The Legion's four Poppy Break Centres - Somerset Legion House, Byng House, Bennet House and Alderson House - successfully hosted their first ever Service family breaks at the beginning of August. Service families descended en masse, with Somerset Legion House alone welcoming over 160 children in the first few weeks of August.

The Legion's Family Breaks service provides holidays away from home for the most disadvantaged families. Until recently, these seven-night breaks were delivered at one of six Haven Holiday Park sites.

Poppy Breaks Operations Manager Ian Philip explains what has changed: "The 2010 Welfare survey identified family breaks as a very valuable service to our beneficiaries, but we received feedback that participating guests at Haven Holiday Parks missed having the camaraderie and socialising with other Service families.

"We therefore decided to allocate the summer school holiday weeks at our Poppy Break Centres, from the end of July to the end of August, to Service families.  We provide 2000 people with family breaks and we can only send 600 to the Break Centres this year, so this new offering will be in addition to our use of the Haven Holiday Parks.

"This was quite a culture change for our Break Centre staff, as normally 40% of their guests are over 80 years of age with a further proportion over 70. But the Managers and staff have worked extremely hard to develop a fantastic activities and entertainment programme for each week - from making pirate outfits followed by a cruise on a pirate ship somewhere off the coast of Bridlington, to visits from Mickey and Minnie Mouse in Weston super Mare, as well as barbecues, themed parties, Hawaiian discos, and trips to theme parks.

"So far the feedback from the guests has been extremely positive in regard to all aspects of the Break Centres:  accommodation, food, entertainment, meeting new friends, and the professional friendly staff."

Somerset Legion House Manager Jacqui Ibbetson said: "Staff have been busy turning the Games Room into a play area, organising beach games, taking guests to the zoo and making fancy dress costumes for a themed 'Tropical desert island invaded by pirates' farewell party!"

If you feel you need to get away from it all and would benefit from a break at one of our centres, click here for more information about Poppy Breaks.