Welcome to the magic of the mountains and allow us to be your guide on a journey full of freedom and newly discovered experiences!

Ski 2 Freedom Foundation was created in 2007 and has now established itself as a well respected organisation, globally, promoting the empowering benefits of snow-sport and winter experiences. Our aim is to enhance the life of anyone whose health or general well-being may be affected by a life-changing, life-challenging or terminal condition (physical, cognitive, degenerative, genetic, sensory, audio or mental) with the empowering benefits of year round mountain activities.

What makes Ski 2 Freedom unique? – Over 20 years of Personal Experience, Knowledge and Valued Friendships which allows us to connect our beneficiaries to the best mountain winter activity experiences

Our strength is in our deep, personal understanding and empathy of how to help people find the right therapeutic experiences for them. At the heart of our work is access to an acclaimed specialist Resource - individually and conscientiously collected personally over the past 20 years by our Founder Catherine Cosby.

Our core values of empathy, understanding, innovation and inclusivity drive us to help our beneficiaries of all generations who face many challenges in their lives. We help them towards self-confidence, self-esteem, life-skills, respite, social inclusion, hope, a better physical and mental health, lasting memories and a powerful sense of personal achievement with family or friends.

What We Do:

• Inspire people with medical, health conditions or a disability find empowerment through the therapeutic benefits of winter snow experiences

• Ensure that winter accessible and adaptive sports and experiences are available and accessible to all

• Help support a special ski holiday or winter experience with an instructor and the adaptive equipment (if required) - at the moment funds are very limited which is why we continue to need donations and each case is considered on the health needs of the individual

• Help support a child's dream or magic wish

• Help support and encourage respite trips for primary care givers (especially young carers); encourage and support those with a life-limiting illness/disorder to have time together in the mountains; support life-skills which can be learnt by disadvantaged young people through winter mountain activities

(a registered charity Number: 1151307 England & Wales)

Ski 2 Freedom came about from an idea our Founder, Catherine Cosby, had about giving others the opportunity to be in the mountains in winter time and have some respite and family enjoyment together on the ski slopes. Discovering adaptive skiing in France and Switzerland and a natural 'match-maker' there seemed to be no specific resource available to help people discover these amazing experiences. It is now very much leading the way in how life-changing activities can benefit everyone and that tourism for health should be inclusive and accessible.

*For 1000's of years the Alpine regions have been well-known for their winter therapeutic and health-restoring qualities – indeed, the Romans were probably the first tourists who discovered the benefits of the mountain thermal waters! However, it was the Europeans, and in particular the British, who really first came to the Swiss mountains over a 150 years ago for their health during the summer months. Encouraged by the fresh air, good food, healthy activities and wonderful family run hotels, having discovered the delights of skiing, the British were the first to really help open up these therapeutic destinations for winter fun!

What we started with Ski 2 Freedom, was to continue the work started all those years ago - the goal is to strive to ensure that the mountains continue to offer comfort, healing and place to reconnect with life.What we are doing is carrying on the concept of mountain health!

Although I would not presume to understand all the difficulties faced by many of our beneficiaries, I do empathise enormously. I have a daughter, Alexandra born with Rett Syndrome, and it is she who drives me to carry out her destiny and is my inspiration. I also know what it is like to have often been on my own as a wife and mother of a child with severe life-challenging needs (I was married to an officer in the Royal Navy) and that life is never easy, either physically or mentally. I recognised that the holistic benefits the mountains could deliver and that, for many, the freedom to rehabilitation, respite and rejuvenation was often due to a lack of knowledge and information.

I always do my best to make sure that the experience abeneficiary has is as wonderful as possible. I am enormously grateful for all the support that I, and the Foundation,receives - we really are a global organisation with enquiries coming in from as far away as Uraguay, Australia, Japan, the Middle East and Asia – thank you everyone!

Catherine Cosby
Founder

Sport or leisure activity, fresh air, food and being surrounded by nature is indicative to helping restore our equilibrium, an opportunity to find self-confidence and a renewed spirit for life.

A holiday, rehabilitation or rejuvenating break should be inclusive and accessible for everyone.

Welcome to the magic of the mountains and allow us to be your guide on a journey full of freedom and new experiences!