• Tour operator easyJet Holidays surprises selfless workers who would normally work on Christmas Day with a well-earned break
• Nominated by her husband, Sarah Alcock, 35, was gifted an extra-special escape after she volunteered to return to work while still on maternity leave to help her emergency neonatal unit during the festive period
• The emotional moment was captured on camera as part of a campaign to celebrate the UK’s hidden heroes
• Research reveals that over 10 million British families will be spending Christmas apart this year, with more than a fifth (22%) having little to no choice but to work during the festive season

Video - https://vimeo.com/1146551491/7fdaff00f1?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

London, UK – This is the heartwarming moment 35-year-old Sarah Alcock found out that her husband had nominated her for a once-in-a-lifetime easyJet Holidays break, in recognition of the countless Christmases she has devoted to caring for newborns on an emergency neonatal unit.

Sarah, from Oakwood, Derby, has foregone Christmas Day at home on numerous occasions to work on the neonatal ward at Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, where her own baby was born prematurely this year.

Born at just 25 weeks weighing 1lb 12oz, the eight-month-old will be celebrating her first Christmas this year, but with staffing pressures mounting, she has volunteered to step in again to help her fellow colleagues out.

Her husband, Dave, a marketing manager, from Oakwood, Derby, said: "She’s a hero. Her work doesn’t stop just because it’s Christmas, so she has to go there regardless of the date.”

Alongside Sarah, NHS nurse Nicky Starkowitz and care home manager Niccii Gillett, who also selflessly work every Christmas, were gifted holidays as part of a campaign by tour operator easyJet Holidays to recognise the UK’s hidden heroes.

Nicky faced a breast cancer diagnosis in August this year and tragically, her four-year-old son Raffi was also diagnosed with a rare and aggressive brain cancer in March.

Her husband Neil said: “With everything going on this year we haven’t managed to get away or get the opportunity to do anything as a family together.”

Nicky added that “just to go away somewhere, as a family, and have time away together would be so nice”.

The holidays are a special easyJet Holidays escape, to give recognised key workers quality time with friends and family in the sunshine. They have been gifted to Christmas heroes after new research by easyJet Holidays found over 10 million Brits will be spending time apart from their families due to work commitments this year.

Nearly a third (28%) of key workers also feel that they haven’t taken a proper break in the past year, with nearly a quarter (22%) not likely to have a choice over whether they can work on Christmas Day or not.

Matt Callaghan, Chief Operating Officer at easyJet Holidays, said: “At Christmas especially, we’re reminded how many people quietly put others first, often sacrificing precious time with their own families. Our key workers do this year after year, and our communities simply wouldn’t function without them.

“This is easyJet holidays’ way of saying thank you - giving a few of these Christmas heroes the chance to properly step away, rest, and spend quality time together, whether that’s in the sunshine or exploring a new city. It’s about recognising the people who give so much, especially at this time of year.”

The easyJet Holidays poll uncovered the professions we feel most grateful for at Christmas, with nurses, paramedics, care workers and delivery drivers among them.

Just under a quarter (23%) of Brits say they leave out a gift for the postal workers at Christmas, while over a fifth (22%) say they do the same for binmen.

Six in ten also say Christmas makes them feel more generous towards others, with 51% saying they compliment others more during the festive period, while more than three in ten (31%) check in with their neighbours.

Top 10 professions Brits feel most grateful for at Christmas:

1. Nurses (46%)
2. Paramedics (39%)
3. Doctors (38%)
4. Care workers (29%)
5. Firefighters (27%)
6. Police officers (23%)
7. Delivery drivers (22%)
8. Retail staff (20%)
9. Postal workers (17%)
10. Hospitality (16%)

 

ENDS

 

For more information, please contact the easyJet Holidays press office on easyjetholidays@taylorherring.com / 020 8206 5151  

 About easyJet holidays:

easyJet holidays, launched in 2019, is a leading package holiday provider operating from the UK, Switzerland, Germany, and France. In 2024, it took over 2.5 million customers on holiday. Named UK & Ireland Travel Company of the Year 2024, it offers great value beach and city breaks to more than 8,000 hotels across 100+ destinations in Europe and North Africa. Holidays can be booked via its website or 7,000+ travel agents. ATOL-protected packages start from a £60 deposit per person and include flights, accommodation, 23kg luggage, and transfers on beach breaks. easyJet holidays is ABTA member and offers Ultimate Flexibility with booking changes, a refund guarantee, and Best Price Guarantee.

Winner of the Sustainable Future Award, easyJet holidays’ ‘Holiday Better’ strategy focuses on making more sustainable holidays mainstream, minimising tourism impacts, and embedding sustainability in its business. It partners with UN Tourism to develop an ESG framework for tourism, creating tools to measure industry impact on people, planet, and prosperity.

easyJet holidays was also named one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work in 2023, 2024, and 2025.