Special needs travel firm inspired by daughter

A mum has helped create a travel agents for families whose children have special education needs and disabilities (SEND).

Em Burnip, from Stourport, Worcestershire, is a travel counsellor and a mother to a daughter with special needs, including severe anxiety.

Along with her friend Bex Hamilton, the pair have co-launched the firm Calm Travel Edit - to help families plan "low‑overwhelm" holidays.

"I set out to solve a problem for ourselves but then realised there were thousands and thousands of families that are like ours," explained Burnip.

"The feedback has been brilliant. We only started a couple months ago so we are figuring our way around stuff."

Discussing her own family's struggles, she said: "For us, it's finding a space that is calm and safe from her perspective. And it works with her nervous system.

"Obviously, these very busy places with kids clubs, they're loud, noisy and have lots and lots of people. It just doesn't work.

"Most of these places that are advertising family holidays are like that so it kind of stops us from going on holiday as a family."

Burnip said holidays in nature were more advisable for families like her own.

She said a recent trip to a lodge in Worcestershire had resulted in her daughter having the "best night's sleep".

"Holidays like this will be nestled in nature, or be connected with nature," the Stourport mum said. "It's not just us, experts way before us, worked out being in nature calms you.

"You come back from holiday not needing another holiday."

Burnip did acknowledge one draw back of a SEND friendly holiday was the price, due to finding isolated settings.

But she explained she was working with holiday complexes to focus on SEND families.

"I do believe, if they miss this market, they will be leaving money on the table by not providing things like calming zones, and a kids club that is actually run by experts for neurodivergent children," she said.

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