Merlin Entertainments has announced that as part of their reopening plan they will donate 30,000 tickets globally to emergency service and frontline essential support workers who have worked throughout the pandemic in a new initiative, The Big Merlin Thank You.
In the UK, 10,000 tickets will be made available via the free platform Blue Light Tickets, a new initiative where frontline workers can register to secure free tickets for venues and events, with tickets donated by Merlin and other venues, stadiums, clubs, promoters and event industry experts from across the country.
Pioneered by Blue Light Card, the UK’s number one discount service for emergency services, NHS, social care workers and armed forces, the scheme already has a number of high-profile supporters alongside Merlin who are donating free tickets for sporting, music and leisure days out. NHS, social care and emergency service workers are encouraged to register for free online as soon as possible to receive early bird access to the first round of free ticket allocations.
Will Campbell-Lamberton, Partnerships and Operations Manager at Blue Light Tickets said, “In these difficult times, we have been blown way by Merlin’s generosity. We know that free tickets to leisure days out will spread the message of ‘thank you’ to NHS, healthcare and emergency service workers who have shown superhero strength and dedication in recent months. For those who haven’t been able to spend much time with their families during the COVID-19 lockdown, either as a result of long working hours or social distancing, we hope that a free day out at a Merlin resort/attraction will give some respite to those who need it most.”
The Blue Light Tickets have been donated via Merlin’s dedicated charity arm Merlin’s Magic Wand, which was established to offer support and days out for children and families facing serious illness, disability, or adversity around the world. The charity will be allocating tickets across the majority of its UK sites to offer healthcare staff a chance to take their families out for the day and spend quality time together. Days out will be offered across a range of their UK attractions including at Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures, LEGOLAND Windsor, Thorpe Park, The Bear Grylls Adventure and some Madame Tussauds and SEA LIFE Centres.
Sandra Hazel, Charity Head at Merlin’s Magic Wand said, “We would like to say a Big Merlin Thank You to the emergency and essential frontline workers who have played a vital role in the UK’s response to the pandemic. Their dedication and tireless effort is hugely appreciated by the whole nation, and we are delighted to be able to offer them a fun day out through the Blue Light Card scheme.”
3,000 of the tickets will also be split equally across 30 different companies in the UK who have seen their frontline and essential staff continue to work throughout the pandemic. This includes teachers via the ASCL, Royal Mail postal staff, Compass Group UK & Ireland – the UK’s largest food and support services company, WHSmith (for their Post Office colleagues who provided vital postal and banking services on the high street and their store colleagues across over 100 hospitals who served frontline NHS staff), council workers across the UK including refuse collectors, a range of major high street supermarkets including Tesco, and food takeaway delivery companies.
