The Abta Benevolent Fund is to relaunch at the Travel Convention in Malta in the hope of raising more funds, helping more people and increasing awareness of its work.
An Abta survey earlier this year found that most members were unaware of the fund. To rectify this, a dedicated director, Trudie Drake, was brought on board and in October a new look and new charity campaign will be unveiled.
However, the fund needs your help to come up with a new name that reflects the work it does.
Drake said: “We need a name that reflects what the charity is about, helping you – travel industry employees. The name must resonate with the audience, and must have longevity.”
Abta has teamed up with Travel Weekly and The Co-operative Travel to offer a Florida flydrive to the reader who comes up with the best idea.
The fund’s role is to provide support for past and present employees of Abta members and their dependants in times of need.
One of the most recent grants approved by the fund was to Co-op agent Mia Austin who was paralysed by a stroke last year. The grant helped pay for a specially adapted car for Mia.
Travel Weekly recently launched an appeal to raise money for Mia’s family to help them make changes to her home so she can leave hospital to be cared for by her loved ones. To donate go to justgiving.com/miaaustin.
The Travel Convention
Abta’s Travel Convention will take place at the Hilton Malta Conference Centre in St Julian’s from October 18-20. The centre is located on the Portomaso waterfront development and marina.
New for 2010 are a diamond reception on October 18 to celebrate the association’s 60th birthday, and a travel marketing forum organised with the Chartered Institute of Marketing Travel Industry Group.