Wightlink has teamed up with the charity The Getaway Foundation to help provide a much-needed holiday for 10 Island families who are living in poverty.
The Foundation, which works with partners including the Isle of Wight Council to provide breaks for deserving families, approached Wightlink for assistance with travel in 2021 and was delighted to learn the ferry company was happy to provide free crossings for ten families.
Peter Tebbutt, Foundation Chief Executive, says:
“When we approached Wightlink we were only hoping for discounted travel but, by underwriting the full cost, it means we will have additional budget to expand our work providing holidays for families who really deserve a break.
“Already this year we have worked with Wightlink and the council to provide five breaks for families with a young carer and we are delighted to be offering more holidays for families who are referred to us by the local authority as being in poverty.
“We hope to increase our partnerships with more organisations on the Island in the future to further expand the holidays we can provide.”
Wightlink Chief Executive Keith Greenfield says:
“It has been a tough year all round but especially so if you are also battling poverty. We are delighted to be helping The Getaway Foundation make happy memories for ten further local families – we hope those memories start when they get on board the ferry.”
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Founded in January 2020 to benefit families in poverty and create positive memories through holidays, the Foundation has also so far helped over 600 families impacted by COVID-19.
Kathy Marriott, Head of Strategy and Operations in the Isle of Wight Council’s children’s services department, says:
“The generous support from the Getaway Foundation and Wightlink will enable families who have had such a challenging year to have some much-needed quality time together. Our staff within children’s services have worked with families in need to enable them to take up this fantastic opportunity.”
so, the state provides them free housing, money for bills, money for food, money for clothes, money for the kids, free healthcare, free dental, free prescriptions, free school meals and then they get access to a food bank and now they want to give them free breaks on the island – what next – free holidays in St Lucia
perhaps these people should get jobs and rely on themselves, but then again, why bother, when the hand wringing do gooders will fund your life for you.
much need quality time together – they dont work, so they are together all the time – jeez – I am giving up work and crying poverty – better lifestyle.
You sound like the sort of person that hates everything and everyone. Awful judgemental individual..
no..just spongers that live off the backs of the hard working taxpayers.
you sound like the sort of person, who does sponge off the taxpayer, otherwise you would be annoyed at how much is being handed out to the army of leeches in this country, whilst others are working hard, paying taxes and being impoverished because they choose to work and stand on their own two feet, without burdening themselves onto others.
Actually isle of wighter sounds more like they’re speaking from experience with these free loading rodents.
We’ve all had a tough year and have lost loved ones, jobs and money but no one comes knocking on the doors of the hard working tax payer with free food, holidays, day trips, additional heating funds or council tax reductions.
We just have to suck it up and get on with it.
exactly gullible islander – I do have experience of this – I know plenty of families on this island, that do absolutely nothing, have never worked and openly “blag the social” as they put it. Most of them are signed off sick, however, freely admit they are lying, although it is the trusty, backache and now mental health they all claim they suffer from. The mere hint of working, has them breaking out in a sweat.
In fact there are some families I know, who are now into their third generation of spongers, with not one person having held a job in over 50 years. They know every trick. get all the freebies and have an excuse for all of it.
I trust they will observe Coronavirus rules and restrictions.