Guests at the Travel Weekly Agent Achievement Awards have been thanked by charity organisers after £8,000 was raised at the event for Haven House Children’s Hospice.
The 2023 AAAs took place on July 13, with the best agents and agencies in the UK & Ireland honoured at London’s Park Plaza Westminster hotel.
Haven House was selected as the nominated charity partner of the event and was represented by Harry Hastings, co-founder of Ocean Holidays (pictured at the event).
Hastings told guests that Haven House had been a chosen charity for the company since 2018, and then became a support for he and his wife when their own son, Rudy, was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called MCAHS1.
The charity, based on the London-Essex border, supports local children and families, from birth, who are seriously ill and have life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.
Dominique Pharoah, corporate partnerships manager, said: “On behalf of all the children and families at Haven House Children’s Hospice, we want to thank Travel Weekly and our partner Ocean Holidays for enabling our hospice to benefit from the incredible Agent Achievement Awards.
“A fantastic £8,000 was raised, which will make a real difference to the care that we provide to life limited children and their families. Thank you for the opportunity and well done to all the winners.”
Hastings added: “For more than five years we have supported this wonderful place where seriously ill babies and children are able to live to their maximum potential whilst crucially supporting families and its community.
“I know from personal experience with a profoundly disabled son the incredible work they do and couldn’t be happier that the AAAs were able to join Ocean Holidays’ partnership with Haven House.
“We encourage the rest of the travel sector to join us in helping with the £5.7million of annual costs needed to continue their fantastic work.”
Find out more about Haven House at havenhouse.org.uk.
Thank you to Ocean Holidays' Harry Hastings for his moving words at the #TWAAAs about Haven House and the ways it helps seriously ill infants.
Thank you also to the volunteers and to everyone who donated. If you think you can help more, please do get in touch@havenhouseCHpic.twitter.com/olD7o7cln9
— Travel Weekly (@travelweekly) July 14, 2023