Haven Holidays wins award - for getting kids to exercise!

Haven's Fun and Fitness campaign has picked up a top award – for encouraging young ones to exercise.

Haven Holidays has been recognised by the leading magazine for professionals working in the Early Years sector for its ground-breaking campaign providing free sports equipment to nurseries and playgroups.

Tens of thousands of pre-school age children in England, Scotland and Wales have benefitted from Haven Fun & Fitness since it was launched two years ago.
Unlike schemes by supermarkets for schools and clubs, no vouchers or purchase is necessary and Haven Fun &Fitness is entirely free for playgroups and nurseries via the website www.havenfunfitness.com.

Top Early Years experts gave it their official seal of approval as Haven Fun & Fitness was named winner of the Special Award in the Nursery World Awards 2010.
Judges praised the scheme for providing equipment worth up to £250 to thousands of nurseries and playgroups.

The honour was presented at a glittering ceremony in London hosted by TV presenter Michael Underwood.

Naomi Woodstock, Haven’s PR, Charity and Sponsorship Manager, said: “We’re delighted to win this award as it demonstrates we are delivering what we wanted to achieve – encouraging and inspiring young ones to get active and exercise.

“We know from the feedback we’re getting from playgroup and nursery leaders that Haven Fun & Fitness is extremely well received, and it’s fabulous that the campaign has now been acknowledged by leading professionals in the sector as an outstanding initiative.”

The award comes as the re-launch of Haven Fun & Fitness for 2011 has got off to a roaring start with more than 1,000 playgroups and nurseries registering in the first week.

It also comes as Haven and sister companies Warner Leisure Hotels and Butlins – which employ a total of 700 at their headquarters in Park Lane - celebrate after winning a cabinet of top travel industry awards in the past week.

Haven, with 35 holiday parks around the UK, was named domestic operator of the year and Warner Leisure Hotels, with 13 country house hotels and coastal villages, was named hotel chain of the year in the prestigious Travel Trade Gazette Awards, hosted by West End and TV star John Barrowman.

The awards are regarded as the Oscars of the travel industry with honours decided by a panel of industry experts based on a submission and votes by travel agents.
Haven and Warner's parent company Bourne Leisure was also highly commended for their trade websites and as travel company of the year.

And, in two other awards, Warners won the award for Best Accommodation for Groups in the Group Leisure Awards, while Warner’s Cricket St Thomas and Bembridge Coast hotels, Butlins at Bognor Regis, and Haven’s Caister Holiday Park were runners up in the Group Travel Awards.

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Note to Editors
For more information about Haven Fun & Fitness click on www.havenfunfitness.com

For media information on the Haven Fun & Fitness scheme and for high-res images please contact Deborah McCabe on 01444 235 154 or email deborah@aboutwords.co.uk