Yeovil Hospital has announced the launch of an exciting new partnership with renowned health and well-being destination La Manga Club resort in Murcia, south-east Spain.

The agreement is another pioneering move for the hospital, well-known both for its innovative work to integrate services across Somerset as part of the NHS' vanguard project and successful track record in commercial partnerships.

The new collaboration will see patients and staff at Yeovil Hospital benefit from discounts on holidays, activities and spa treatments at the La Manga Club resort. In return, the hospital will actively promote the resort to staff and the local population through internal hospital channels, the website and social media.

La Manga Club is the 'go to' destination for leading European professional sports teams, golfers, families and sun-lovers seeking a holiday that blends relaxation with an active break. The five-star resort boasts a plethora of accommodation and private residential homes, along with some of Europe's finest golf courses, football, cricket and tennis facilities.

Its world-class 28-court tennis centre is a regular destination for many of Europe's leading players and coaches, while the resort is the official overseas training base of the Lawn Tennis Association.

Simon Lilley, commercial director at Yeovil Hospital, said: “We are delighted to have forged this partnership with one of Europe's elite holiday destinations, and to be able to share the benefit not only with our staff, but also with our local community. The resort offers a real haven, not only for a holiday but also for people wanting to rest and recover.

“It's widely known that fresh air, exercise and a restful break in a warm climate can help people to remain healthy, but also those recovering from illness or treatment and we are very pleased to be able to share this partnership offer with our patients.”

Brendan Dwyer, commercial and resort marketing director at La Manga Club, said: “Hospitals are a key part of a community, and it's a privilege for the resort to be able to give people in and around Yeovil the opportunity to experience one of the world's top sports and leisure destinations.”

For more information about La Manga Club and to book, visit www.lamangaclub.com 

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Picture caption: Left to right: Ashley Davidson, senior nurse in cardiology at Yeovil Hospital; patient Stephen Hindle; Tim Hutchinson, senior physiotherapist; and Simon Lilley, commercial director at Yeovil Hospital.

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Notes to editors
For more information on this press release, email caroline.maddams@ydh.nhs.uk or call 01935 383 078.

La Manga Club
La Manga Club – www.lamangaclub.com – is an unrivalled sports and leisure paradise which sits between the low hills that separate the Mediterranean from the Mar Menor Sea, just 20 minutes from Murcia airport and an hour from Alicante.

Set out over an area of some 560 hectares (approx. 1,400 acres), it enjoys a mild year-round Mediterranean climate and offers visitors a prestigious five-star hotel, luxury vacation apartments and extensive sports facilities, including three championship golf courses, a new Leadbetter Golf Academy – the only one in mainland Spain – a 28-court tennis centre and eight grass sports pitches. The resort is also home to innumerable leisure facilities, such as the 2,000m2 Spa La Manga Club with its 13 luxurious treatment rooms, comprehensive fitness centre and 25m indoor swimming pool; meeting, banqueting and incentive facilities, and more than 20 restaurants and bars.

As well as hosting both Davis and Fed Cup tennis matches, La Manga Club has signed a long-term deal to be the overseas training resort of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) until 2019. It has also staged the Spanish Open golf championship and regularly attracts professional and international football teams to the first-class year-round training facilities which are also used by rugby and cricket sides.

As a result of more than 40 years of continued investment, innovation and commitment to excellence, La Manga Club is widely recognised as Spain's flagship resort and as one of the finest sports and lifestyle destinations in the world. Evidence of this is provided by its numerous awards and accolades.

La Manga Club was the proud recipient of a 2013 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel website, for the facilities and service on offer at its five-star Hotel Principe Felipe. The resort has been voted 'Best Golf Hotel/Resort in Spain' by UK readers of Today's Golfer magazine for the last five years and was named 'Best Golf Hotel in Spain' at the 2014 and 2015 World Golf Awards. La Manga Club has long been a staunch supporter of women's golf, being the official overseas resort partner of the English Women's Golf Association for three years as well as hosting the Ladies European Tour (LET) Qualifying School from 2009-12.

La Manga Club is also the venue for the Ladies Murcia Open, an LET Access Series event, and regularly hosts top women's amateur events and teams.

• High-resolution images of La Manga Club may be downloaded for editorial purposes from https://goo.gl/oi837y 

For more information on La Manga Club contact Pete Simm on 01730 711920 or email petes@theazaleagroup.com