Sanctuary Breaks is a registered charity and Hill House Retreats is a CIC - we work together to offer retreats, workshops, away days and residential stays for refugees, those seeking asylum, community groups and those needing a versatile and welcoming space for respite.

Volunteers are central to how we work, supporting those who visit and caring for the beautiful house and gardens

Sanctuary Breaks

Sanctuary Breaks is a charity (no: 1204540) enabling people seeking sanctuary to have some time away from the city, and to enjoy a few hours or a few days in the countryside, based at Hill House. We arrange regular day trips for Gloucestershire’s asylum seekers and refugees, and welcome people from further afield for shorter or longer visits.

We welcome people seeking sanctuary, individually and in groups, to stay at Hill House with host volunteers, and enjoy the space together.

Daily experience in the city for anyone without basic security is hard.  People who have fled conflict or persecution in their country of origin can often feel anxious and overwhelmed by the difficulty of securing protection in the UK. If granted refugee status it is still a struggle to settle in to a strange culture and a new country that can sometimes be unwelcoming or actively hostile.

The quiet beauty of the Cotswold countryside, Hill House and its garden, allow friends to relax, feel at home, and reconnect with more peaceful times.  We trust our guests will return rested and resourced for the next stage of their journey.

Find out about volunteering ⟶

Hill House Retreats

Hill House is a Community Interest Company and is ideal for self-catering group stays (for up to 10 people) or away days – for example for meditation retreats, writing or music workshops. By using the house in this way, group participants are also helping to finance Sanctuary Breaks.  

We ask visitors to help with the cleaning and daily care of the house, so we can keep rates low and enable a wide range of visitors to enjoy the space. It is also possible to spend time at the house in partial or full exchange for work on the house or garden.

There is wheelchair access to the ground floor.

Apart from day visits, the house is not suitable for families with toddlers.

Find out about volunteering ⟶

Hill House gardens, sanctuary

Upcoming Events

Events
Volunteer with Us
Sep 6
Volunteer with Us

Come and find out about what we do and how you could be involved; ask questions, listen to current volunteers talk about Sanctuary Breaks, walk around the house and gardens and enjoy coffee and home made cake.

Contact Kate at katesanctuarybreaks@gmail.com to register your interest

“It feels like home here”

- Anne

Woman wearing a butterfly-patterned apron preparing food at an outdoor cooking event under a tree, with other women and children in the background.
Group of people walking and waving on a paved rural path near houses and grassy hills.
People sitting around a table outside, decorating colorful Easter eggs with paints and brushes.
Three people working in a vegetable garden on a sunny day, planting or tending to green crops with a background of houses and trees.
Group of people sitting on grass and steps outside a building, posing for a photo, with children, adults, and elderly, surrounded by flowers and greenery.
Two women watering plants in a lush garden. One woman is holding a garden hose, and the other is standing nearby. The garden has green grass, flowering plants, shrubs, and trees, with an overcast sky above.