Heartfelt Holidays Given Away

As a family-run business we understand the pressures of modern life and how important having a holiday is for everyone, whether that’s abroad, somewhere in the UK or simply having time off even if you don’t go anywhere. Everyone deserves a break. And for those people, the unsung heroes in our daily lives who go way beyond the extra mile, it’s even more important that they not only get the chance to go on holiday but that they get the public recognition they so obviously deserve but never ask for. Let’s face it, we couldn’t do without them; that special someone who keeps on giving and who never asks for anything in return. That’s why we decided to find and reward an everyday member of the public with a free family break to the Yorkshire Dales.

When we started our search we were sure it wouldn’t take long to find someone who fit the bill. What surprised us was the public’s response! Four weeks into our search, we were overwhelmed by the number of inspirational stories that were being shared with us. Nominations kept flooding in and we couldn’t believe what we were hearing. From the postman who drops by to check if an elderly neighbour who broke her hip needed any help, to the lady who rescues and finds foster homes for abandoned terriers, it was clear this campaign wasn’t going to be run of the mill by any stretch of the imagination. Reading each nominee’s story really put things into perspective...

115 people across the UK were nominated by members of the public in the Deserve a Break competition and it was Neal Staley’s story in particular that moved over two and half thousand people to vote. Following the death of his ten-year-old daughter, Evey, in an accident caused by a drunk and drugged driver in 2013, Neal set up a road safety charity on the Isle of Wight called “Isle Drive Safely – Remember Evey”. Working closely with the emergency services, the media, road safety experts, and local companies and councillors, Neal has campaigned ceaselessly to reduce the number of road traffic accidents on the island. As a result, bumper stickers now adorn many car windows, and “Bin Your Speed” stickers can be seen very clearly from the road side too on bin day all of which have helped raise much needed awareness and encouraged people to drive more safely. Neal is an amazing man and an inspiration to us all.

It was he who really prompted our thinking about how to recognise the hard work of the other three finalists. Our mind was made up – we would give each of them a holiday too instead of the money-off vouchers. It was the right thing to do. So Neal will be going to the Yorkshire Dales and the other three finalists will also be going on a free mini-cottage holiday to a location of their choosing! 

The other three unsung heroes of this first “Who Deserves a Break?” campaign, who have all been given a mini-break in a Cottage Holiday property were Lisa Weekes from Devon, Keely Long from Kent and Hayley Burwood from Norfolk. So if you nominated them or showed your support by voting for them, you deserve a thank you too for giving them a holiday!

You can also nominate someone for the next “Who Deserves a Break?” campaign here