If you’re looking to apply for a holiday for your family or a family you support, you’re in the right place.
Types of holidays available
We are pleased to be working with Inspire Travel, who offer a wide range of holidays, including self-catered caravans, lodges, and cottages across the UK. Whether you’re looking for a peaceful countryside retreat or a fun-filled getaway by the sea, they have something to suit every family’s needs and preferences. Usually, our funded holidays cover the cost of self-catered accommodation for up to 4 nights, with a contribution towards travel and food costs while on holiday.
Eligibility criteria
Many families are facing tough times and can’t access a holiday together. We aim to make the biggest impact by supporting those who need it most.
That’s why we focus our holiday offers on families who:
- Are on a low income (a household income of less than £24,000).*
- Have not had a holiday together in the last 4 years.
- Have at least one child under 18 who will go on the holiday.
*Income excludes non-means tested benefits
On this page:
If you're a family member...
If you're a referrer...
Funded holidays FAQs
If you’re a family member…
You’ll need someone who works with your family to refer you, we call this person a ‘referrer,’ they must support you or your family professionally and you should have regular contact with them. They’ll be there to guide you through the process and help you make the most of your holiday.
Your referrer must work for a registered charity or a statutory service provider. They’re usually someone who works in these types of organisations:
- Registered charities that provide services related to families.
- Government provided children's and family support departments such as social services and community health teams.
- Family support NHS services.
- Schools, nurseries, and children’s centres.
- Registered refuge and domestic abuse support agencies.
The people who might support you in these organisations often have roles like:
- Family support worker
- Social worker
- Health visitor
- Teacher
- Refuge support worker
Once they’ve registered to become a refererr with us, they’ll receive all the information they need to submit a holiday application for your family.
If you’re a referrer…
You'll need to register first and that means you'll be agreeing to support the family in a number of ways. As a referrer, the crucial aspect of your role is to determine if it's the right time to refer the family for a holiday, by considering all potential safeguarding and risk factors.
If you're already registered, to refer a family you’re supporting for a funded holiday, use the link provided in your referrer registration email or in our regular email updates. If you can’t find one of these emails, please contact us at hello@familyholidaycharity.org.uk
Funded holidays FAQs
Here, you'll find answers to some of the most common questions about funded holidays. We'll also share important information via email throughout the process, so don’t worry if you don’t find everything you need here.
Are there any exceptions to the eligibility criteria?
To ensure we stay true to our mission and use our resources where they are needed most, we’re unable to make exceptions to the criteria. Our criteria is in place to be as fair and impactful as possible.
How long could it take to receive a holiday offer?
As a charity relying on voluntary donations, our funding varies each year and isn’t guaranteed therefore not all holiday applications may result in a holiday being offered. Our goal is to support as many families as possible with the resources we have.
The length of time it might take us to offer your family a holiday depends on the funding we have available as well as the number of applications we have received. At certain times we receive very high volumes of applications, so it can take longer for us to work through them.
Holiday applications remain active for 12 months while we work to match them to suitable funding. If matched within 12 months, the application will be assessed, and if successful, a holiday offer email including the details on how to book, what’s included, and any restrictions will be sent to your referrer. At this stage, your referrer must still be working with you to accept the holiday offer and proceed with booking the holiday.
If we haven’t been able to offer you a holiday within this time frame either the person who originally referred you or someone else currently supporting you can submit a new application. A new application is required to ensure we have the most up-to-date understanding of your family’s circumstances, to confirm you still meet our criteria, and to make sure you are adequately supported by your referrer.
If I am offered a holiday, will it be in the UK or abroad?
We only offer holidays within the UK.
We are pleased to be working with Inspire Travel, who offer a wide range of holidays, including self-catered caravans, lodges, and cottages across the UK only. Whether you’re looking for a peaceful countryside retreat or a fun-filled getaway by the sea, they have something to suit every family’s needs and preferences.
What’s included and what will I need to pay for?
Usually, our funded holidays cover the cost of self-catered accommodation for up to 4 nights, with a contribution towards travel and food costs while on holiday. The holiday offer email will include the full details of what’s included.
However, you might need to plan for:
- Contributing towards food and travel costs
- Activities and things to do while on holiday
- Security deposits, if applicable
Can specific dates be booked?
Our holiday offers usually come with a deadline by which you need to take the holiday, but we always try to give you plenty of time—usually covering at least two school holidays. This means you can pick dates that work best for you and your family’s commitments, as long as they fall within the timeframe outlined in the holiday offer sent to the referrer.
Who books the holiday?
You or your referrer will book the holiday with our travel provider Inspire Travel over the phone, their friendly team will discuss your preferred dates and locations, as well as any accessibility needs or special requests. Whether you’re dreaming of a peaceful countryside cottage, a lively holiday park, or need a cot or other essentials, they’ll work to find the perfect option for you.
Will I need to provide feedback about my holiday?
Yes, the lead family member on the application will receive a pre and post-holiday impact survey to complete as part of the offer, and we’ll also send a post-travel survey to the referrer.
It’s really important for us to understand if the holiday has made a difference to your family.
We may use this information to show our funders the impact of the holiday, improve what we do, and help us secure more funding so we can keep helping more families get away together. Don’t worry, we always anonymise the data before using it.
We’ll only process personal information as outlined in our Privacy Policy, which is available at: Privacy Policy | Family Holiday Charity