On November 23rd, we'll be meeting at the NGO Support Center in Świdnica for a seminar on respite tourism. We invite people with disabilities and their families, organizations, local governments, institutions, and anyone who wants to join us in thinking about how to make respite available to families regularly, not just on special occasions. This will also be an ideal opportunity for a conversation among representatives of the various sectors with whom we, as the Ładne Historie Foundation, have been collaborating in the respite field for the past ten years.
For several years now, we've seen that access to active recreation and relaxation depends on where you live, what opportunities your family has, and whether there's someone nearby who can organize such trips. Individuals and institutions seeking to develop such offerings often seek practical knowledge about accessibility, safety, and collaboration with families. This seminar will provide them with the opportunity to acquire this knowledge and compare it with the experiences of those who use such services.
Key information:
- Date: November 23, 2026, 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.;
- Location: Non-Governmental Organization Support Center, Rynek 39-40 in Świdnica;
- For whom: people with disabilities and their families, volunteers and assistants, representatives of non-governmental organizations, local governments, social welfare institutions, tourism and recreation, as well as the business sector;
- Participation: free, limited number of places;
- Registration: https://forms.gle/X6H5oCqbibw5GB4W8
- You will receive a detailed event schedule by email after registering for the event.
photo: Marta Sobala
The first part of the day
To kick things off, we'll invite you to a networking breakfast, a casual conversation over coffee where you can get to know each other and discuss collaborations. Then, in short presentations, you'll hear organizations, institutions, practitioners, and people with disabilities and their loved ones discuss respite, drawing on their own experiences. We'll also share what our projects have taught us over the years: "The Mountains Connect Us," "Breathe with Culture," respite trips, and the National Respite Tourism Network.
The heart of the day will be the panel discussion, "From Action to Regularity. How to Ensure Families Have Permanent Access to Relaxation Tourism?" We will discuss barriers, financing, and what each sector can do to ensure relaxation becomes a permanent form of support.
The second part of the day
After lunch, we invite you to an event promoting the "Carefree Leave: A Model for Respite Tourism" project. The project is run by the State Fund for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons, and we are its national partner, along with the Spanish Fundación También. Together, we are working on a model for organizing respite trips for people with disabilities and their caregivers.
We will present the project's assumptions, goals, target groups, and approach to organizing trips. Then, we will move on to the workshop and discussion section, "How to Develop Retreat Tourism?" We will discuss how NGOs, public institutions, and other entities can leverage the project's experiences and tools in their own work. We will conclude the day with a summary of the findings and a shared reflection on future collaboration.
Availability
The NGO Support Center is located in a completely renovated building, with no architectural barriers, an elevator, and fully accessible spaces. If you require an assistant or other form of support during the event, please specify this in the application form.
10 years of Beautiful Stories
This seminar is part of the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Ładne Historie Foundation. We began in 2016, and since 2019, with the "Łączą nas gór" (Mountains Connected) program, we, along with over 400 volunteers, have organized over 130 trips for people with disabilities and their families. In 2022, we established the National Respite Tourism Network, and its first seminar took place in the same location in Świdnica. We are delighted to return here after so many years, summarize what we have achieved, and share it with you.
„"Relations" is a new series of thematic seminars that bring together individuals and institutions operating in various sectors. Our goal is to bring together advocates, volunteers, artists, educators, and activists, as well as organizations, public institutions, local governments, the business sector, and anyone interested in a given topic.
We want the seminars to help us get to know each other better, establish connections, and develop collaboration. They're a space for mutual inspiration, mutual learning, and the exchange of best practices. We'll utilize various forms of collaboration: lectures, discussions, workshops, and small-group conversations. The most important thing is to meet and build collaborative circles—because it's good and lasting relationships that help us find solutions together and translate ideas into effective action.
Seminarium realizujemy dzięki dofinansowaniu ze środków Samorządu Województwa Dolnośląskiego przekazanych przez PFRON w ramach zadania publicznego pn. „Relacje: od współpracy do wytchnienia“.
The "Care Leave. A Model of Respite Tourism" project is implemented under the European Funds for Social Development 2021–2027 (FERS) program and financed by the European Union. The project leader is PFRON.
