Booked your holiday yet?

As the temperature drops and the new year begins around a fifth of us will have taken the plunge and booked a holiday this month. Conventional wisdom has it that the depths of the post-festive period have us going in search of something to look forward to. And this year seems to be no exception with travel companies reporting record sales and high demand in January.

“The holiday gave us a fresh wave of motivation and the strength to keep our lives moving forward.”

But not everyone's joining the fray. Around 2.5 million UK families can't afford a holiday, even when they want to. And even if they could, life throws up other obstacles. Ever tried pulling off a holiday as a solo parent with three kids under 5?

At Family Holiday Charity , we're on a mission to transform the status quo so more families can have that precious time away together. Last year, over 1100 families enjoyed a holiday with our help – that's over 95,000 hours of family fun! And for nearly half of them, it was their first time.

Of course, getting that holiday booked gives us something to look forward to, it’s a little treat to motivate us through the depths of winter with the promise of fun and (hopefully) sun.

But those in the know will tell you that a holiday also serves up a cocktail of ingredients that are essential to wellbeing. They’re leisure time we can enjoy, good for relationships, a chance to dive into sport, arts, and culture and get outside into green spaces.

I don’t know what you do on your holidays but mine feature all of that good stuff depending on where I go, and these days, the demands of my 7-year-old!

On holiday, we ditch our usual routines, take a break from the chaos of family life (seriously, it feels like air traffic control at Heathrow sometimes), and create space to nurture relationships and appreciate each other.

“When dad was there on holiday, we were able to do it together it's kind of put a new boost in and now we are working more as a team even when he's not here.”

We're out there feeling the sand between our toes, hearing the crunch of leaves on the forest floor, and lifting our heads to breathe in the fresh air.

“It has allowed me to see that there is a beautiful world beyond London.”

We're more active, getting off our chairs (at work, at home, or school) to splash in the pool, hop on bikes, explore, or rack up the steps.

“In the pool, I have pictures of them smiling. It was only them and their dad in there. They were very happy. I haven't seen them like that.”

If you're a travel pro, maybe you take it all in your stride. But getting everyone out the door on time, navigating new places, and dealing with the hiccups is a serious achievement!

“I feel so much more positive about the future and how I can cope with different situations. I was so worried about travelling on my own and now I know I can do it.”

And if you've done it once, you can do it again. Armed with a bunch of happy memories, feeling hopeful and confident, life post-holiday can be pretty different.

“Our daughter is very autistic. before we went on holiday, she would cry a lot in the evenings. Since the holiday she has forgotten about crying in the evenings. She is more relaxed. I am more confident, and I am going out more in the community and finding out about local services. We are more relaxed and happier.”

So, what's the cost of stopping a daughter from crying in the evenings, or giving one the chance to learn to ride a bike, or letting a dad and his boy mess around in the pool together? It’s ￡145 – that’s ￡2.79 a week.

Every person who tossed a few quid into a bucket, played our lottery, baked cakes, or ran, cycled, or walked a long way made it happen. Every company that had our back, every tiny trust, and every big funder, you're the real MVPs.

Thank you – you gave the gift of a lifetime.

“It's sort of like building good memories. He's at an age where he will remember that for the rest of his life. So, it made a big, big difference.”

Find out more about Family Holiday Charity and the difference you made to families you helped in 2023 here