In March 2014 the Balkan Jewel Resort in Bulgaria kindly invited 79 people from service families on a skiing holiday. The military personnel came from mainly the Gurkha and Abingdon regiments, giving them the chance to get away from the strains of military life for a free holiday.

The Balkan Jewel Resort is located in the Razlog Valley near Bankso, which is surrounded by Bulgaria’s three main mountain ranges giving them easy access to the slopes. Families were able to get a taste of local culture with an array of entertainment provided each evening and had a fantastic time.
The holidays were kindly donated by Diamond Resorts International. The £30,000 donation came after owner, Chris Grech, became aware of the charity and was impressed at the service it provided. He commented ‘I have been very happy with the work that Give Us Time does, so I was more than happy to offer accommodation to service families who were able to enjoy a week in Bulgaria. It was an exceptional event, which all the attendees thoroughly enjoyed. ‘
The holiday was also attended by Give Us Time founder Dr. Liam Fox who continued his very active support of the charity. He was no doubt glad to get away from the campaign trail for a few days.
The service we provide at Give Us Time is reliant on the generosity of donors, without them it simply would not work. It was a great week for everyone involved and we are extremely grateful for the donation from Diamond Resorts International and Chris’ active involvement. Together we are helping to make a real difference to families.