News Archive

• 2020

  • July

    • An update for supporters

  • June

    • Canvas Holidays announces Charity Partners
    • Charity to administer holiday fund for key workers

  • April

    • Take on the 2.6 challenge
    • A message to our supporters

  • February

    • Charity partner at BTTS and British Coach Tourism Awards
    • Report highlights the long term benefits of breaks
    • Family days out donated by Keetoo
    • Spear Travels fundraising to adopt a caravan!

  • January

    • Host Unusual to support charity Shades Day in May
    • A record year at the PATA Christmas Lunch
    • Another successful year for the ScotSpirit Breaks

• 2019

  • November

    • Joan Laurance honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award
    • Charity benefits from Great York Ghost Search Success
    • £120,000 | 120 charities | 12 days

  • October

    • 10 years of support with Canvas Holidays
    • New Chief Executive Announced
    • The Great York Ghost Search!
    • Trip for a Trip to Brighton

  • September

    • Official charity at industry show
    • AWTE add charity founder Joan Laurance to their ‘Influential Women in Travel’ honours list
    • Pass on something wonderful this Remember a Charity Week
    • 99% of family support workers reveal children didn’t have a summer holiday

  • August

    • Blue Badge Guides help to discover hidden London

  • July

    • Canvas Holidays celebrate raising £100,000 in 10 years
    • New research shows Brits love to caravan!
    • The day we set sail with ABTA Lifeline
    • Equality for travellers with access requirements is a myth
    • Charity Patron John Carter says everyone deserves a holiday
    • National newspaper supports charity with summer appeal

  • June

    • Tourism Sector Deal must mean accessibility for all
    • The ‘Ticking Clock’ of missing out on making childhood memories
    • TransPennine Express partner to offer free days out
    • Kids Pass adopts a caravan as part of new partnership!

  • May

    • New caravan at Trecco Bay Holiday Park
    • New partnership with Beach Events & Solutions

  • April

    • The Group Company adopts a caravan for 2019!

  • March

    • London Bridge City teams up with charity
    • Family Holiday Association founder Joan Laurance dies

  • February

    • Forest Holidays to Provide a Free Holiday Each Week for Families in Need
    • Happy Birthday Joan
      Inspirational Founder turns 98
    • Charity to be official charity partner for National B&B week
    • Thousands of children given “life changing” breaks

  • January

    • TUI Care Foundation supports the Family Holiday Association

• 2018

  • December

    • CLIA UK & Ireland members send 358 struggling families on a trip
    • Special Tourism Awards in Kent & Herts

  • November

    • #AdventuresAreComing
    • One donation – twice the impact with The Big Give
    • Our new supporters at Towan Valley
    • Chief Executive John McDonald to leave after 17 years

  • October

    • ScotSpirit Breaks shortlisted for top award

  • September

    • Hoseasons set to raise £10,000
    • Alison Rice: Helping to answer life’s biggest questions
    • Helping to answer life’s biggest questions; Remember A Charity Week
    • Donate when you shop with Amazon Smile

  • August

    • It’s round 2 for the CLIA Cycle to the Ball!
    • British beach breaks bust stress, says research

  • July

    • Shopping and fundraising site launch first smartphone app
    • Are you in the London ‘SE’ postcode in July or August?

  • June

    • Fining parents ‘has no effect on school absence in Wales’
    • Partnership with Visit York goes from strength to strength
    • Philippa Harris joins as Chair of Trustees

  • April

    • Charity to receive proceeds of new Breakfast Cookbook

  • March

    • Shortlisted in Better Society Awards with TUI UK & Ireland!

  • February

    • 4,137 families helped in 2017
    • South West Tourism Excellence Awards 2017/18

  • January

    • ScotSpirit Breaks aim for another record year
    • Charity seeks new trustees
    • Applicants sought for research project
    • Official Charity at the South West Tourism Excellence Awards
    • Inner-city schools to get national park trips

• 2017

  • December

    • Scottish press report on success of ScotSpirit breaks
    • ScotSpirit breaks celebrate record year
    • 2018 Charity of the Year at SVM
    • You shall go to the ball!
    • Open for applications for short breaks on brand new system
    • Joseph Rowntree Foundation report on poverty published

  • November

    • One Donation, Twice the Impact
    • Royal Caribbean UK & Ireland announces charity partnership
    • Double Your Donation at no extra cost to you!
    • York’s ‘most-haunted’ status celebrated with ghost search

  • October

    • Last week of the season for families going on a break
    • Supported charity at the Elman Wall Directors’ Summit
    • Fundraising Team of the Year
    • Official charity of Holiday Park & Resort Innovation

  • September

    • Family holidays rescued by corporate supporter
    • Cruise Lines International Association UK & Ireland announces charity partnership
    • Jingle success in Remember A Charity Week
    • Remember A Charity In Your Will Week – 11th to 17th September
    • Charity Patron Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor dies at 85

  • August

    • Charity’s work featured on BBC Radio 5 Live
    • Family Holiday Association shortlisted for a Charity Times Award!
    • Thanksgiving Service for Lady Mary Mumford

  • June

    • Adults earning more than the national average still struggling
    • Smiles all round as TUI UK&I raises over a million
    • Paying tribute to Life President Mary Mumford

  • April

    • Artist Becky Bettesworth supports Seaside Walk Week
    • Seeking Shades Day Stars to support our national awareness and fundraising day

  • March

    • Holiday Autos become a charity partner
    • Season begins with first families going on a break

  • February

    • Friends in Scotland and Flanders

  • January

    • Record number of struggling families awarded a break in 2016
    • First offers of the season sent out

• 2016

  • December

    • Our European links stretch back over almost 20 years
    • Partnership with VisitScotland featured on Reporting Scotland
    • Family Holiday Association at Association of Tourism in Higher Education conference

  • November

    • Double your donation at no extra cost to you!

  • October

    • Vote for us in the Charity Film Awards
    • Holiday Park and Resort Innovation
    • ChariTable bookings – Giving tastes good
    • Save the date for Shades Day 2017

  • September

    • Breaking Barriers – partnering with VisitScotland
    • Social Tourism could stimulate the rural economy
    • Heather and David scale great heights to raise funds
    • Wise words leave a lasting legacy #mywisdom

  • August

    • The Great British Bake Off Sweepstake
    • Charity to benefit from luxury shirt collection

  • July

    • Congratulations and thanks to our ITT Future You Challenge winners
    • Roundtable on social tourism held at Westminster
    • Take part in one of our exciting new events

  • June

    • TUI UK & Ireland Football Fundraising
    • Holidays for Allseasons offers breaks to struggling families
    • Introducing new travel website ‘Host Unusual’
    • Annual Review 2015 – a time to celebrate
    • Seaside Walk Week 2016 a success
    • 500 for 500 campaign target achieved

  • May

    • Haven donate 40 breaks in 500 for 500 campaign
    • Seaside Walk Week returns this spring

  • April

    • Charity to benefit from TUI UK&I choir single
    • Team Starfish ready for the London Marathon
    • Everest base camp trek participants announced
    • #ScotSpirit campaign to help Scottish families get a break
    • Thank you for getting involved on Shades Day

  • March

    • First families of the year have a break today
    • VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2016

  • February

    • 2015 – Another record year!
    • Official charity at VisitEngland Awards for Excellence
    • The ITT Future You Challenge
    • VisitScotland to gift breaks through #ScotSpirit
    • Families to benefit from Big Weekend

  • January

    • 80% of young carers miss out on childhood experiences
    • Welsh government realise importance of breaks
    • We’ve got solutions to your resolutions!

• 2015

  • December

    • Lynette Amelie Merry
    • Take part in the Everest Base Camp Trek
    • Charity benefits from Alesha Dixon’s Christmas single
    • An introduction to the Family Fund

  • November

    • Holidays Matter conference 2015
    • Collaboration with See Change Films

  • October

    • The charity signs the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism
    • Head teachers need to have flexibility to help struggling families take a break
    • Funeral for Fiona Hills – the charity’s first administrator
    • Official charity at Holiday Park and Resort Innovation 2015

  • September

    • Teaming up with National Express for Summer Days Out

  • August

    • Charity President, Peter Long: Family holidays are a priority not a privilege

  • July

    • New Record – more than 3,000 families helped in 2015
    • Glasgow City Council joins the Holidays Matter network

  • June

    • A holiday is for life, not just for summer
    • Oh we do like to be beside the seaside…

  • May

    • It’s our 40th Anniversary today!
    • First Laurance Paper launched
    • Ruth Rendell

  • February

    • A simple break helps people get back into work

• 2014

  • November

    • Putting Social Tourism on the map
    • Holidays Matter network launched at WTM 2014
    • Charity President speaks out!

  • October

    • A new addition – Akaroa

  • August

    • Barnados report sparks media interest

• 2013

  • October

    • New charity President, Peter Long, delivers first speech following the Holidays Matter Conference at the Royal Society

  • September

    • Parliament to be lobbied against the Parent Trap of expensive holidays

  • June

    • Term time holidays; a subject for discussion

  • April

    • John Mason MSP leads debate in Scottish Parliament

  • February

    • New caravan opened at Ayr holiday park

• 2012

  • November

    • APPG chairman, Paul Maynard, visits Flanders

  • August

    • Social Tourism becoming better recognised says Alison Rice, travel writer and charity trustee

  • July

    • Respected travel magazine hosts social tourism roundtable