About Us

What is Kinship Care?

In the UK, around 132,800 children are currently being raised in kinship care—living with relatives or close family friends because their birth parents are unable to care for them. These children are often cared for by grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings, or trusted family friends. The reasons vary and may include bereavement, illness, disability, or challenges such as neglect or substance misuse.

While foster care is more widely recognised, kinship care is a vital, often overlooked alternative that offers children stability, familiarity, and a sense of belonging. However, it also presents unique challenges.

There are an estimated 200,000 kinship carers in the UK, many of whom receive little or no formal support. Unlike foster carers, kinship carers often:

• Receive minimal financial or practical assistance
• Navigate complex legal and social systems alone
• Face pressure to leave work, relocate, or self-fund childcare essentials

This can lead to emotional strain, financial hardship, and a profound sense of isolation.

Kinfest is a registered charity (No. 1171491) run entirely by volunteer kinship carers. Every donation goes directly toward supporting kinship families through holidays, events, and community-building activities.

Our Trustees:

• Vicki O’Leary
• Janellen Redington
• Mathew Bushell
• Rob Pitman
• Anna Clough
• Neil Stow

We aim to alleviate the isolation felt by kinship carers and the children they raise by creating opportunities for connection, support, and joy. Our mission is rooted in lived experience—every trustee and volunteer at Kinfest is a kinship carer who understands the challenges firsthand.

We do this by:

• Creating shared experiences through holidays, day trips, and social events that allow families to bond and make lasting memories.
• Offering emotional support and friendship, so no carer or child feels alone in their journey.
• Building a strong, inclusive community of over 1,000 kinship families through our online forum and in-person gatherings.
• Providing practical help, such as activity packs, spending money, and access to peer advice, to ease the burden on carers.
• Celebrating kinship families, ensuring they feel seen, valued, and empowered.

For many families, Kinfest is more than a holiday—it’s the first time they’ve felt truly understood. Children meet others who share their story. Carers find a space where they don’t have to explain themselves. And together, they create a sense of belonging that lasts far beyond the event.

Kinfest Summer Holiday

Our flagship event brings kinship families together for a week of fun, relaxation, and connection. Past locations include:

• Skegness
• Tattershall
• Mablethorpe
• Dorset
• Lake District

Activities range from BBQs and sports days to circus skills workshops, “Bring a Dish” evenings, and parent socials like Dads’ Curry Night and Mums’ Brunch. Families can join in as much or as little as they like—some simply enjoy the chance to unwind.

Mini-Kinfest

Launched in 2016 to meet growing demand, Mini-Kinfest offers a shorter break during school holidays. Past destinations include:

• Camber Sands
• Isle of Wight
• Cornwall
• Snowdonia
• Kent

Christmas Party

Each December, we host a festive celebration featuring:

• A meal and disco
• A live show
• Gifts for every child—delivered by Father Christmas himself!

Day Trips & Socials

We also organise:

• Theme park visits
• Football stadium tours
• Walk-and-talks
• Coffee mornings and evening socials

Kinship carers are often the “invisible families” of the care system. Many don’t even know what kinship care is until they’re living it. The sense of being alone is real—for both carers and children.

Kinfest exists to change that.

We create spaces where families feel seen, supported, and celebrated. For many, Kinfest is their first family holiday. Children meet others like them. Carers feel accepted without needing to explain their situation.

The little touches—like activity packs, spending money, and our Laura Warner Trophy family games—make a big impact. These moments help children bond, laugh, and feel part of something bigger.

Feedback from attendees says it all:

“We finally felt like a normal family on holiday.”

“For the first time, I felt like I could breathe.”

“My child made friends who truly understand them.”

Kinfest aims to reduce the isolation felt by kinship families by:

• Providing opportunities to create shared memories
• Strengthening bonds within family units
• Building a wider support network through events and our online forum

Our annual summer holiday began with a small group of carers from our online community. Since then, it has grown into a cherished tradition, moving across the UK to remain accessible to as many families as possible.

Whether it’s a week-long holiday, a day trip, or a coffee morning, every Kinfest event is designed to bring kinship families together—to laugh, connect, and feel like they belong.