All the charity's funds are voluntarily raised from private supporters, local groups, charitable trusts, companies, and fund-raising events.

An average family holiday costs only a few hundred pounds inclusive of a contribution towards fares and food expenses - but we are forced to turn away thousands of desperate applications when money runs out and we urgently need more funds.

The make up of Funding :

The FHA is funded at different levels by a wide range people and organisations; made up of the following :

• 55% from private individuals
  

• 20% from trusts
  

• 10% local government/National Lottery
  

• 10% from donations from the travel industry
  

• 5% from other corporate donations

Help-in-kind:

The bulk of our programme is providing grants to fund a holiday of the family’s choice, within a modest budget. In 2005 this provided the means for 1,200 families to have a holiday. For many it was their first ever family holiday. These families were all coping with serious problems including disability, poverty and tragedy.

FHA & the EU :

During the Belgian Presidency of the European Union has chosen ‘Tourism for Everyone’ as its special theme. FHA’s former Director Jenny Stephenson was invited to speak to EU ministers at the launch. One of our own government’s objectives is to work towards ‘social inclusion’. Both the Local Government Association (LGA) and the English Tourism Council (ETC) believe that tourism can play a part in helping deliver this objective. The FHA has been working with them and offering new ideas on how to offer holidays to those most in need.

English Tourism Council - Research :

Research by the English Tourism Council, together with our own feedback, revealed that for some of the most needy families, especially those coping alone with children, or with children with behavioural problems, even a holiday that is offered for free is too much to cope with. 

Family Well-Being Breaks:

Thanks to a grant from the National Lottery we pioneered a type of holiday known as a ‘Family Well-Being Breaks’. These holidays were created by social worker Vera Waters of the Wishing Tree Project. Vera’s project offers isolated families a supportive network that is both on hand during the much needed holiday and is also there to support the families once they get back home.

LOCAL GROUPS

• Rotherham Holiday Aid; 

• Wolverhampton Friends of FHA; 

• North London Friends; 

• Chiltern Lodge Southgate and District Reform; 

• The Rotary Club of Harrogate.