Giving Back
The business of organising holidays is generally a happy occupation, and at Simpson Travel we feel lucky to spend our days planning and helping our guests to enjoy the best possible time away: not quite Santa Claus, but it still feels good!
Having an appreciation of your own good fortune does throw the plight of others into sharp relief however, which is why we support a range of charities working to alleviate suffering both in the UK and overseas. The commitment runs right through our company, starting with our Founder Graham Simpson, who financed an orphanage in Tanzania in 1999 after spending some time backpacking in Africa and experiencing first-hand the difficulties faced by children in a country where over 60% of people live below the poverty line.
Over the years, we are delighted to have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity and the inspirational organisations detailed below represent a selection of those we have helped. Our Overseas Teams continue to support local hospitals and animal welfare charities, doing their bit for the communities and destinations that mean so much to us and our guests. If you would like to find out more or offer your own support, please follow the links given.
Help Mabel Walk
Meet Mabel, a happy 6-year-old who was born with cerebral palsy. She’s a vibrant soul who loves reading, swimming, elevators, microphones, playground swings, and her tablet. She even knows how to say "I love you" in 10 languages and often shares this love with everyone around her. She has a knack for telling jokes (especially English dad jokes) and is known as the loudest one in the house! Mabel started physiotherapy at just 3 months old, a journey that continues today and will extend into her adulthood. She's yet to walk independently and relies on a walker for short walks and a pram for daily mobility. The good news is that Mabel has been medically approved for a life-changing procedure called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR). Mabel lives with her Anglo-Greek family in Crete, however this surgery is currently only available in America, and will be performed by its inventor Dr Park. SDR is like a superhero surgery that can significantly improve her quality of life, but it is very expensive, so her parents are fundraising to try and make this dream come true. We are happy to be able to support this goal. Help Mabel walk
In Memory of Vicki
Together for Short Lives
This UK-wide charity speaks out for all children and young people who are expected to have short lives. Inspired by their mission, Simpson Travel has been a charity partner of Together for Short Lives since 2014. We currently donate £2 for every completed holiday questionnaire that our guests return to us, and we regularly add to that amount by donating holidays as charity auction prizes. As of the end of November 2023, we have raised over £68,000, helping to fund their Family Support Hub, which provides practical, financial, and emotional support to families caring for a child with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition.
Operation Christmas Child
Each October we begin the race to fill 100 boxes with Christmas goodies for Operation Christmas Child. The whole office rises to the challenge, with company funds paying for shipping costs. These boxes, filled with toys, hygiene items and school supplies, will be given to children in need across the world.
Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity
Donations to Great Ormond Street’s children’s charity are used for the rebuilding and refurbishing of the hospital, to offer support for sick children and their families, fund research into children’s health and purchase life-saving equipment for the hospital. Everyday hundreds of children and young people from around the UK arrive for life-changing treatments and we couldn’t be happier to support their extraordinary work.
St. Wilfred's Hospice
St. Wilfred’s Hospice is an independent charity based in West Sussex dedicated to providing end of life care in the local community. It has been offering support and advice to patients and their families for more than 30 years and we are delighted to have been able to contribute to their fundraising activities.
Motor Neurone Disease Association
Motor Neurone Disease effects over 5000 people each year in the UK and this ambitious charity is dedicated to funding vital research into the condition as well as providing care and support for patients and their families. We wish them every success with their important work.
Shooting Star Children's Hospices
Providing care and support to children facing life-limiting conditions and offering help and counselling services for parents, siblings and loved ones, Shooting Star Children’s Hospices make an enormous difference to families under the most difficult circumstances.
Marie Curie
Marie Curie offers invaluable advice and support to anyone who’s life is affected by terminal illness. Their service is provided free of charge and their work operates throughout the UK, helping tens of thousands of people every year.
Macmillan Nurses
The cancer support offered by the Macmillan nurses operates within hospitals and local communities throughout the UK. Their services improve the lives of anyone facing a cancer diagnosis and dealing with treatment, offering emotional, physical and financial support to patients and their families.
The Ocean Brothers
In January 2018, half-brothers Greg and Jude, a.k.a. the Ocean Brothers, embarked on a row across the Atlantic, unaccompanied, to support the British Skin Foundation. Their target was to raise £100,000 in memory of their father who lost his life to skin cancer in 2015, and in doing so raise awareness of the importance of protecting skin from the sun. We're tremendously proud to have sponsored this epic trip, raising nearly £11,000 with the help of Simpson Travellers.
Inspire Suffolk
Simpson Travel supports Inspire Suffolk, a charity which works with young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not in employment, education or training (NEET). Inspire Suffolk has supported over 4,000 young people to date, all of whom face a range of personal challenges.
The Prince's Trust
This long-established UK charity works to create brighter futures for young people aged 11 to 30 by helping them access education and find work. The Trust organises a wide range of events from road races to black tie dinners as part of their fundraising efforts, and we are proud to have been able to add to the prize list with the donation of a holiday to the White Orchid Hotel in Sivota.
The Rwandan Orphans Project
This small and dedicated team runs the Imizi Children's Center, which provides housing, clothing, food, health care and education for 200 vulnerable children. We are pleased to have been able to support the Rwandan Orphans Project with the donation of a holiday to Villa Vereniki in Crete.
Spinathon 2018 for The Samaritans and Child Bereavement UK
Following the success of Spinathon 2017, our UK office team once again joined in the fixed bike challenge outside our offices at the Bank of England Sports Centre on the 23 May 2018. We donated two holidays for auction, and clocked up many hundreds of kilometres as well as a few saddle sores! The effort was well worth it however, with in excess of £13,000 being raised by all the companies taking part.
Autistica
Autistica is the UK’s leading autism research charity, founded in 2004 by philanthropist and entrepreneur Dame Steve Shirley. By harnessing the potential of cutting edge science, Autistica’s goal is to improve the lives of everyone affected by autism. It was our pleasure to support Autistica's fundraising events by donating a week at Villa Laura in Corsica for auction in November 2017, and a further holiday for two at our Adult Only Hotel Masseria Le Torri, auctioned in April 2018 at a wine tasting event.