England for Everyone’ fund to provide holidays and trips for more than 800 families facing difficult times

• Family Holiday Charity will use the funding to arrange trips for families this year
• Will help those struggling financially, with illness, or facing isolation or bereavement

Families struggling financially, or facing illness, isolation or bereavement, will have an opportunity for a weekend break thanks to a new government fund.

More than 800 holidays and trips for families over the next few months will be funded by the £600,000 ‘England for Everyone’ fund.

The fund will support parents, carers, and young people experiencing difficult times to get away, relax and enjoy themselves on a weekend break in England.

Families who may never have had a holiday can be referred to the charity for a weekend trip and will have a choice of where they will visit. From campsites to chalets and caravans to lodges across the country, children could discover new creatures in rock pools, fly kites for the first time or build sandcastles on the beach.

Referees could include people such as social workers and teachers, and holiday vouchers would be provided to help cover transport, accommodation and food. VisitEngland is also working closely with holiday parks to include free onsite activities.

Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston said: “Holidays provide a vital opportunity for people to reset, spend quality time together and improve their mental wellbeing. But for many families taking a break can be impossible.

“Following the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are helping families facing particularly tough times to have a much-needed break while supporting our brilliant tourism and hospitality sector.”

Research by Family Holiday Charity has shown that short breaks can have huge benefits, with 85 percent of families finding children who had a break were going to school more regularly and 84 percent saying children were less isolated and getting more involved in their community since returning home.

The charity, which has helped more than 48,000 families since launching in 1975, has also found benefits for the tourism sector included extending the season and supporting jobs.

VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said: “This partnership is a first for VisitEngland and will reach sectors of society who don’t have access to domestic holidays.”

The fund has been created by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in association with Family Holiday Charity and VisitEngland.