LIAM Fairhurst has officially opened Liam and Jack s Haven, a new holiday home for children and young people with cancer and their families. The luxury self-contained caravan, in Filey, North Yorkshire, was acquired by CLIC Sargent, the UK s leading child

LIAM Fairhurst has officially opened Liam and Jack's Haven, a new holiday home for children and young people with cancer and their families. The luxury self-contained caravan, in Filey, North Yorkshire, was acquired by CLIC Sargent, the UK's leading children's cancer charity, after brave Liam raised the £50,000 needed to fund it.

Thanks to Liam, the new home has now opened its doors and will be used by more than 150 families from across the UK over the next five years. At the recent launch, Liam was joined by his family, staff from CLIC Sargent, as well as the family of his close friend Jack Wilkinson, who sadly died of cancer in August 2006, and to whom the new home is dedicated.

Liam, who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer, appeared on the ITV programme Fortune: Million Pound Giveaway in January pitching for £50,000 to fund a new holiday home, giving families a much-needed break and the opportunity to spend quality time as a family. The panel of five millionaires, including entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne, were blown away by Liam's emotional pitch and were unanimous that Liam should receive the money.

Len Collingwood, holiday service manager, CLIC Sargent, says: "As CLIC Sargent continues to support more and more families, we need to provide more and more services. Holidays are a vital part of what CLIC Sargent does and the difference they can make to a family's life is invaluable. When a member of the family has cancer it's difficult even to plan a holiday, let alone pack up and go away. The financial pressures that come with lengthy treatment for cancer mean that most families couldn't afford to take a break. But CLIC Sargent holidays are free and enable families time to escape from their hospital routine and enjoy everything the Filey area has to offer."

Karen Roberts added: "It is thanks to Liam that CLIC Sargent is able to offer more families the opportunity to have a holiday. We are all very grateful to Liam and, having been to the caravan myself, I can vouch for just how great it is. Not only is it well equipped for the perfect family holiday - right down to having a portable computer console and games as suggested by Liam - but the whole area makes the perfect getaway for families that need to spend some quality time together."

- CLIC Sargent holiday services

# CLIC Sargent now has four luxury self-contained caravans in Yorkshire, Devon, West Sussex and Lancashire.

# In 2006, more than 520 families took holidays at one of its holiday homes.

# Malcolm Sargent House in Ayrshire offers family breaks and specialist weekends for young people, siblings, and bereaved families. Everyone there is in a similar situation, making it easy to share feelings and experiences.With medical support close at hand if necessary, families are in safe hands.

# CLIC Sargent is the UK's leading children's cancer charity, www.clicsargent.org.uk

# Every day in the UK, 10 children and young people are diagnosed with cancer or leukaemia. CLIC Sargent acts as a lifeline keeping families together when the unimaginable happens.