Making Memories That Last

Craven & Valley Life chats to Mike Davies MBE and founder of The Principle Trust Children’s Charity, a proud Yorkshire charity providing free respite holidays for Yorkshire folk who otherwise might not be able to get away.

As well as putting on events all year round, the organisation sends children in the county who are experiencing long-term, life-threatening or limiting illnesses, disabilities, mental health issues or social deprivation on breaks with their families to one of the luxury caravans and lodges it owns in the Lakes and Blackpool since it launched in 2011.

This amazing cause has brought in more than £1 million from generous donors and provided a much-needed break to 3,700 children based primarily in North and West Yorkshire. However, founder Mike says they have already made headway into expanding their reach to South and East Yorkshire too, something which is a major ambition for the charity in its second decade.

“Over the past ten years we have helped thousands of disadvantaged, disabled and poorly children to escape their everyday troubles and create valuable, happy memories,” smiles Mike, a Londoner by birth who initially moved to the Preston area and then recently to Yorkshire. Whilst living in Lancashire, he founded and became CEO of Skipton-based Principle Healthcare Group and then launched the Principle Trust Children’s Charity. Having semi-retired from the corporate world and now dedicating much of his time to the Trust, Mike and his wife Brenda decided it made sense to base themselves in the county in which the charity does its work.

When I catch up with Mike, he is sitting in the car outside his new house and, in his words, “keeping out of the way of the builders.” He tells me about the book he has recently published, ‘Making Memories That Last’, recounting the stories of some of the families who have been helped by the charity.

Over the past ten years we have helped thousands of disadvantaged, disabled and poorly children to escape their everyday troubles and create valuable, happy memories.

The fact that ‘Making Memories That Last’ contains a foreword from a true Yorkshire legend might also help it get in front of the eyes the Trust would like it in front of.

“I was invited to a function at the Coniston Hotel with Captain Sir Tom Moore,” says Mike.

The Keighley-born fundraiser’s determination to walk 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday in aid of NHS charities captured the hearts of a nation in lockdown in 2020. So much so that his intended target of £1,000 was eclipsed by the eventual donations that totalled more than £32 million! At the event held in his honour, Mike was keen to meet Sir Tom. “I had a chat with him and he said he would be only too pleased to have his daughter write the foreword for him.

Craven&ValleyLife Summer 22