HF Holidays donates to WaterAid

HF Holidays, the UK’s largest walking and leisure activity holiday company, has just announced it is donating £4,000 in its centenary year to international charity WaterAid.

The 100-year-old co-operative society already supports a range of projects both in the UK and abroad from helping to protect the environment and improve access to the countryside, to supporting people and communities.

WaterAid works in 27 countries across Africa, Asia and the Pacific region to transform lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in some of the world’s poorest communities. HF Holidays’ sizeable donation will directly support WaterAid’s efforts to help address poverty in India, which is home to a third of the world’s poorest people. Every year, 200,000 children in the country die from diarrhoea caused by a lack of clean water and adequate sanitation.

Laura Sims, HF Holidays’ Head of Marketing and Development commented: “We are delighted to be able to support WaterAid’s mission and tireless efforts to provide clean water and sanitation transforming lives around the world. Our guests and members holiday around the world on our tours, as well as in the UK, and we are pleased to be supporting communities around the world in our centenary year.”

Katie Grace, Corporate Account Manager at WaterAid, said: “It’s easy for us to take water for granted when we have it on tap, but 783 people across the world do not have this luxury, while 2.5 billion have nowhere safe to go to the toilet. Every day, 2,000 children die from diarrhoea caused by a lack of access to clean water and sanitation. “It costs as little as £15 to ensure one person lifelong access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene, so the money donated by HF Holidays can make a real difference.”

HF Holidays donates annually to UK’s Mountain Rescue Teams and Air Ambulances as well as Nature Kenya and Uthando in Africa. It supports Campaign for National Parks’ Park Protector Award, is a member or John Muir Trust and the Ramblers Association, and also champions responsible tourism through its own charity, the Pathways Fund.

HF Holidays plays a leading role in the new Britain on Foot national campaign which sets out to support health, rural employment, tourism and the outdoor economy.

About HF Holidays

HF Holidays has been helping people enjoy the great outdoors for nearly 100 years. Today over 50,000 people come on holiday with us every year. They come for the walking. They come for the activities. They come for the fun. They come for the food. And they come for the high quality accommodation. It’s why we’re Britain’s biggest walking and outdoor leisure holiday specialists.

Background info:

* Founded in 1913, HF Holidays is a co-operative society arranging walking, outdoor and
leisure activity holidays for 50,000 people each year (for non-members, a £5 associate fee
is payable per holiday).
* Options range from guided walking breaks and self-guided trails in Britain to challenging
ascents Worldwide. The leisure activities range includes art, music, literature and mindand-body holidays.
* HF Holidays is the recommended walking holiday partner of the Ramblers, Britain’s
walking charity (ramblers.org.uk), and supports the work of the Ramblers through
membership initiatives and charitable donations.
* HF Holidays has 20 Houses in the UK’s National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural
Beauty as well as independent hotels for overseas holidays.
* HF Holidays’ walks leaders are passionate about walking and keen to share their
experience with guests (after passing a rigorous selection course).
* HF Holidays is committed to Responsible Tourism, contributing to environmental projects
around the UK – such as footpath maintenance – through its Pathways Fund and
supporting local Air Ambulance and Mountain Rescue teams as well as charities in Kenya
and South Africa.
* Voted Best Large Tour Operator by Guardian and Observer readers 2010, 2011 and 2012,
with a 2012 satisfaction score of 98 per cent. Also Best Large Short Break Operator 2011
and 2012.
* In recent research (March 2012) carried out by Which?, HF Holidays achieved
Recommended Provider Status receiving an overall customer satisfaction score of 94%.
* HF Holidays is a member of ABTOT and is ATOL protected.