Holidays
Latest monthly update:
July 2011
July so far has been a time for finishing touches and many a trip to Ikea! It has been all hands to the pump to get all the furniture assembled, blinds and curtains put up everything finished ready for the official opening on July 5th.
The result is one we are extremely proud of and we hope everyone who played a part in making the house a reality will be too.
June 2011
June was the month when things really started taking shape despite a water leak. The gardens were planted, the flooring went down and we began frantically assembling furniture. Artwork started to go up on the walls and the rooms began to each take on their own special personality.
Our enthusiastic house keeper Lisa Gould began work for the Trust early this month; Lisa and her husband Steve have been fantastic and worked really hard to help get everything finished.
May 2011
On Tuesday 31st May the construction phase came to an end and the builders, Collen Redwing Limited, handed us the keys to The Bluebells. It is fantastic to finally have the keys in our hands to the holiday house Sebastian so wanted to create for others. This is another huge milestone for the Trust, which has taken us another step closer towards children using our amazing holiday house.
There is still a huge amount to be done inside but we are confident that everything will be in place for 10th July to welcome our first families.
April 2011
In the last month our house has begun to look increasingly like an actual home. The decorators are nearing completion of their work; the addition of colour has completely transformed the building. The kitchens are largely installed and the bathrooms are beginning to take shape. The swimming pool is now fully tiled, the glass doors separating the games and music rooms have been fitted and the H frame hoist system in one of the apartments has been installed. Externally the secret meadow has received its first trees, the first phase of the acoustic fence has been erected and the landscapers are creating the three tiered levels that will form the basis for our nine hole mini golf course.
The Bluebells is scheduled for completion on the 27th May. We plan to spend just over a month furnishing and equipping it before holding two official opening days for invited friends, family and supporters.
Our first families are due to arrive on Sunday the 10th July - we can't wait for this momentous day which will be the culmination of a seven-and-a-half year journey and the beginning of an exciting chapter in the history of our charity.
March 2011
The scaffolding around The Bluebells has finally been taken down, revealing the building in all its glory. Internally, all walls are now plastered and painted with a first undercoat; architraving, skirting boards and door frames are in place and the kitchens are beginning to be installed. The lift is now installed and the pool surface is being prepared for tiling. Suddenly all the rooms look much bigger, brighter and warmer, in spite of the lack of heating as yet. Externally, the big tanks that will hold our LPG fuel have been dug into the ground, as has our septic tank and Brian (our Site Manager) has been very busy digging trenches around the building for the necessary pipe work. The adventure play area has been partially installed and the ground workers and landscapers are beginning to establish the final layout of our extensive grounds. The terrace area to the rear of the communal areas is going to be a fabulous sun trap if the sunshine enjoyed on a bright March afternoon is anything to go by!
February 2011
The roof is now almost complete and work has begun in earnest on the internal fittings. The first fix electrics and plumbing are complete; the door frames are all in place and the wall and ceiling plasterboard is being fitted. The pool’s ventilation duct work has been installed and the scaffolding in the pool area has been removed - revealing a fantastic space that will no doubt be a wonderful place for aquatic fun and frolics in the future.
January 2011
The weather has certainly hampered construction progress over the last six weeks. We are currently four weeks behind schedule but our builders are hopeful that they will be able to make up time in the future.
The roof is finally acquiring tiles although there is still another five or six days’ work required to complete the roof structure. Internally all floors are now screeded, with under floor heating pipe work in place and the first fix of electrics is almost completed. All windows and doors are in place.
November 2010
November has seen The Bluebells grow to its full height with the addition of the roof structure. The framework is now virtually complete and the felt and battening work has begun. The first window has been fitted, in spite of 3 inches of snow falling and freezing temperatures. Pipe work for the under floor heating is almost finished and the floors will receive a concrete screed in the next few weeks. Although the weather conditions are making progress difficult, it is still hoped The Bluebells will be watertight by Christmas.
October 2010
With the brickwork virtually complete, November will hopefully see the roof begin to take shape. In the last month The Bluebells has become more defined; it now has the central staircase in place in the reception area, making access to the first floor apartments possible. Visitors to the site can now begin to appreciate the size and scale of the rooms upstairs, how they relate to the house overall and the wonderful views on offer.
In the next few days the safety decking will be installed in preparation for the roof trusses and in a fortnight roof tiling should begin. It is hoped that The Bluebells will be watertight by December, before winter sets in.
September 2010
In the last month the Bluebells has grown enormously in size and scale. The front elevation and face brickwork is now half way up the first floor and the team is now ready to move round to the sides of the building. The internal block work is almost complete and the main carcassing for the staircase is expected next week, meaning visitors to the site will be able to safely explore the first floor of the building.
Although Site Manager Brian Drury estimates we have lost four or five days due to the recent inclement weather he is confident that this will not be significant to the projected completion date at the end of April 2011. Earlier this week the site was visited by Joanna Chin and Sara Fragata from the Trust’s very good friends at Windsor based agency Langland. After her visit Joanna remarked: “It was so emotional to see The Bluebells; to finally see it becoming a reality. It is much bigger than I envisaged, I didn’t appreciate how many facilities we are putting in to make a real holiday destination for visiting families.”
August 2010
This month the site has been totally transformed. The different levels of the house, the gardens and the secret meadow have been established, the foundations and footprint of the house have been created and the bricklayers are now constructing the block and brickwork up to first floor level. Next week the Trust team will inspect the site; our first opportunity to walk “inside” The Bluebells, which is terribly exciting!
July 2010
Work began on the 5th July. The site offices were quickly installed with our Site Manager, Brian Drury, taking control for the 42 week construction programme. In the first month on site we have seen tremendous change, with the gently sloping green field becoming a hive of activity as diggers redistributed the earth to allow for the creation of the building’s foundations and the external areas.
Building Schedule:
Redwing Construction Limited has been appointed to build The Bluebells, our purpose custom designed holiday house for children with life- limiting or life-threatening conditions. The build programme is for 42 weeks, commencing on 5 July 2010 with an anticipated completion date of 29 April 2011. We hope to bring you a monthly update on our progress but here is a broad outline of the schedule:
Week 1- Site set up, undertake soil surveys
Week 2 and 3– Excavate to required site levels and foundations
Week 4 to 12- Begin brickwork
Week 16- Install timber roof trusses
Week 18- Install staircase
Week 19- Fix windows and doors
Week 20 to 23- Fit out indoor pool
Week 21 to 23- Install lift
Week 21 to 24- Install insulation and heating
Week 24- Begin plastering
Week 29- Install kitchens
Week 31 to 35- Install bathrooms
Week 32- Begin decorating
Week 38- Begin floor finishes
Week 39- Install fixtures and fittings
Week 42- Clean and clear, ready for handover to Sebastian's Action Trust
Building a unique holiday house on a site outside the settlement boundary of a pretty Hampshire village was never going to be a straightforward undertaking, but our loyal supporters are not afraid of a challenge. In the first five years of the Trust’s existence a tremendous amount of goodwill, dedication and determination on the part of the planning and construction team has helped us to achieve the impossible. Here is an overview of our progress:
2004 - Bewley Homes, through an introduction to Commercial Director Mark Fitzpatrick, offer their management services to the Trust
2005 - Following an approach from Bewley Homes, landowner and farmer Patrick Sweeney generously agrees to gift land in the pretty Hampshire village of North Waltham to the Trust as a site for the holiday house
2005/6 - The first potential site in the village is identified. Plans are drawn up and initial site surveys conducted. Planning application is not submitted because of problems with access to the site.
2006/7 - The second potential site is identified. A planning application is submitted but is narrowly defeated in May 2007.
June 2007 - A third potential site is identified. Extensive pre-application discussions took place with the planning authorities in an effort to overcome any problems.
January 2008 - The planning application for the third site is submitted, with a decision expected within thirteen weeks.
17 September 2008 - Approval for our planning application is granted by unanimous vote by the planning authorities, subject to a section 106 agreement, restricting the land’s use to charitable purposes, and completion of 17 pre-commencement conditions.
18 February 2009 - The section 106 agreement is signed by all concerned parties.
13 March 2009 - The land gifted by Patrick Sweeney is officially transferred to the Trust.
6 April 2009 - Discharge of the 17 pre-commencement conditions is sought from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
1 July 2009 - Full plans approval notice is granted in respect of Building Regulations.
31 July 2009 - the archaeological pre-excavation scan required by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council takes place on site.
10 August 2009 - 12 of the 17 pre-commencement conditions are discharged, with further information or negotiation still required on the final 5.
Construction of the holiday house cannot begin until all of the conditions have been discharged, but we anticipate that building will commence in October 2009, with completion 12 months later.
Since 2004 so many have helped to bring Sebastian’s last wish to fruition and together we will find the finances, strength and resources required to complete the project that will give precious memories to very special children facing enormous challenges.
