... meeting up with children/adults who we’d previously met last year or before at Sheldon. It was lovely being able to relax immediately without having to give any thought to the peculiar situation of being “a clergy family”. Making the puppets was amazing – creative, messy and fun! Seeing our own puppets appearing in a story was great. The food – as always, and the lovely picnics. Can’t think of anything to make the week more enjoyable.

Having come here for the last few years Sheldon provides an anchor point in the year, which despite a number of house moves, gives stability which the children look forward to immensely. The staff are wonderful, the food is brilliant and the accommodation comfortable Sheldon is a beautiful place to stay and reflect on God’s unceasing love.

To all the community at Sheldon and the Family Week volunteers– a very big THANK YOU to all of you for your kindness and hard work to make our holiday so enjoyable and relaxing. I especially appreciated the non-dairy help – no fuss and lots of lovely food. Thank you! I particularly enjoyed the stress-free meals. Cake with our names on was really special. Thanks for everything.

... the welcome and hospitality; being able to combine camping and retreat centre – e.g. bath, indoor rooms, home cooking!; games available in the Long Barn; small number of families; no pressure; the beautiful setting; information files in the Long Barn; we loved Roy’s sing-along. We would have found the week more enjoyable if perhaps some extra multi-player games for children in the Long Barn but they weren’t bored!; perhaps have a path of cut grass on camping field as the long grass was very dewy morning and evening; hot water ran out – understandably – on concert night [Webeditor: all noted]. Overall – thank you for a really lovely week that our children thought was fantastic, and we too found affirming and restorative. May God continue to bless your wonderful ministry.

We had a great time, the children especially – when they’re happy, we’re happy. Being fully catered for is fantastic – a real break for the family cook. Good company meant we could be together or apart – not in each other’s space all the time or cramped into a small space all the time like on a cottage holiday. There was a good balance between the organised activities and free time/space. The children were playing outside rather than watching TV. We would have found the week more enjoyable if we hadn’t had a child sleeping in our room – lighting issues because of sharing and different bed times. Clothes washing facilities for guests. - I hope the long barn refurbishment will include a washing machine. A child said they’d prefer not to have ice cream every night (maybe they’re too fussy on the puddings though?) [Webeditor: all noted]

Nothing was too much to ask for (e.g. washing..) (oh, and TV); full board!; nice weather (well done!); lots of outings options; friends living nearby. It would have been more enjoyable if there were daily newspapers (e.g. Guardian!) available including sports sections! [Webeditor: sorry we don't have reliable newspaper delivery so it's a case of buying when you're out]

It allowed us a period free from pressure when we could all unwind. It allowed us space to be alone or together and we particularly appreciated the freedom given to children to be independent and make their own fun and their own friendships. The provision of food was excellent with no fuss but lots of care and kindness. We all really enjoyed having our “dietary requirements” catered for so well – freeing our family cook from that burden. Our campers felt very happy with their facilities and we found the environment clean, well maintained and very beautiful. We would be happy to recommend this holiday to any. Many thanks to you all. We would have found the week more enjoyable if…Small matters: (1) could there be chips for adults too, once a week? (2) could the toast be held back until required, it got wasted when it went cold. Any chance of the pot-holes in the lane being filled in? [Webeditor: working with our neighbours to sort the lane - too big a job for us alone. The team love cold toast for second breakfast so no waste. Chips available for adults too on request!]

Everything we needed was on hand and was of excellent quality. The hospitality of the team both in the quality and quantity of the food and in their caring of us as individuals meant I felt well looked after and able to relax. The no clergy shop talk was brilliant and made me unwind. Friendliness of other guests made for a great atmosphere. It would have been more enjoyable if…the bar did close very quickly after the evening activities – 10 p.m. would have been nice. [Webeditor: agreed, but we're a small team and need our sleep too.]

“I loved the paddling pool” – daughter aged 5. “I had loads of friends to play with” – son aged 7. “I liked the bouncy castle” – son aged 3. The camping field is beautiful, spacious and quiet. All the toilet/shower facilities very well maintained. The fully catered aspect was incredibly good value for money and enabled us to really relax. The bouncy castle and pool were fantastic and having someone keep an eye on the kids meant we could read a book, catch up on conversation etc… We also really enjoyed the evening activities and had a real sense that memories were being made for the kids. All in all we have come home refreshed and restored – an experience not felt on a family holiday before!

We would have found the week more enjoyable if “I could have stayed a bit longer” – son aged 7.

It sounds a bit odd, but you may wish to emphasise the “FULLY CATERED” aspect – you really do not need to bring anything! We brought our camping stove, tea, coffee etc. – we didn’t need to bring any of it!