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Travelbound gives underprivileged families a break

6th August 2010 Print
Chateau du Molay

With the school holidays now in full swing, Travelbound, based in Brighton, is supporting Delce Primary School in Rochester, Kent by providing four families with the opportunity to travel to France for an amazing adventure this August.

Travelbound, owners of the Chateau du Molay, just 15kms from the coast in Normandy is offering their beautiful flagship property as holiday accommodation to the Family Holiday Association (FHA) to help support four underprivileged families. The pupils are aged between seven to eleven years old and probably would not have had the opportunity to travel on a school trip let alone a family holiday without this support.

The four families will be leaving the UK by Eurotunnel on the 9th August 2010 and will be staying for three nights at the chateau. An action packed itinerary full of enjoyable activities and educational days out include a guided tour of an organic goat farm, a trip to a local biscuit factory and an afternoon exploring the beaches and historic sites of Normandy’s coastline. This will enable the children to find out more about the culture, language and people of France.

Julia Knight, Business Manager, Delce Primary School, commented “The children and their families are very much looking forward to going to Normandy and everyone is very happy about it. The children will be going into year six in September when they return to school with the main topic for that year group, World War II and how it was to live at that time. The Normandy trip which will include a visit to Arromanches, the Landing Beaches and the American Military Cemetery will enable nine children to experience the atmosphere of the battlefields first hand. In addition the children will make video clips and write journey journals to log their experiences and thoughts when they are there to bring back and share with the rest of their year group when the WWII topic starts in September.”

Set deep within the Normandy countryside the Chateau du Molay provides the perfect venue for school children to have fun and learn outside of the classroom. Back at the chateau the kids will be looked after by the on-site activities team whilst parents get the chance to relax around the extensive grounds. In the evening all fingers are crossed for good weather allowing the families to partake in one of the famous chateau barbeques carefully orchestrated by Lisle the chateau manager.

Vicky Knight, Travelbound’s Managing Director said, “We are all really excited about this trip and hope it will be the first of many similar holidays in the future. Travelbound is extremely proud to offer the Chateau du Molay in Normandy as a venue for school children who may not ordinarily be able to go on holiday. It’s extremely important to provide all children with learning outside the classroom opportunities and the chateau is perfect for educational, cultural and recreational experiences. We are an ethical company who believe in helping out less fortunate community members, both at home and abroad, and this is just the start of what we would like to achieve moving forward.”

The Family Holiday Association works tirelessly to help families on a very low income. For some, a holiday is not a luxury; it is an essential break to help cope with difficult circumstances. Many young people have never even been on a holiday so charitable organisations like the FHA provide an amazing opportunity to help change lives.

John McDonald, Director at the Family Holiday Association, added “A break away from the stresses and strains of everyday life brings considerable benefits particularly to those families least able to afford a holiday. A simple break away from home has also been shown to help build stronger, happier families. We would like to pass on our thanks to Travelbound for making this possible.”

The chateau is one of the most environmentally friendly hotels in the whole of France and has achieved the Travelife gold award for sustainability. The children will discover where you can plant a tree in Eco-Avenue, submit a green audit and visit some local projects such as: a wind farm, a goat farm and an organic fruit farm.

For more information, visit: travelbound.co.uk

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Chateau du Molay