories through Julie’s Haven, it was the place where memories were gifted to us too.
The memories of childhood holidays with our own family.
The memories of raising our children.
The memories captured in photographs that became more precious with time.
The memories that reminded me there was more to life than grief and trauma.
And now, through Julie’s Haven, we have the privilege of giving that same gift to other families and gifted back what others gifted to us.
Because sometimes a holiday is never just a holiday.
Sometimes it’s a memory that carries you through the years that follow.
As a mum, I know the memories we make with our children and family become the photographs we treasure years later. No family should miss those moments simply because of hardship and trying to recovery when impacted by trauma. ❤️
