ABOUT WOODLANDS TRAVEL CLUB The Woodlands Travel Club started life in 1985 to raise money for the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital. It began with two day trips to the House of Commons a year and gradually expanded to encompass other destinations in the UK purely for day trips. Then one day sitting in the rain on a coach outside Blenheim Palace, one of the passengers asked whether we could go further afield and could we organize a weekend trip to Paris and that’s really when the Travel Club started to expand. We were naturally quite nervous about taking a group of 100 people across the channel for the first time, but it proved to be successful and Paris is now our most popular destination. Today, the Woodlands Travel Club has expanded its range of destinations to include many weekend and longer European breaks by coach. We work in partnership with Collette Tours and can offer more far flung destinations such as New Zealand, Scandinavia, Washington DC and Iceland to name but a few. These of course are by plane and not coach our usual mode of transport. The Woodlands Travel Club is concerned with several things:- Raising funds for the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital. Raising funds for other registered charities who support Woodlands Travel Club. The comfort and enjoyment of the passengers. Offering value for money day trips, weekend breaks and holidays. We like to feel we are different from other travel companies and feel that we MAKE IT SPECIAL in the following ways:- The people who take you…are all volunteers, we see it as a pleasure not as a job. We’re happy only when you’re happy. We take the time and trouble to help with any special requirements. We’re always at the end of a telephone - most of the day and night. Every holiday or weekend break is preceded by a pre departure meeting. Everyone who is going on the holiday is invited to meet their fellow passengers and the organisers. Not only does it give us the opportunity to tell you a  little bit more about where we’re going and what we’ll be doing, but it gives you the opportunity to air any worries you may have. When was the last time your travel agent asked you to attend a meeting to meet your fellow travellers before you departed? The coaches on which you travel for all continental trips are some of the best continental touring coaches and are driven by the best drivers.  All the coaches have air suspension, reclining seats - with plenty of leg room,  WC/washroom, hot and cold drinks, curtains/blinds, TV/video. All coaches are NON SMOKING. All of our continental breaks/holidays are offered without any OVERNIGHT TRAVEL, which means you always have the full enjoyment of the scenery en route and a bed to sleep in at night, rather than an uncomfortable coach seat. The Hotel accommodation in which you stay has been very carefully chosen and is of a good quality.  Your room will  also include an en-suite bathroom - a feature which all our travellers have come to expect. The money which you pay will help several local charities. The profit from your participation in any of The Woodlands Travel Club events will be donated to local charities which are registered with the Charity Commission. So  if you book any trip through Woodlands Travel Club, the profit from your participation will return to St Mary’s  Hospice. We run the Club taking in the suggestions and advice of the passengers and acting upon them. Our passengers have suggested most of the destinations featured in our brochure, they never suggest the more commercial resorts such as Blackpool and Rhyl. The places we visit are more likely to be National Trust properties or destinations of an artistic or cultural nature. At least 70% of the passengers on every trip have previously travelled with the Woodlands Travel Club. Another reason for the high number of passengers travelling frequently with the Woodlands Travel Club is that they know they will get quality travel and quality holidays at competitive prices. We do not have numerous pick ups at the beginning of a trip and then numerous drop offs at the end. We have four pick up points – Redditch, Bromsgrove, Birmingham City Centre and The Woodlands Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Northfield. However, if we have a group of 10 or more we will pick up the group at their chosen point. The Woodlands Travel Club offers a free car parking facility on most day trips at both Redditch and the Woodlands Hospital. For weekend breaks and longer holidays we offer free car parking at Redditch. The Woodlands Travel Club relies on personal recommendation because the profits made by the Club are donated to the charities that the passengers nominate and profits are not spent on glossy brochures or advertising. More than 50 different charities benefit from the Travel Club. The four largest cheques go to the Woodlands Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, St Mary’s Hospice, Hollytrees Animal Rescue and Birmingham Botanical Gardens. A feature of the Woodlands Travel Club is that every coach has two escorts to accompany the passengers. The two escorts are volunteers and are there to serve refreshments and keep the passengers informed. Many single passengers travel with the Woodlands Travel Club because they tell us they feel safe in the friendly atmosphere and they know that there are always two representatives from the Club on every coach trip including holidays, weekend breaks and day trips. We believe it’s all part and parcel of being different from the Travel Agent on your local High Street.  This is  another feature that makes the Woodlands Travel Club different from the large commercial travel organisations.    As mentioned earlier, we use Collette Tours for our long haul trips and we chose them because:- They have the same philosophy as Woodlands Travel Club of wanting to offer high quality, value for money holidays which are escorted by knowledgeable guides. They have more than 80 years of experience in creating and operating escorted tours. They know what it takes to deliver a great tour. Every Collette tour includes sightseeing and entertainment that are carefully chosen to include what we‘re sure you won’t want to miss. But there’s always plenty of time for you to explore the area when you travel with Collette Tours. While exploring your destination, it’s imperative that your transportation is of the highest quality available. Every coach used on a Collette tour is a modern, clean, comfortable vehicle that features air-conditioning, air-cushioned suspension and a Public address system. At Collette they take care of all the details for you: hotels, meals, tickets, entertainment, sightseeing, ground transportation, directions, and all the other "little things" that go into planning a great holiday. You’ll find that  the price of the tours include so many features, that you pay less out-of-pocket money, meaning you get more value  for your travel dollar. Meals are a very important part of a Collette tour.  They include meals that best represent the heritage and culture of the people who make these destinations their home. Sampling the local foods and beverages is all part of the fun of the travel experience. Travel throughout the United States, Canada or South America with a Collette Tour Guide who knows the countries inside and out - someone who can recommend favourite restaurants and help you with the language, money and local customs.   Collette guides are full-time employees, not the seasonal or freelance guides other company’s use. They are continually trained to fully meet your needs and expectations. Knowledgeable, experienced and caring, these destination experts will also enhance your tour with historical and cultural information. As a team, the coach drivers and tour guides co-ordinate all activities, as well as assist with any additional needs you may have. Collette Tour guides are the very best in the travel business. Quietly, behind the scenes, they diligently handle all  the details that make it a trip of a lifetime for each traveller. Some of our most popular destinations have been:- Weston Super Mare when we took 8 coaches filled with 335 passengers from the BBC Studios to celebrate Ed Doolan’s  birthday. 9 coaches visiting the BBC experience. 9 coaches visiting Windsor Castle. 4 coaches to Paris. Paris is a regular destination for the Woodlands Travel Club and has been the most popular destination for the last 12 years. Woodlands Travel Club celebrates August Bank Holiday in Paris every year. With this holiday, as with all our holidays, all excursions are included in the price you pay. The Travel Club aims to get you to more of the many fascinating sights and places than any other travel organisation and still charge a competitive price for a quality holiday.   We are not just a coach bound travel club. We also organise group flying holidays with destinations that are as far and wide as Rome, Thailand, New Zealand and Scandinavia. Woodlands Travel Club can also organise trips specially tailor made for groups and organisations..For the last 4 years have specially organised the annual Ascot Races outing for the John Taylor Hospice. Their group not only enjoys a superb day out at the races, they also raise money for the hospice at the same time. If you belong to, or run, any club or have a group of friends who want to organise a group event, then we would be more than happy to help organise this for you.  We already are helping a group in Solihull who are having a day trip to Ely and are planning a five day break to Maastricht in 2004. Thank you for your time and attention.