Investment Member news

We are excited to announce that Chris Simmonds has been appointed as the new CEO, taking over from David Harrington, who is retiring after 40 years at HF Holidays. 

Chris, who was previously the CEO of JG Travel Group, has extensive experience in the travel and not-for-profit sectors, including key roles at SAGA Holidays.  

Chris will join HF Holidays this October and begin to familiarise himself with all aspects of HF Holidays before taking over the reins. 

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to David Harrington, who has worked tirelessly to ensure that HF Holidays is a successful and purpose-led organisation. David shared, “I’ve had a tremendously fulfilling career at HF Holidays and will miss it, but it is time for me to move on to a new chapter of my life full of fun, friendship, and family.” 

Chris's proven leadership and passion for travel will be invaluable as HF Holidays continues to grow and enhance its offerings. We are looking forward to this new chapter and remain committed to our values and ambitious growth plans. 

David Harrington and Ben Reid enjoyed a weekend with an enthusiastic group of shareholding members last month at Holnicote House, our charming property on Exmoor’s historic National Trust Holnicote estate.

David shared, “Being a co-operative, it’s so important we meet and engage with our members. Twice a year we host breaks for Investment Members. A Director attends with the CEO or a senior manager. Our last such holiday was held at our country house in Exmoor. Apart from enjoying exceptional guided walks, beautiful scenery, excellent company and wonderful hospitality, it is an opportunity to meet and receive feedback from our members whilst in the great outdoors. On one evening we gave a short presentation with a Q&A.”

Thank you to all who attended. Our next Investment Member break is already sold out, taking place at Nythfa House in the Brecon Beacons on 25 October. Looking into 2025, our 3-night Investment Members breaks take place on 16 May at Peveril of the Peak in the Peak District, and 7 November at Longmynd House in the Shropshire Hills. This is your chance to meet and walk with members of our Senior Management Team, including new CEO, Chris Simmonds.

2025 Investment Member breaks are on sale now by calling our friendly Sales & Support Team on 020 3974 8865.

There’s a lot to love about last-minute getaways, not least the excitement of exploring new places on a whim. 

We’ve rounded up the latest too-good-to-miss offers, all of which depart in the next few months. 

• Last minute escapes Europe and further afield  

• Guaranteed single rooms for solo travellers, or a double at no extra cost* 

• Escape the crowds outside the summer months and save up to £200 per person* 

Browse our offers on 2024 walking holidays.  

Join us this November as we celebrate our birthday and house anniversaries, including the 90th anniversary of Newfield Hall, 35 years of Thorns Hall and Abingworth Hall’s 30th.

With 5 November our official birthday, we’ve chosen 3 and 7-night breaks beginning on 8 and 9 November at many of our UK country houses to have a celebration. Join us on these dates to enjoy live music, a special 4-course dinner, a welcome drinks reception, an "HF Holidays through the ages" quiz, and of course, birthday cake.

Save £50 on 3 night anniversary breaks and £111 on 7 night anniversary breaks – see promo codes below.

Exclusive Member Savings 
Please also take advantage of exclusive member savings on these birthday breaks. Look for the dates marked ‘Anniversary Celebrations’ online, and remember to add the following promo voucher codes at the checkout to secure your extra savings on top of the advertised best price: 

• Promo code: MEM50 
  Save £50pp on 3-night country house breaks departing Friday 8th or Saturday 9th November 2024. 

• Promo code: MEM111
  Save £111pp on 7-night country house breaks departing Friday 8th or Saturday 9th November 2024. 

See dedicated web page for terms & conditions 

Please book as early as possible to avoid disappointment, and don’t forget to use your promo code. 

We would also love to display some of your HF Holidays photo memories on the TV screens around our country houses during these special events. Please share your photos by emailing footnotes@hfholidays.co.uk by 30th September, if you’d like yours to appear. 

“It’s important we move on inclusivity, equity and the eco-economy.”

Last month our CEO, David Harrington sat down to discuss our B Corp Certification, inclusivity, equity, and the eco-economy, with Sarah Dennis, TTG Media.

“My reason for pushing for B Corp was to have the certification and be transparent with third parties about what we’re doing. It’s important to be part of a number of businesses trying to move things forward on inclusivity, equity and the eco-economy – it’s what we’re all striving to do”, said David Harrington.

Thanks TTG for inviting us to share our journey so far. Please head to TTG to read the full article.
N.B. This trade article requires readers to log-in. Registration is free.

Last month, we celebrated the 600+ volunteer walking leaders who are the heart of HF Holidays. 

The dedication of our volunteers is invaluable. Our leaders guided over 2,500 holidays last year, with one leading more than 20 times, and many helping assess future leaders. Our Field Advisors, who carefully check walking routes to ensure the safety of our guests, Board of Directors, Vice Presidents and President are also volunteers. Thank you for making a difference every day. 

Your post-visit feedback and Feefo reviews demonstrate the huge impact our leaders have on our guests’ experience: 

“I love my introduction to HF holidays. Everything is geared to getting you out on the path or trail to walk or hike. The food, the room, the leaders and the staff all were excellent. The leaders were extremely supportive and helped me do a challenging hike all the way up the mountain. The other participants were very friendly and congenial. All in all, a wonderful time.” July 2024, Brecon Beacons, Guided Walking.

• Best Guided Adventure Operator in The Times and Sunday Times Travel Awards 2024
• Best Travel Company for Special Interest Holidays & Best Company for UK Short Breaks in the British Travel Awards 2024
• Favourite Tour Operator for Adventure & Favourite Tour Operator for Sustainability in Spain in the Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards 2024

Engaging people of colour: A collaboration between the Outsider Project, HF Holidays and Patagonia.

We’re proud to have hosted The Summit for the fourth year at Dolserau Hall in Southern Snowdonia (Eryri). This annual event aims to inspire diverse communities to engage with the outdoors and share ideas in nature.

On our journey to make outdoor activities more inclusive, we want to thank Phil Young, founder of Outsider Project and co-founder of The Summit, for sharing his experience in our new blog and video, and we look forward to next year's event.

Find out more about the work we do with The Summit to help minoritised groups see rural spaces through ‘new and wondrous eyes’, as Phil puts it in his new guest blog, ready to read now.

We are humbled by the generous bequests regularly made to our cooperative society.

Legacy gifts, regardless of size, are vital in sustaining our co-operative society, so to help those considering leaving a gift in their will, we have created a new page on our website with more information.

Please contact us (Linda or Jackie) in the Membership team on 020 8732 1290 to discuss. Thank you again for your generosity. Your ongoing support aims to inspire future generations to enjoy the great outdoors, welcoming them into the HF Holidays fold.

In May we hosted our fourth assisted holiday for Ukrainian families at Longmynd House in Church Stretton, funded by HF Holidays Pathways Fund. 

We opened the doors to six Ukrainian families who enjoyed a three-night stay and a wonderful weekend of guided walking. One of the facilitators, who helped to organise the trip, shared with us just how much the weekend meant to the families. 

“I need time to find the right words!!! The weekend was just amazing, really amazing; from the moment the Ukrainians arrived until the moment they left. Absolutely outstanding; every moment. Thank you to you, thank you to everyone; it was incredibly special.”  

In addition, Derek King is one of many HF Holidays Leaders and team members doing their bit for the Pathways Fund. Thank you Derek, after leading for two weeks at Glen Coe, you donated two of your own fine paintings to be raffled, raising over £350! 

We know that many members also donate to our Pathways Fund. We would like to thank you all for your contribution. Every donation is gratefully received.  

If you’ve phoned our Sales and Support Team, you may well have spoken to Jackson Griffiths, who has been with us for many years.

A new member recently shared how Jackson did a fantastic job sorting out her bookings, which she described as "very convoluted". Thank you, Jackson, for your outstanding work and dedication! Jackson is a true role model, who makes a big difference to our team and customers.

Jackson is very passionate about his job and the equitable nature of cooperatives, especially our Society - as are all our Sales and Support team. They love to hear your feedback, so please share your thoughts, as and when you are ‘wowed’, by emailing Sales & Support Manager, Aga, at reservations@hfholidays.co.uk.

Since launching our latest 2025 holidays last month, we’ve been busy helping everyone from solo travellers to large groups book their next HF Holidays adventure. 

While the majority of our 2025 dates can be booked now, our complete range of 2025 holidays will be available to browse and book in our final release from 22 August.  

We recently launched a 32-page online brochure showcasing our current collection of worldwide destinations, to inspire those wishing to walk beyond the UK and Europe. It’s a lovely read, so we wanted to share it here with you. 

For those eagerly awaiting our main brochure, we will be inviting you to pre-order a printed copy in August to land on your doormat mid-September. So, please keep an eye out for an email or postcard to make your choice.  If you happen to miss it, our brochure will be available to order later on our website. 

We know many are happy flicking through a digital version of our brochure or picking up a copy whilst at our houses. In line with our aim to reduce our carbon footprint, we hope that those who do request a printed copy by post are able to pass it to friends or family when they have finished with it.  

Our latest blog, spotlighting the eight natural wonders of Ecuador has just been published: Read the blog here.

A quick reminder of our shared transfer services at four of our country houses. 

We wanted to remind you of our shared taxi transfer service. This handy and sustainable way to arrive is available from local train stations to Derwent Bank, Newfield Hall, Thorns Hall and Alltshellach. 

To find out more, check the 'Getting here' tab on each house page or call our Sales & Support Team on 020 3974 8865. Great to receive a message from a member following a recent email received which shared the news of our transfers.  

“Thank you for doing this car free holiday, especially the transfers from the train station to less accessible houses. Great initiative. Well done. Yvonne” 

After its renovation earlier this spring, our indoor pool at Alltshellach in Glen Coe reopened in May, following a generous donation from Vice President, Bob Gomersall. 

Thank you for your support, Bob. We know that our indoor pool facility at Alltshellach, Scottish Highlands, and the outdoor pools at Freshwater Bay House on the Isle of Wight and Chy Morvah in Cornwall, transform summers for many of our guests. Our outdoor pools will all be open until the end of September, and reopen in May next year, while Alltshellach’s indoor facility will be open year-round. 

We also wanted to congratulate Bob on the upcoming release of his book, Worthwhile Wealth, out on the 10 September. Alongside being a budding author, Bob is an HF Holidays Leader and former Director, including Chair. Having led for HF Holidays since he was 18 years old, we’re confident his life experience with us helped him pen this entertaining mix of social insight, ethical exploration and practical tips about what constitutes ‘wealth’. All the best with the launch.  

Congratulations to the 13-strong team from our Penrith office who raised almost £1k for mental health charity, Mind Over Mountains 

Motivated by Mental Health Awareness Week and National Walking Month, at the end of May our energetic team took on our new Southern Lake District Coniston Skyline Challenge. Dressed in Where’s Wally gear, they successfully covered a total distance of 18.4km (11.43 miles) and 1,120m of ascent up Wetherlam via Steel Edge and the summits of Swirl How and the Old Man of Coniston in a single day. For comparison, the ascent up Britain's biggest mountain, Ben Nevis, is 1,370m.   

Mind Over Mountains is a charity that offers professional mental health support to those in need by combining hill walking with the healing power of nature, something very close to our hearts. 

We know that many members also take part in a lot of charity work, particularly in the great outdoors. We would love to hear more about your achievements. You are welcome to drop us a line at footnotes@hfholidays.co.uk with news. 

Were you fast asleep when the Northern Lights descended in May? Luckily, one of our HF Holidays Leaders was wide awake capturing these fantastic photos while at The Peveril of the Peak in Dovedale. Thanks to everyone who shared their memorable moments with us. 

Recently, one of our HF Holidays Leaders noticed that a historic HF Holidays plaque at Linton, near Newfield Hall, was missing. After a collaborative effort involving local leaders and Linton Parish Council, we discovered that The Friendship Trust had taken the initiative to restore the plaque to its pristine state. Thank you to everyone involved for bringing back this piece and preserving its timeless message. 

“A REQUEST. FROM THE HOLIDAY FELLOWSHIP. 

Friend, when you stray, or sit and take your ease, on moor, or fell, or under spreading trees, pray, leave no traces of your wayside meal, no paper bag, no scattered orange peel, nor daily journal littered on the grass; others may view these with distaste, and pass. Let no one say, and say it to your shame, that all was beauty here until you came.” 

One of our HF Holidays Leaders shared a story; during a coffee break outside a mountain hut in the Dolomites earlier this month, one guest was missing during a headcount. His toilet door handle had broken, and while his friend's phone was on silent, Jackson Griffiths in our Sales & Support team came to the rescue answering a call for help from our guest, who, we’re pleased to share, was quickly freed and none the worse for wear.  

We’d love to share your funny HF Holidays stories. Email us at footnotes@hfholidays.co.uk.

Our HF Holidays Leaders have been busy inspiring us to with some top app recommendations, including the Geotourist app, which offers audio tours like "A Walk in Ardgour," covering the second half of the Option 1 walk, Inchree Forest, and Ardgour Lochans from Glen Coe. Another winner is the Merlin Bird app, an excellent tool for identifying the birds behind the birdsong on our walks, whether at home or away. One of our personal favourites is the Sky Tonight stargazing app—it's incredibly addictive and mind-boggling at the same time! 

Do tell us about your best tech finds to help you get even more from the great outdoors. Email us at footnotes@hfholidays.co.uk. 

We are involved in an exciting project at The National Trust’s Roseberry Topping in the North York Moors (more news to follow in the next edition of Footnotes) and we’d love to hear from our members on your own personal experiences of this legendary landmark 

We are inviting you to contribute stories and memories, past and present, of experiences or connections with this area of outstanding natural beauty, a popular stop on the itineraries at Larpool Hall in Whitby. 

Please submit your thoughts and/or photographs by emailing footnotes@hfholidays.co.uk by 31 July 2024. Thanks in advance for your contribution. All will be revealed soon…

The damp start to the season has been perfect for bog-loving plants like orchids.  

Here are a few wild orchids spotted this summer by one of our HF Holidays Leaders in the Tarn Hows/Black Fell area above Monk Coniston, including the bog asphodel, also seen recently on Snowdon. Thank you for sharing these beautiful sightings.