‘Something To Look Forward To’ was set up by a couple in 2015, following a terminal breast cancer diagnosis.

The charity supports people affected by cancer and cancer poverty by providing gifts and experiences donated by individuals and companies.

In 2024 alongside our usual UK wide service, we are supporting people in the North of England who live or receive treatment in the region and we are looking for accommodation owners who would be willing to donate a break in their holiday cottage, prioritising people in the region, during out of season periods, when your property would often be unbooked.

Service charges and all administration fees would be covered by the gift recipient.

Our time at Owl Cottage gave us a chance to be a family again, away from the strains of home. We hadn’t had a holiday together for a long time and it was was time to start the new life we had been forced to put on hold because of cancer.

How will it all work?

Gift donations of holiday cottages are one of our ‘Main’ gifts and they are allocated to the most needy of our service users and we are extremely grateful for these donations.

These are balloted gifts and are not allocated on a first come first served basis to ensure we reach a couple or family who will benefit the most from the experience.

To donate a stay in your cottage, please fill out the form below or contact holly@somethingtolookforwardto.org.uk. We can then discuss your donation in detail and answer any questions you may have if they are not covered in our FAQ’s.

We will then promote your cottage on our website and through our social media. We can also promote who has donated their cottage unless you wish to remain anonymous.

You can donate as many or as few nights as you wish. If you only have availability for one night that’s great. If you are able to offer your cottage for a weekend or a week, then even better!

We do not expect you to donate in your peak periods and we are only too happy to accept periods in low season or mid-week. We are grateful for any donations and so are our gift recipients.

Choosing a date and blocking it off in your availability calendar is the best way of working. That way we know exactly what date to promote to the people we support and you know exactly when someone will be coming.

The gift recipient is eligible to pay any service charge and deposit set by you and this is made clear to them at the application stage. This would be paid to you directly by the gift recipient. Some owners waiver fees whilst some chose to accept them to reduce out of pocket costs. This is entirely up to you.

Gift donations of holiday cottages are one of our ‘Main’ gifts and they are allocated to the most needy of our service users.

As part of the decision process in allocating your holiday cottage we consider the following factors:

  • Prioritising people with a secondary or terminal diagnosis.
  • The recipient is a new service user or has not previously received a ‘Main’ gift form the charity.
  • Is the family suitable to fill the property?
  • How much the couple or family have been financially impacted by their cancer diagnosis.

Get in touch

If you are interested in donating a stay in your holiday home to a family affected by cancer then please fill out the simple form and we will contact you to discuss in more detail.


  • CRITERIA REGARDING 'COMMERCIALLY LET' PROPERTY GIFTS

    Currently our charity only accepts gifts of properties which are already 'commercially let'.

    Please see below some important points required to meet the charity's conditions for donating a gift of a stay in your 'commercially let' accommodation.
    • The property is fully insured to comply with legal hire requirements: - Buildings - Contents - Public Liability
    • If your property is in Scotland, you must have a Short Term Holiday Let License
    • You agree to donate time in your property without charge (however you may choose to charge a cleaning/laundry fee and/or deposit which is payable by the beneficiary)
    • You agree to contact the applicant with property address via e-mail and liaise accordingly through the booking process (the charity will assist with correspondence)
    • The beneficiary will be responsible for any damage to the property as per the deposit details
    • You agree that there is no restriction to you making the donation of the property
    • The property is fit for purpose of being a holiday let
    • You agree to respect the privacy of the applicant whilst on holiday

  • By submitting this form, you consent to the collection and use of information in accordance with our privacy policy.