Welcome to the holidays section of  friendsfirst. Our fourth holiday to the Isle of Wight has just taken place and by all accounts it was one of our best holidays ever. (You can read some of the feedback below)  It's such a great holiday that we're doing it again next year  - read on below for more details.

All our holidays are open to non members as well as members of friendsfirst and you are welcome to bring Christian friends as well. Most importantly all our holidays are organised in a way that you'll easily meet other people - whether you come on your own, or with friends. In fact most people do come to our holidays and events on their own, and despite their initial nervousness, they really enjoy themselves. That's why we organise all our holidays and events in the way we do.

26th June - 3rd July 2010

7 days half board

from £285pp

If you've never been to the Isle of Wight in the summer then this is a holiday you

shouldn't miss. And if you have, you'll know why people return year after year, and why it always gets completely booked up very early.

The Isle of Wight is the perfect place to enjoy a relaxing break. It is a stunning Island with unspoilt scenery and a wealth of fascinating attractions. For the energetic, there are plenty of activities to enjoy. And for those who wish to escape the modern world, we're sure you'll leave the Island having found exactly what you were looking for. It is often blessed with much better weather than the rest of the UK.

We've teamed up with St Rhadagund's - a wonderful Christian holiday centre/hotel on the South coast of the Isle of Wight - just two miles from Ventnor - to offer you a singles holiday on this beautiful island.

St Rhadagund's itself is a Victorian house set in stunningly beautiful grounds in one of the prime sites on the island, overlooking the English Channel, and it enjoys some of the best weather to be had anywhere in the UK due to the almost sub-tropical climate in this part of the island.. With a stunning view south over the English Channel and set in six acres of beautiful grounds, St. Rhadagunds occupies one of the prime sites on the Isle of Wight.

Amidst glorious wooded scenery, the house has great character and charm and, with the welcome you will receive from the manager and staff, provides guests with a warm and relaxed atmosphere. They have a reputation for helping people meet strangers .. who then become life-long friends.

Feedback from the 2009 holiday included:

• “I’ve just come back from the Isle of Wight holiday and it was a great success and great fun. I’ve never laughed so much in years. Everyone felt it had been a very good week.”

• “The holiday on the Isle of Wight went really well. I didn’t know what to expect but everyone was very friendly. It was great chatting to both the other men and women. The weather was amazing and everything went really well. I am now feeling so much more confident about contacting other members.” 

For more feedback from this holiday - please scroll down the bottom of this page

St. Rhadagund's itself features:

• A host of attractions and places of interest all within easy reach on the island.
• 10 minutes walk to the nearest beach, and other superb beaches close by
• The island is ideal for walkers and cyclists with its many pathways and country lanes.
• Stunning local scenery - the variety of the coastal scenery that is all relatively close by is amazing, with towering stark white cliffs, the spectacular chalk stacks of ‘The Needles', the multi-coloured sands of Alum Bay, wooded ‘chines', golden beaches, dramatic landslipped bluffs, sheltered undercliffs, tidal creeks, estuaries, mudflats and salt marsh.
• Indoor games: darts, pool table, table tennis, carpet bowls, a cupboard full of board games
• Outdoor games: putting, croquet, badminton, volleyball, 5-a-side football, swings

The holiday itself is organised around the group there at the time, and your specific interests and desires, but will include a mixed and varied programme of activities - all with fellowship and friendship in mind. It is most likely to include outings, games, quizzes and of course always the option to chill out and relax in the beautiful surroundings of the hotel and local vicinity.  There'll also be the chance to share your own talents in a ‘home-grown concert’ (but with no-one forcing you to be involved if you don't want to be!), as well as daily devotions and a midweek fellowship meeting.

The holiday begins on Saturday 26th June and ends on Saturday 3rd July, and includes half board accommodation. Packed lunches are available for a small additional charge on request.

Travel is much easier than you might think and part of the joy of going to the Isle of Wight. Everyone comes by ferry and discounted car ferry tickets are available (please request this when booking).

This holiday is a bargain from £285 per person with NO single supplement for a standard room or £315 for an en suite room or if you really want to treat yourself go for a superior room  at £342 which includes a sea view, king size bed and larger en-suite facilities. If you are willing and happy to share a room then your holiday will be discounted by £35 - ie to £250 for a standard room . If you don't want to share, that's absolutely fine and you won't have to - the choice is yours!   

For a full brochure, further details and to book your place, please call Andrew Gardner  on 01983 852160

You can also view their website at www.strhads.co.uk

Click here for feedback on this holiday in 2006-8

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More feedback from people who went on this holiday in 2009

• “The holiday completely met my expectations of being able to meet friendly people to do things with. They were such a nice group and St. Rhadagunds is an excellent centre. I loved the way Andrew and Geraldine ran it - and it's such a beautiful place. It has a very special atmosphere"
• "The leader running the holiday was excellent - always trying to accomodate everybody, decisive and not bossy."
• "Overall I would sum the holiday up as a joyful and a good laugh - it was a joyful gathering adn packed full of good things."
• "I really liked the fact that we had enough time between outings and meals and worship times to chat to each other. This helped to keep the group together as several different options were open each day."
• "Apart from the wonderful weather, I will remember the lovely companionship of the group, each of us having fun and taking care to see that the others enjoyed the holiday too."
• "The holiday was very well organised. The right level of organisation was used. Several options were given for activities so that everyone could join in or go their own way if they wished to."
• "The most useful thing I learnt from this holiday is that it's important to encourage people to take up opportunities like this one. It is hard to meet other single Christians. The holiday is a great way to do this in a non threatening environment. Although many people do come to meet someone special, it is also about finding fellowship with others who are in the same boat, and for those who are called to stay single, they can have the companionship and fellowship of non-married people."
• "Overall the holiday was unrepeatable and great fun."
• "It was a great holiday - thank you for promoting it."
• "I was hoping for a time of relaxation with an interesting group of poeple, which turned out to be the case."
• "I will most remember the meal times, good food, fellowship times, the coastal walks and ventnor botanical gardens."
• "There was a great crowd of people there and my expectations for the holiday were met very positively."
• "I expected a good programme and it was very good. I really enjoyed the barn dance and it was a great ice breaker. I have many good memories of it - the beatle drive was a highlight and Osborne house. I did not like going home! It was a very well organised holiday thanks to John who made a great effort to please all. The holiday definately gave me the opportunity to meet new people and it was great value for money."