• The project history

• The aims of the project

• The young people we cater for

• Celebrating time2care 2000

• evaluating time2care : proving the benefits

• Time2Care steering committee

• Time2Care Advisors

• Time2Care Corporate Support

The Project

FHA organised a ground-breaking project called Time2Care. The project means that the FHA is able to offer a holiday to all children in residential care homes in the UK. With the support of the travel industry, which is offering free and discounted holidays, Time2Care offers a range of holiday experiences which include Mediterranean beach holidays, activity holidays in centres around Britain, camping holidays in France and football training holidays at Premier and Football League clubs. Devised to make a difference in the millennium year, the project has been extended into 2001.

The Aims of the Project

By providing a break Time2Care  gives something most children take for granted. A holiday has benefits even when the fun and laughter are done. These benefits include:

• Developing confidence and maturity

• Gaining positive feelings and memories

• Strengthening relationships with carers and other children

• Gaining an extra-curricular advantage for studies (e.g. use of a language)

• Developing potential through a sports-related holiday

• Improving general health and well-being

The Young People

It is estimated that of all Looked After young people there are around 8,500 living in residential homes in the UK , Time2Care has already given away over 3,000 holidays. . The majority of participants are between 13 -17 years. 

The Social Services

FHA consulted with the Association of Directors of Social Services’ (ADSS) and other national organisations involved in the care system to establish the most effective way of implementing the project nationwide. Social workers and carers are responsible for choosing the most appropriate holiday for their individual charges. Time2Care is acting as instigator and facilitator — fundraising, soliciting support and organising the provision of holidays, monitoring delivery, and commissioning an evaluation of the project. The project is a collaboration between the travel industry, local social services, and care workers, and the Family Holiday Association.

Planning Time2Care with young people

Throughout 2000, young people participated in a number of different types of holidays. 

• PGL Travel Ltd hosted groups of young people at  their adventure centres  around the UK.

• Futuroscope and Eurostar hosted a group who stayed in the Futuroscope theme park in France

• Sunvil Holidays hosted a group from Croydon in a self-catering villa in Crete

• British Holidays hosted a group from Northumberland at their caravan park in Haggerston Castle

• Panorama Holidays hosted a group at the family resort of Es Cana, Ibiza

• Newcastle Utd FC included a group on a Football in the Community training holiday.

Time2Care 2000 : a Celebration

The FHA’s initiative – Time2Care – has been an enormous success. Four thousand looked-after young people, and their carers, were sent on a week’s activity or beach holiday, abroad or in the UK. Feedback shows the experience has been beneficial and has met the aims we set out to fulfill.

The National Children’s Bureau (NCB) is evaluating the Time2Care holidays in consultation with the young people and their carers. The results clearly demonstrate the positive benefits that a holiday can have on the life chances of children in care. They will be used as evidence based recommendations to the Department of Health to inform planning and development for the provision of recreational holidays for looked after young people.

Who went?

• about 4,000 children and their carers. Most of the young people were aged between 13 and 15

• most had spent between 1 – 4 years in care. A small number had spent up to 11 years in care

• some had learning difficulties

• many had health problems, including attention deficit disorder, asthma and epilepsy

• most had never experienced a holiday before

Where did they go?

Outside the UK, destinations included Ibiza, Menorca, Majorca, mainland Spain, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuertuventura, Corfu and Morocco

Within the UK, young people went mainly to PGL activity centres and on caravanning holidays to Haven sites

Original aims:

Young people in care are among the most vulnerable children in our society. The FHA believed the Time2Care scheme could help to improve their lives and life chances by:

• promoting confidence and feelings of self worth

• strengthening their ability to form relationships

• improving their health and general well-being

• showing them that society does care about them

Proving the benefits: evaluating Time2Care  

Using a variety of methods, including questionnaires, group discussions and interactive games, NCB worked with a sample of the young people to find out what they felt they had gained from the holiday. The results are very positive.  

• 96% of the young people consulted reported that they enjoyed the holiday.  The holiday is good for you – not only for your body, but for everything.

"The stronger relationships that developed between the carers and young people make good working tools for the future."

Paul White,
Leicester community home team manager, PGL holiday in Devon

Time2Care Steering Committee

• Jeremy Muller - Consultant (Chair)

• John Carter - Broadcaster & Journalist

• Steven Freudmann - President, ABTA

• Penny Cushing - District Judge, Family Division

• Jackie Kernaghan - Consultant

• Pippa Isbell - PR professional

• Debbie Flynn - Brighter PR

• Alison Rice - Deputy Chair, FHA

• Keith Graham - Chair, FHA

• Nigel Griffiths - MP

• Jenny Stephenson - Director, FHA

• Katie Mierins - Project Manager, Time2Care

• Georgina Milsom - Travel Co-ordinator, Time2Care

Advisors

• Gene Hill - Director of Social Services, Northumberland

• Brian Waller - former Chair, Children & Families Committee, ADSS; Director Home-Start UK

• Suzanne Cheal - Director, Who Cares? Trust

• Roger Singleton - Chief Executive, Barnardo’s

• Phil Youdan - National Children’s Bureau Residential Care Unit

• Injah Sanchez - Voice for the Child in Care

Corporate Support

• ABTA - Association of British Travel Agents

• ABTOF - Association of Tour Operators in France

• Air 2000

• Airtours

• AITO - Association of Independent Tour Operators

• ANTOR - Association of National Tourist Offices

• ARTAC Worldchoice

• Brighter PR

• British Airways Holidays

• British Holidays

• CITALIA

• Citybond

• Conrad Advertising

• Cosmos

• Co-op Travel Care

• Crystal Holidays

• Federation of Tour Operators

• First Choice

• Futuroscope

• Going Places

• Home and Overseas Insurance

• Inter School Travel Ltd

• ITT - Institute of Travel and Tourism

• JMC

• Kuoni

• Lunn Poly

• Panorama

• PGL Travel Ltd

• Pontins

• Rank Holidays - Butlins/Haven

• Thomas Cook

• Thomson

• Travel PR

• Travel Weekly

• Travel Trade Gazette

• TV Travel Channel

• TV Travel Shop

• Unijet

• Wish You Were Here