Annual Review 2009

16 Mortimer StreetLondon W1T 3JL

Telephone: 020 7436 3304Fax: 020 7323 7299

info@FamilyHolidayAssociation.org.ukwww.FamilyHolidayAssociation.org.uk

Registered charity number 800262A company Limited by Guarantee registered number 2301337 England

Written and designed by Cottier & SidawayPrinted by Clifford Martin Press

Review of 2009

Family breaksmean the world

We all need a breakCan you remember your last break away from home? It probably wasn’t that long ago. You almost

certainly enjoyed getting away from the routine of daily life with all its associated stresses and

problems. No doubt you had time to relax, visit different places, try new experiences, meet other

people and, maybe, catch up with old friends. You probably returned home feeling refreshed, with

your batteries recharged and with a host of happy memories to treasure.

Many of us manage to takea break at least once

every year. We consider it anecessary part of life to ensurewe stay healthy – physically,emotionally and mentally. Butmillions of children and theirfamilies are denied thisnecessity. They cannot take abreak from home because theyare just too poor to afford it.Family circumstances are oftencomplex and include long-termillness, chronic depression,

disability, family break-up,and domestic violence.

Sadly, it is thesefamilies strugglingin the most difficult

situations who cannotget away and would mostbenefit from a break.

Children especially suffer if theirfamily is never able to have abreak away from home. Notonly do they miss out on qualityfamily time, they have fewopportunities to broaden theirhorizons and have no special

● give long lasting, treasured memories

● result in happier, stronger families and a moreinclusive society.

All the families we support arefighting to survive on lowincomes and have not had abreak for at least four years –many have never had thechance to get away as a family.These families are referred to usby a range of professionals,such as social workers, healthauthority staff and charitiessuch as NSPCC andGingerbread.

memories or stories to sharewith friends. They can feelexcluded and isolated, whichmay eventually contribute toemotional, behavioural orsocial problems.

The Family Holiday Associationwas set up in 1975 to helpstruggling families take thebreak they need. It is the onlynational charity in the UKdedicated to providing breaksto disadvantaged families.Every year the charity helpsmany hundreds get away fromtheir everyday lives for a shortwhile. At the Family HolidayAssociation, we believe that abreak away from home can:● improve well-being and

reduce stress● increase self esteem and

confidence● strengthen family

communication andbonding

● provide new skills, widen perspectives and enhance employability

I heard about the Family Holiday Association through my support worker at Women’s Aid.My abusive ex-partner was on bail and the children and I were practically in hiding. It was sostressful and worrying. We hadn’t been away together as a family for years and years, andour situation meant we really needed a break. We stayed in one of the Family HolidayAssociation’s caravans at Devon Cliffs Holiday Park. The children loved the beach andswimming pool. It was a week of laughter and fun for us all.

Emily Johnstone single mum

My view

A staggering one in three families cannot afforda one-week break away from home, and one infive is too poor to pay for a day trip.

Our vision is to achieve a society in which the quality of family life is enhanced through

equitable access to high value rest and recreation regardless of disadvantage or poverty.

Our mission is to work in partnership with others to promote the quality of family life for

those parents and children who experience disadvantage as a result of poverty through the

provision of and by promoting access to holidays and other recreational activities.

We believe that everyoneregardless of

disadvantage should be able toenjoy family life through accessto holidays and otherrecreational activities. Ourmain objectives are to:● increase the number of

families that can gainaccess to holidays

● research and promote thevalue of holidays forfamilies experiencingdisadvantage

● increase awareness of thescale and scope of theproblem of lack of access to holidays.

The Family Holiday Associationworks in different ways toachieve its aims. By providingvouchers and grants and byworking with others, we sendabout 1,600 families on breakseach year – that’s around 7,000

Holiday Association caravans atUK seaside resorts. This is ourmost popular option.

Direct grants: we offer a one-offcontribution towards any typeof break. Families choose theirown destination and book themost convenient dates, forexample a stay in a privatelyrented cottage or a visit torelatives.

Short breaks: working with ourpartners we offer three- or four-night stays in self-cateringaccommodation at selected UKholiday parks. Short breaksparticularly suit families whoare not able to go away for awhole week due to caring orwork commitments.

Last minute breaks:occasionally travel companiesoffer us breaks at short notice,

individuals. Through lobbyingand campaigning we increasethe profile of our work, and soraise awareness with the publicand government of the far-reaching benefits of breaks forthose in need, as well associety in general.

To help as many families as wecan, we make funds orvouchers for breaks available tothe welfare agents, who helpthe families with bookings andarrangements for breaks. Usingthe feedback that we gatherfrom both welfare agents andfamilies after their break, westrive continually to improvethe services we provide.

Currently we offer:Holiday centre breaks: with ourpartners Haven and Butlins, weprovide one-week, self-cateringbreaks in chalets and Family

either in the UK or overseas.This type of break suits familieswho are able to travel with onlya few days’ notice.

Group breaks: we provide aone-off contribution towardsbreaks or day trips for a groupof families, organised by theirwelfare agent.

We want to ensure that thefamilies we help do not feeldifferent and that theirexperience of a break is similarto other families – there is funin the choice and planning, aswell as the break itself. Weencourage families to becomeinvolved in choosing andorganising their trip. Althoughwe also contribute towardsexpenses, such as travel andtreats for the children, westrongly encourage families tosave for their break.

The Family Holiday Association

I’ve been a trustee with the Family Holiday Associationfor a long, long time – over 16 years. I was brought upto believe in the importance of breaks. My mother was ahealth visitor and worked with disadvantaged families inLancashire. She was full of praise for some of Blackpool’sB&B landladies, who would occasionally offer rooms tofamilies too poor to afford a visit to the seaside. Mymother always said that these breaks did more for ‘herfamilies’ than any pills the doctor could prescribe – and Ithink she was right. A break away really can be the bestmedicine for families weighed down with life’sdifficulties. Today there’s such emphasis on the latestmaterial possessions, a break allows families to spendsome essential time together and just be.

Alison RiceFamily HolidayAssociation Trustee

My view

Family breaks have lasting benefits foreveryone – children, parents, carers, widerfamily, communities and society in general.

With the recent recession the Family Holiday Association’s work is becoming even more

important, as more and more families fall into debt and strive to manage on low incomes.

Many have had to cope with one earner, sometimes more, being made redundant. Often a

break away from home is one of the first cutbacks families make. But a break away from the

stress and strain of everyday life can often help in the most positive way. For some families, a

break is a real lifeline. They return from their time away feeling revitalised, closer as a family

and better able to tackle their problems.

During the year we continued toimprove our procedures forapplications, bookings, feedback,monitoring and evaluation usingnew online systems and dataanalysis methods. However, thesummer postal strikes did causesome problems. In a few cases,documents and expenses arrivedvery late and almost jeopardiseda break. But our staff workedexceedingly hard to ensureinformation was sent out earlyor was delivered by othermethods to ensure families didnot miss out.

Our caravansThe Family Holiday Associationnow owns 11 caravans at fiveholiday parks across the UK: ● three at Butlins Skegness● three at Haven Devon Cliffs,

near Exmouth

Afew years ago we trialled apilot scheme using vouchers

for breaks. Instead of booking afamily’s break for them, wegave them a special voucherthat allowed them to organisetheir own break at theirpreferred holiday park at themost suitable time for them.This scheme avoided FamilyHoliday Association staff havinglengthy discussions overbookings and allowed them toconcentrate on other prioritytasks. It also meant familieswere involved in planning theirbreak – just like any otherfamily would be. The schemewas exceptionally successfuland very cost-effective, so wehave expanded it. In 2009 asignificant proportion of thebreaks we offered were throughthis voucher scheme.

● two at Butlins Minehead ● two at Haven Hafan y Môr

in Gwent● one at Haven Presthaven

Sands, near Prestatyn inNorth Wales.

By owning a small fleet ofcaravans, we are able to offerbreaks in high qualityaccommodation during thepeak holiday season, whilekeeping the cost to the charityas low as possible. Regularinspections by Family HolidayAssociation staff allow us tomonitor the service offered bythe holiday centres where ourcaravans are sited, and ensurethe standard of our caravanaccommodation remains high.

We are currently exploringways to administer a group

A break makes all the difference

It’s so important for families to have a break. They needto disengage from the current stresses in their lives andhave some time for uninterrupted fun and to bond as afamily. As a welfare agent with Women’s Aid, a charitythat works to end domestic violence against womenand children, I see some of the terrible difficultiesfamilies must deal with. The Family Holiday Associationhelps families forget for a short time all the horriblethings that are happening in their lives. After theirbreak, I see mums and their children smile again. Butmore importantly, they seem much better able to copewith the everyday pressures they face.

Michelle Slaterwelfare agent with Women’s Aid

My view

booking system for ourcaravans so that we can helpprovide cost-effective, reliabletransport to and from sites.

Trains took the strainFirst Great Western, the railprovider for south-westBritain, continued to supportthe charity in 2009 bydonating 300 train tickets forfamilies travelling todestinations such as DevonCliffs and Minehead. Manydisadvantaged families rely onpublic transport and, as partof our offer, the Family HolidayAssociation helps with travelexpenses. First Great Western’sgenerosity means that we areable to provide free traintravel to many families. Thisleaves the charity with morefunds to help more families. In 2009 the Family Holiday Association

offered 1,610 disadvantaged families amuch-needed break away from home.

As well as our core work, we have several innovative projects that we have been

progressing with sponsors and other like-minded organisations.

cemented its relationship withKench Hill Educational Centre,which is now helping familiesat the school access breaksmore easily.

The charity aims to help theschool plan how to meet itsown objective of ensuring thatall children, from the age offive upwards, are able toparticipate in at least one daytrip and one short break duringtheir time at Burbage School.

Extended to Reading During 2008, news of thisproject’s success spread and wewere approached by ExtendedLearning in Reading. Theywanted to explore thepossibility of similar projects inschools in the most deprivedareas of Reading. Throughout2009 we have worked with theWhitley Excellence Cluster ofschools in south Reading andReading Credit Union toencourage and incentivisefamilies to save for a breakaway from home. Wedistributed 7,000 FamilyHoliday Association caravan

School projectRunning for three years, 2010will be the last year of theBurbage school project.Sponsored by First Choice, itwas set up to measure theimpact of a break away fromhome on pupils, their parentsand the school community.Working with Burbage Schoolin Hackney, one of London’smost deprived areas, during theproject we have been able tooffer several very successfulgroup breaks at Kench HillEducational Centre in Kent,individual family breaks in ourcaravans, and a hugely popularday trip to visit the DiscoveryCruise Ship in HarwichInternational Harbour.

The project has had its fairshare of challenges, includingseveral changes of key staff atthe school. One importantoutcome of the project hasbeen the change in parents’attitudes. Many of those whoparticipated have takenresponsibility for planningfurther breaks. The FamilyHoliday Association has also

moneyboxes, which wereincluded in a ‘First Savers’ packfor pupils. With our support,Whitley Excellence Clusterorganised family day trips duringthe summer – two toBournemouth, one to theCotswold Wildlife Park and oneto the London museums. We are looking forward tocontinuing a fruitful workingprogramme with theseorganisations in Reading.

Healthy breaksOur healthy breaks aim toimprove the quality of life forchildren and their familiesaffected by depression and otherhealth related issues. Familiesare introduced to a range ofactivities that involve gentleexercise, such as countrysidewalks and orienteering, healthyfood and relaxation exercises toencourage a positive mindset.This project began two yearsago, and again its success led tointerest from other agenciesacross Britain.

During 2009 we were able toprovide three healthy breaks to

Special projects As the fundraising administrator at the Family HolidayAssociation, I process all the donations we receive,help with fundraising events and provide generaladministrative support. I find it so rewarding to hearback from families and welfare agents about breaks,and the difference they have made.

These days, with travel so accessible, many of us takeholidays for granted. It’s easy to underestimate thedifference a simple break away can make. I still havevery fond memories of staying at holiday parks withmy family – parks very similar to those the familiesstay in now – and I can picture the families enjoyingsimilar experiences for the first time.

Michelle Barnesfundraisingadministrator withthe Family HolidayAssociation

My view

Travel organisation TUI UK &Ireland donated twooverseas breaks, which wewere able to offer todisadvantaged families inReading. They enjoyed all-inclusive breaks withactivities such as swimminglessons for the children,mini-golf, canoeing, localexcursions, evening showsand a gala dinner. For thesefamilies it was the break ofa lifetime!

31 families (101 people) fromRotherham, Sheffield andBurbage School in Hackney.As well as using Kench HillEducational Centre, we alsoidentified other locations atwhich to base these breaks,including Ufton Court inBerkshire, the HollowfordCentre in Derbyshire and LongMead Community Farm in Dorset.

Families told us that the most important aspect of theirbreak was being able to spend time together as a family.Welfare agents reported that the most significant resultthey witnessed was an improvement in mental health.

So that the Family Holiday Association can help as many disadvantaged families as possible

have breaks away, we continue to work and develop successful relationships with a range

of like-minded organisations both in the UK and abroad.

families with severely disabledchildren to have choices andthe opportunity to enjoy anordinary life. Sometimes thefamilies who are referred to theFamily Holiday Association havechildren who are severelydisabled or severely ill, so, withpermission, we pass on thesedetails to the Family Fund. Thisinformal affiliation works well,and allows both charities tosupport more families in need.In 2009 the Family Fund wasable to help 60 familiesoriginally referred to us.

Throughout the year wecontinued to work closely witha number of organisations toreach and support even moredisadvantaged families. Theseincluded Harlow & BroxbourneWomen’s Aid, Rotherham SocialServices, Rotherham Surestart,Separated Families in York, andChildren’s Specialist Services,Sheffield Council. We alsoexplored the possibility of newpartnerships with the KatherineLow Settlement Refugee Project

At home We continue to workproductively with UNISONWelfare, which is part of theUK’s largest trade union –UNISON. More than 1.3 millionpeople are part of UNISON, soit is not surprising that aproportion of these membersare not able to take a breakbecause of difficultcircumstances. We were able to support 135 families thatUNISON Welfare referred. Thefamilies’ feedback after theirbreaks was very positive.

We maintain a closerelationship with the FamilyFund – a charity that helps

in Wandsworth, Home StartLondon, the YWCA, and StVincent de Paul – a parish basedcharity focusing on sociallyexcluded people in its localcommunities.

In EuropeAs part of our European HolidayExperience project, we havedeveloped close ties with asimilar organisation in France,called Vacances Ouvertes, and aGovernment agency in Flanders,called Tourism Flanders. Ourprogramme of exchange tripsallows low-income families fromeach country to take part insupported breaks in otherEuropean countries. In October,four families from Rotherhamtravelled to Poperinge inFlanders, while 15 Flemishfamilies had an exciting citybreak in London.

We also began to explore thepossibility of a teenage/youngparents project with TourismFlanders. Together we metrepresentatives from the

Working with partners Having a break away from home is so important – itmakes such a difference to so many aspects of life.But the value of a break is very often underestimated.Families have to cope with many pressures and ourmembers sometimes face difficulties trying to achievea happy and healthy work-life balance. UNISONWelfare has been working with the Family HolidayAssociation for several years. Our organisations andwork complement each other exceptionally well. Byworking together in partnership we are both able tohelp more families in need and help raise awarenessof the importance of breaks away from home.

Julie GrantHead of UNISON Welfare

My view

Hillfields Young Parents Projectin Bristol, the Stadium TeenageHousing Project in London, theFlanders National TeenageProject and a funder of EUgrants for young people. Themeeting concluded that manyyoung parents want to be in aposition to offer their child a lifethat is different from their own;a programme of exchangebreaks could be a good way tofacilitate the start of thisaspirational process. TheEuropean young parents holidayproject has now receivedfunding to produce acomprehensive and detailedproposal for a pilot exchangeprogramme for young peopleand their children between theUK and Flanders.

‘We all want to say how grateful we are that you were able tolet us get away as a family. It was the best gift in the world.’Mrs Franks, who had a break in Skegness with her two children.

During 2009 the Family Holiday Association continued to progress its aims by leading a

working party on social tourism. This concept, which is defined as the inclusion of people

living on low incomes in holiday and leisure activities, is not well-known in the UK.

However, it is a familiar concept in Europe. For decades organisations in France, Belgium

and Spain have been directly supporting families with breaks away from home.

the BITS European workingparty on social tourism. BITS,the International Bureau ofSocial Tourism, is aninternational, non-profitassociation aiming to promoteaccess to tourism for all,especially low-income groups.In January we also learned of aEuropean-wide, EU-fundedproject on social tourism, calledCALYPSO. To our great delight,we were asked to represent theUK on the project’s workingparty. Our involvement withBITS and CALYPSO will, withoutdoubt, help us to raise theprofile and understanding ofsocial tourism across the UK.

A Scottish forumAs Scotland has a devolvedparliament, it is important forus to ensure social tourism ison its agenda. In March, withour partners UNISON Welfare,we held a successful forumconcentrating on social tourismin Scotland. Our speakers, fromthe Parliament, the tourism

In October, Thea Joldersma,our Policy and Programme

Manager, joined the prestigiousWorld Leisure Forum and WorldSocial Tourism Congress inCanada, where she presentedtwo papers on social tourism:● a briefing paper for policy

makers entitled Evaluating

Stated Needs for Support for

Holidays, which summariseshow providing breaks forlow-income families is aunique and effective way ofdelivering a range ofbenefits to families, andsociety as a whole

● a preview of our new leaflet,Giving families a break – a

guide to social tourism in

the UK, which offers asynopsis of the concept andwhat’s been happening inthe UK. We published thisleaflet in the UK later in the year.

Following on from theconference, the Family HolidayAssociation was invited to join

industry and user-groups, gavesome very interesting andthought-provokingpresentations to a wide-rangingaudience. The forum agreedthree key actions to progresssocial tourism in Scotland. Afterthe forum we published a shortreport highlighting the issuesdiscussed and recommendingthe way forward.

Important researchIn the spring, an importantpaper on social tourism waspublished in the Annals of

Tourism Research. Written by DrLynn Minnaert, Prof RobertMaitland and Dr Graham Miller,of the University of Westminsterand the University of Surrey andsupported by the Family HolidayAssociation, it shows that for arelatively small investment interms of time and money, socialtourism can achieve a range ofbenefits for the participantsthat outlast the duration of thebreak itself.

Social tourism One of the important things in my life is a sense offairness. I think people should have a fair chance toenjoy things many take for granted: a sufficient income,a decent home, peace and quiet, and the possibility ofgetting away and enjoying a different environment.Going away, even for only a few days, helps give peoplea different perspective on life, improves their health,gives them something to talk about on their return andeven improves the quality of their relationships.

Other countries help support social tourism. Whyshouldn’t we? To benefit families who cannot withoutfinancial help afford a break from home seems to me a vital feature of modern-day care for those on low incomes.

Ruth RendellBaroness Rendell ofBabergh, well-known author andpatron of the FamilyHoliday Association

My view

Later in the year wecommissioned a new survey onthe provision of social tourism. It included compiling, for thefirst time in the UK, acomprehensive list of allorganisations providing socialtourism services and assessedtheir views on helping familieshave breaks. Key findingsincluded:● although all respondents

provided social tourismservices, only 16% hadheard of the concept

● almost three-quarters saidit would be ‘very beneficial’to have a budget to supportbreaks for theirbeneficiaries

● 95% agreed that socialtourism should be on theUK’s national policy agenda.

Studies show that social tourism can bringremarkable benefits to the family andpersonal life of the participants.

In 2008 the Family Holiday Association was delighted to be chosen as the designated charity of

the travel organisation TUI UK & Ireland. This year our partnership went from strength

to strength.

Thomson Airways coin collectionSince January 2009, everyThomson Airways flight into theUK has played a special FamilyHoliday Association video toreturning holidaymakers. Afterdescribing the charity’simportant work, passengers areinvited to donate any sparecoins, sterling or foreign, tohelp give disadvantaged familiesa break. At the end of the year,these coin collections had raiseda spectacular £150,000 for us.

These collectionsare set to continueindefinitely, andwill provide ahugely valuablesource of income.

Across the companyStaff throughout TUI, includingthose working in overseasdestinations, retail shops, athead office and with ThomsonAirways, have risen to thefundraising challenge. Rightthrough the year, they havetaken part in numerous events,such as swimathons, sponsoredhead-shaving, gala show nights,football, rounders and tennistournaments, dressing up days,sponsored runs, and raffles.Their brilliant efforts haveenabled us tosend even morefamilies onbreaks away.

Raising essential funds

A special relationship TUI UK & Ireland isa large companyand to ensurethat all its staffknow as much aspossible aboutthe FamilyHoliday Association and tomake the most of fundraisingopportunities, the company hasagreed every year to secondone of its staff to work at thecharity’s offices. In April 2009,Abigail Pugh, a PerformanceManager at Thomson Airwayswith experience of both theairline and the overseasoperations, took up the firstsecondee position. Her mainrole is to develop our corporaterelationship as well as provideclear communication about theFamily Holiday Association’swork and support the staff’sfundraising events andpromotions. She’s doing a great job!

The local angle The Family Holiday Association is lucky enough to enjoy thesupport of three local groups that continue tirelessly to raisemoney to help disadvantaged families in their areas havebreaks away from home. Our thanks to Rotherham HolidayAid, Sheffield Family Holiday Fund and North London Friendsfor their dedication and splendid fundraising achievements.

For me, there isn’t a more deserving cause than that which supports the idea of offeringhappiness to children in unhappy circumstances. I also feel that it’s essential to break awayfrom the everyday routine and for underprivileged families to leave behind problems andhardships that most of us can’t even begin to imagine. A break away allows these families tospend time together, to enjoy themselves in a happier environment and to create memoriesthat will get them through the next 12 months. I’m delighted that TUI is supporting theFamily Holiday Association.

Ian ChapmanHead of OverseasOperations withTUI UK & Ireland

My view

Thank you to all our supporters who gave up their time to raisemoney for the Family Holiday Association. With your help, wegave many more disadvantaged families a break away.

The Family Holiday Association relies on donations from individuals, companies, trusts and

other local groups to carry out its work. We had a packed fundraising calendar

last year – here are some of the exciting highlights.

several raffles, a tennistournament and a football match,raised over £6,000.

November25th – Sound of Music galaevening Sponsored by the Malta TourismAuthority, we held a galaevening at the LondonPalladium. Guests were treatedto a glittering performance ofthe Sound of Music as well as apost-performance champagnereception with the musical’s starcast.

26th – Shine AwardsThese awards acknowledge thecontribution of women to thetravel industry. We were invitedalong and raised over £2,000.

March 200918th – Travel industry pub quizWith 34 teams taking part, thisannual event was another greatsuccess and raised £7,000. Ourthanks to the Malta TourismAuthority, ABTA and ArnoldFisher who sponsored this ever-popular quiz.

September 200810th – Travel TradeGazette AwardsOur special envelope collectionduring dinner raised over£3,000 as well as awareness ofthe charity among the travelindustry.

25th – AdvantageConferenceAttendees at this businesstravel conference generouslydonated through our envelopecollection and raised £2,000.

October 5th – Great North RunOur team of 14 includedrunners from Superbreak andFlagship Consulting. Theyraised almost £4,000.

6-9th – ABTA TravelConvention, Gran CanariaWe always make the most of the opportunity to raiseawareness of the FamilyHoliday Association’s work aswell as money at this key travelindustry function. Variousevents, such as theConvention’s popular fun run,

April26th – Flora LondonMarathonWith sponsorship from OmanTourism Authority, our team of 22 runners took part in themarathon and raised over £50,000.

May9th – Just WalkA team from PR companyFlagship Consulting walked40km over the South Downsand raised over £1,000.

June30th – Sunsail travelindustry sailing regattaAt this year’s event, held atPort Solent, the intrepid teamsraised over £800.

Our fundraising calendar I have supported the Family Holiday Association for almost 10 years using every possibleopportunity to spread the word about the charity’s good work within my circle of businesscolleagues and friends. As a member of the travel industry, I participate in fundraisingactivities under the banner of TIFF – the Travel Industry Fundraising Forum. We endeavourto initiate schemes to raise money for charity and persuade industry associations to makethe Family Holiday Association their preferred charity at potential fundraising events. I amproud to help a charity that makes such a direct difference to the lives of underprivilegedfamilies in a simple yet significant way by helping provide a break that they could nototherwise afford.

Ronnie SimkinsFamily HolidayAssociationsupporter

My view

If you would like to raise vital funds for the Family Holiday Association andhelp give more disadvantaged families the break they really need, pleasecall our fundraising team on 020 7323 7292.

Director’s statement Chairman’s statement

Of course, fundraising is really

important and we have had

some terrific successes with our

deepening and incredibly

beneficial corporate

relationship with TUI UK &

Ireland, with our events

programme that includes the

annual London Marathon team

effort, and our local fundraising

groups in North London,

Rotherham and Sheffield –

to name just three types of

income generation upon which

we depend. Our finances are in

relatively good health and we

aim to increase significantly the

numbers of families we will

help in the coming year.

We also depend on literally

hundreds of welfare agents –

health visitors, social workers,

teachers, GPs etc – both to refer

families and to provide them

with a helping hand when

preparing and organising their

breaks away from home.

We have access to over 4,000

the people who have thanked

me. Many parents have cried

with happiness and emotion,

and said the trip would never,

ever be forgotten. Months later

parents and children still

approach me in the playground

to talk about the break and say

how fabulous it was.’

I would like to thank the team

of staff at the charity for all

their hard work and the

trustees for their continued

support. Most of all I offer my

thanks to you – the people who

fund our important work; work

that makes a real and tangible

difference to the lives of so

many families.

welfare agents, who have

worked with us or have

expressed an interest in the

support we provide families.

These welfare agents actively

inform our work and also

spread the message of how

important even a simple break

can be for a family struggling

with difficult circumstances.

A significant recent event was

the First Choice Holidays and

Thomson Airways sponsored

trip to Lapland last December.

This trip needed real hands-on

support from our welfare

agents, in particular the staff

at Delce Junior School in

Rochester, Kent who worked so

hard to make the trip a reality.

The 100 Delce schoolchildren,

parents and staff who made the

trip to see Santa Claus knew it

was a special day, but no one

realised just how important it

would be. Helen Buck, a home

school support worker at Delce

School, said, ‘I’ve lost count of

In 2010 we are lifting our

sights and aim to help up to

2,000 families – that’s almost

9,000 children and parents –

but we can only do this

because of increased help from

our supporters: individuals,

groups, trusts and businesses

alike. In particular, our

relationship with TUI UK &

Ireland, the owners of First

Choice, Thomson Holidays and

Thomson Airways, was crucial

and was strengthened last year

by TUI providing a secondee,

Abigail Pugh, to work on the

charity partnership. Abi’s work

has been instrumental in

significantly increasing the

partnership income. In turn

this has allowed us to expand

our support to families in need.

I have the pleasure to

announce that our relationship

with TUI has been

strengthened yet further by

their CEO, Peter Long, agreeing

to become one of our patrons.

report and view a video of

Baroness Rendell introducing the

debate. The trustees are very

keen that the Government pays

more attention to this area of

social welfare. We will be taking

steps to ensure that we make our

case as effectively as possible to

politicians of all parties in the

new parliament.

None of our achievements would

be possible without the charity’s

dedicated staff, ably led by our

director John McDonald. I am also

grateful for the support of our

council of trustees and other

hard-working committee

members including our dynamic

founder, Joan Laurance, and our

gracious president, Lady Mary

Mumford DCVO.

While the bulk of our work is

focused on providing direct

support to some of the neediest

families, we also spend time

making people aware of the

importance of breaks and the

benefits they deliver for families.

We held our second dinner at the

House of Commons, where our

patron Mr Justice Coleridge, a

senior family division judge, gave

a powerful speech about the

need to address family

breakdown. The dinner was

attended by MPs from several

parties, as well as a selection of

travel-related companies and

charity partners, such as the

YHA (England & Wales).

I was also delighted to welcome

Ruth Rendell, the well-known

author and member of the House

of Lords, as yet another

influential patron. She kindly

asked a question in the Lords

about the then Government’s

attitude to social tourism. You

can visit our website to read a

John McDonald

Director

Ian Reynolds

Chairman of Council

The work of the Family Holiday Association in helpingsome 1,600 families this past year would not have beenpossible without the generous support of a large numberof individuals and organisations.

This was an exciting year for the Family HolidayAssociation and the 1,600 families we helped with amuch-needed break. All the feedback we have receivedtells us how important these breaks have been for thefamilies concerned.

Summary statement of financial activities

2009 2008

£ £

Incoming resources

Donations and gifts 1,083,620 1,276,670

Trading operations 0 33,111

Investment income 14,610 26,607

Total 1,098,230 1,336,388

Resources expended

Direct charitable expenditure 782,072 726,585

Fundraising and publicity 315,020 265,339

Trading operations 3,496 45,451

Governance 11,367 11,151

Total 1,111,955 1,048,526

Movement for the year (13,725) 287,862

Change in valuation of investments (5,205) (17,169)

Funds brought forward 847,546 576,853

Funds carried forward 828,616 847,546

Summary balance sheet

Fixed assets and investments 281,227 288,557

Net current assets 547,389 558,989

Total funds 828,616 847,546

Financial information

Fundraising andpublicity 28%

Goverance 1%

Trading operations 0.5%

Direct charitable 70.5%

Income

Individual donations 29%

Legacies 4%

Events 9%

Trusts 20%

Investments and interest 1%

Local groups 6% Corporates 31%

President

Lady Mary Mumford DCVO

Founders

Joan Laurance BEM

Patrick Laurance (deceased 11 January 2008)

Patrons

Jean Boht

John Carter

Mr Justice Coleridge

Mansukh Ganatra

Professor K Holt

John Jay

Peter Long

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor,

Lord Pearson of Rannoch

Libby Purves

Lady Ruth Rendell

Sir Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi

Prunella Scales

Anthony Solomons

Sir Harry Solomon

His Honour Anthony Tibber

Most Revd and Rt Hon Dr Rowan

Williams, the Lord Archbishop

of Canterbury

Council Officers

Chair – Ian Reynolds

Vice Chair – Alison Rice

Treasurer – Keith Graham

Council Members

David Burling, Tony Caplin,

Felicity Clarkson, Penny Cushing,

Pippa Isbell, Michael Nicol,

Martha Osamor, Kristina Wallen

Expenditure

AuditorsCarter Backer Winter,Enterprise House,21 Buckle Street, London E1 8NN

SolicitorsBerwin Leighton Paisner, Adelaide House, London Bridge,London EC4R 9HA

BankersBarclays Bank plc, 99 Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8DN

CAF Bank, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4TA

Investment ManagersJames Capel Investment Management, HSBC Investment Bank plc, 6 Bevis Marks, London EC3 3JQ

Council’s (Trustees’) StatementThe financial information shown here is a summaryextracted from the Consolidated FinancialStatements of the Family Holiday Association for theyear ending 31 August 2009.

These summarised accounts may not containsufficient information to allow for a fullunderstanding of the financial affairs of the charity.For further information the Consolidated FinancialStatements, the auditor’s report on thosestatements and the Council’s report should beconsulted. Copies of these can be obtained from theFamily Holiday Association, 16 Mortimer Street,London W1T 3JL. The Council approved theConsolidated Financial Statements on 24 March2010 and the annual report and accounts have beensubmitted to the Charity Commission.

The Consolidated Financial Statements have beenaudited and have been given an unqualified auditreport by our auditors.

Signed on behalf of the Council

Keith GrahamTreasurer27 April 2010

Auditor’s StatementAs auditors to the Family Holiday Association wehave reviewed the summarised accounts shown hereand consider that they are consistent with theConsolidated Financial Statements on which wegave our opinion.

Carter Backer Winter

Charitable trusts andfoundations29th May 1961 Charitable Trust

Ballinger Charitable Trust

Mr E & Mrs J BeechamCharitable Trust

The Ben Charitable Trust

The Bothwell Charitable Trust

Cadogan Charity

The Worshipful Company ofCarmen Benevolent Trust

Sir Walker Carter CharitableTrust

CHK Charities Limited

The Coutts Charitable Trust

The Ann Daubeny CharitableTrust

The Eagle Charity Trust

Maud Elkington Charitable Trust

Enkalon Foundation

Excel Fund

Finderman Charitable Trust

The Fitton Trust

Donald Forrester Trust

Joseph Strong Frazer Trust

The Patrick Frost Foundation

G W Trust

The Goldsmiths' Company

Constance Green Foundation

The Haberdashers' Company

The F Hammond Trust

Harris Charitable Trust

The Hedley Foundation

Help A London Child

Hesslewood Children's Trust

The Alan Edward Higgs Charity

Innominate Trust

Jackdaw Trust

The Ernest Kleinwort CharitableTrust

The Sir James Knott Trust

Beatrice Laing Charitable Trust

The Paul Lunn-RockliffeCharitable Trust

R W Mann Trust

The Michael & Harriet MaunsellCharitable Trust

Meadow House Trust

Monaghan Trust

G M Morrison Charitable Trust

The Paget Trust

Miss Barbara May Paul Char Sett

The Persula Foundation

The Pitt-Rivers Charity

Ponton House Trust

The Albert Reckitt CharitableTrust

The Sir James Reckitt Charity

The Sir James Roll CharitableTrust

The Rothley Trust

The Rufford Maurice LaingFoundation

The 8th Earl of SandwichMemorial Trust

Henry James Sayer Charity

Sherburn House Charity

The Joseph & Ann SlaterMemorial Fund

The R C Snelling Charitable Trust

South Square Trust

Spring Trust

The Stansfield Trust

The Sunrise (Sidmouth) Trust

Edward Vinson 1957 CharitySettlement

The Wilmcote Charitrust

York Common Good Trust

CompaniesABTA Magazine

Advantage Travel Centres

Arnold Fisher Insurance

Attraction World

Bales Worldwide

Barclays

Citybond Suretravel

Dellar Davies

Steve Dunlop Photography

Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare

Eastcastle Management Group

Europ Assistance

First Choice travel shops all overthe UK

First Great Western

Flagship Consulting

Harp Wallen ExecutiveRecruitment

Haven Holidays

Holiday Extras Limited

Hostelbookers.com

Gail Kenny Executive Search

Lotus Group

Malta Tourist Office

Norwegian Cruise Line

Oman Tourist Office

Peng Travel Ltd

Premier Travel Agency Ltd

Representation Plus

Shine People & Places

Soundelivery

Sparkler

Sunshine.co.uk

Superbreak

Teletext Ltd

Thomson Airways bases: Belfast,Birmingham, Bournemouth,Bristol, Cardiff, Doncaster,Dublin, East Midlands, Exeter,Gatwick, Glasgow, Luton,Manchester, Newcastle, Stansted

Thomson travel shops all over theUK

Travel Bulletin

Travel Daily

Travel Trade Gazette and ttglive

Travel Weekly

TravelTime World

TUI Travel PLC

Vertical Systems

LegaciesMr Peter Binns

Ms Anne Marguerite Collett

Mrs Mary E Colville

Mr Charles Dreyfus

Mr Douglas John Read and MrsJoy Read

Mr James Smith

Mrs Margaret Waugh

Local groupsNorth London Friends of theFamily Holiday Association

Rotherham Holiday Aid

Sheffield Family Holiday Fund

Other groups andassociationsABTA – the Travel Association

ABTA Greater London Region

Association of Lawyers forChildren

The Dutch Church

Grays Convent School

Institute of Our Lady of Mercy

Resolution

Resolution Merseyside

St Michael & All Angels, Barnes

Shepherds Bush HousingAssociation

The Tourism Society

UNISON Welfare

United Reformed Church of St.Andrew

Travel IndustryFundraising ForumRoger Allard

Eric Campus

Alison Cryer

Jackie Murphy

Mandy Nickerson

Ronnie Simkins

Jacqueline Steadman

Kristina Wallen

London Marathon Team 2009Christopher Birt

Annie Blackburne

Jo Brown

Hannah Burden

Michele Burgoyne

Joanne Colchester

Sarah Fowler

Natasha Fowler

Ana Holden-Peters

Hayley Kirkby

Joe Lynch

Scott McCabe

Rachel Mathieson

Sean Power

Kate Rees

Gordon Ritter

Geoffrey Spence

James Watts

Phil White

Jack Woolsey

Helen Wright

Family Policy &Programme CommitteeFelicity Clarkson

Penny Cushing

Helen Ford

Eleanor Frost

Lorraine Gibson

Joan Laurance BEM

Martha Osamor

Nick Woodall

The stories and quotations in thisAnnual Review 2009 are true butsome names have been changedto protect individuals’ identities. Our thanks to photographersSteven Dunlop and MichaelPowell. Some photographs areposed by models.

Thank youWe would like to thank everyone who has given money and time to

the Family Holiday Association during the year. Without your

generosity our work would not be possible. Our special thanks to

those who donated £1,000 or more.