£1m luxury home for cancer families opens near Callander

A DESIGNER home gifted to families who have children with cancer has opened its doors to its first visitors following the fundraising success of a small Edinburgh-based charity.

Official opening of the charity-funded RippleRetreat holiday home, near Callander, for families hit by cancer. Picture: Contributed

The Ripple Retreat, a three-bedroomed loch-side home at Loch Venacher near Callander, is celebrating its launch after a fundraising campaign by a husband and wife team.

Lynne McNicoll OBE, founder of the charity It’s Good 2 Give, has raised over £2m in donations while working with her husband, Ian, who has project-managed the 18-month long construction process.

She said: “Our dedicated funders and passionate volunteers have worked tirelessly to deliver something unique which will make an enormous difference to hundreds of people from all over Scotland every year.

“The Ripple Retreat will be a lifeline to families struggling with the devastating effects of a child’s cancer diagnosis. Families are quickly thrown into despair having their child endure the ordeal of chemotherapy and the ravaging effects of this cruel disease.

Ms McNicoll was joined at the launch by Tabitha Lawson, 12, a former cancer patient who received support from the charity at the age of 6, Alfie Byrne, 7, whose sister died from cancer, and Kira Noble, 13. They are all now active Young Ambassadors for It’s Good 2 Give.

The campaign hit difficulties in 2015 when Lynne was herself diagnosed with breast cancer which she has since recovered from. However, despite having to take break for her own chemotherapy ordeal, she still managed to take the charity to a new level.

She recruited the help of a number of large businesses to help with the Ripple Retreat build including John Dennis Construction, Cundall, Harley Haddow, Kitchens International, James Morrow, Walker Group, Spifox and KDMedia. The designer house is modern and sleek with all the comforts of home including toys, books, games and activities. The house also benefits from fishing rights on the loch, is next to a national cycle path.

The garden created by Semple Begg Garden and Landscape design, was funded by a donation from Spifox, the Scottish property charity.