Firstly, I want to thank you and everyone at Give Us Time for providing such fantastic opportunities for Service personnel and their families.

I have recently returned from a family holiday at the Ramada Residence Resort in Mijas, Costa Del Sol, Spain, thanks to the generosity of one of your donors.

I’ll admit that initially I was very sceptical about what to expect prior to our arrival having never utilised your services before, but from the moment we collected the keys and entered the apartment those apprehensions vanished. My family and I were blown away by how wonderful everything was, from the immaculate fully furnished self-catering two storey, two bedroom apartment, to the large, yet quiet swimming pool just a few metres beyond our courtyard terrace.

We checked in at 1400 and were greeted by daily essentials in the fridge such as bread, milk, eggs, fresh orange juice and butter. A small touch that made the initial arrival after a flight with young children such a pleasant surprise as it allowed us to settle in and unpack without having to head straight to the shops. The apartment had everything you could need to make a week away as relaxing as possible. Even a washing machine was provided which ensured returning home was far less stressful as we were able to wash and dry everything before our flight back.

The resort had an abundance of swimming pools which were allocated to specific accommodation or apartments and this meant there was always an plethora of vacant sunbeds round our pool, no matter the time of day. In addition to this there were numerous restaurants located within the resort which provided a range of typical European dishes to suit all. The apartment is located in Mijas, which is about half an hour from both Malaga and Marbella and the nearest town is called Fuengirola which is a 5 minute drive away. Here you can find cafes, restaurants, bars, a shopping centre, supermarkets, the beach and parks for children. I would definitely recommend heading down there, as the food is delicious and very reasonably priced. Although you don’t need to leave the resort, and could walk to Fuengirola, I would recommend either hiring a car or using a taxi during your stay if you wish to explore.

Overall the whole week was absolutely brilliant, I taught my 3 year old daughter to swim unaided and was also able to spend stress free quality time with my wife and young son, which was desperately needed. I cannot thank Give Us Time enough for allowing me this opportunity, so much so that I wouldn’t hesitate to pay to stay in the same apartment in the future or recommend them to anyone who would benefit from what they have to offer.

Give Us Time provide a fantastic service and I have nothing but praise for what my family and I were fortunate enough to have experienced because of them.

Alex, thankyou for facilitating this holiday. My family and I really appreciate it.

Kind regards,

Tom