The 'England for Everyone' fund will provide families who may not otherwise be able to take a trip with short breaks from Monday to Friday or from Friday to Monday across a weekend. Parents, carers and young people will be supported to take some time away to relax and enjoy themselves in England. The £600,000 fund has been provided by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and is being administered by us in partnership with the Family Holiday Charity.
Each family trip will be worth up to £450, inclusive of accommodation, with allowances for travel and food. Families with pre-school age children may take their trip at any time before 5 June, while those with school age children can take their break during the school holidays, encompassing either the February half-term, the Easter holidays or the Jubilee bank holiday and summer half-term for those with at least one child under 18.
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. We are delighted to be working with the Family Holiday Charity and delivering the ‘England for Everyone’ fund will support families facing tough times to enjoy our wonderful destinations and experiences and have a memorable holiday in England. We want everyone to be able to take a short family break and benefit from spending time together, reconnecting and recovering from the pandemic.”
Families given support by the fund will not have holidayed in four years or more and eligibility criteria include low income and other factors such as long-term illness, bereavement, disability, domestic abuse or additional caring responsibilities. The Family Holiday Charity will work with registered referrers to select families most in need of a holiday as part of this activity.
Research by the Family Holiday Charity has shown that social tourism campaigns in other countries have resulted in varied benefits for families and businesses, having a positive impact on the wellbeing of families while also extending the tourist season and support employment in the tourism industry.
Read the DCMS press release to find out more.
