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All the Father's Day freebies you can get to treat dad this Sunday worth over £150 – from free pints to day's out

All the Father's Day freebies you can get to treat dad this Sunday worth over £150 – from free pints to day's out

The Sun09-06-2025
IT is almost our dads' big day but if the budget's tight there are still plenty of ways to celebrate them without breaking the bank.
Father's Day is on Sunday, June 15 and we've put together a list of free or small cost activities to guarantee your dad has the best time.
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Dads go free
There are many places across the country that are giving dads free entry for one day only.
Dads go free all weekend at the Whitehouse Farm Centre, 30 minutes north of Newcastle. An adults entry costs £15.95 online or £16.95 on the day as a walk-in.
The free ticket must be bought with a full paying child's ticket on June 14 and 15, while existing dad members of Whitehouse will get a free hot drink.
"Superhero dads" will also get free entry to Woodlands Leisure Park in Devon if the ticket is bought online in advance and with a child's ticket. Tickets for an adult range from £20.93-£26.78 according to the website.
The park has plenty of exciting things to do on the day, including rides, soft play area and even a small farm to meet some furry, four-legged friends.
Other parks that offer similar deals include, Twinlakes Park and Wheelgate Theme Park, Powderham Castle and Dartmoor Zoo.
Sea Life Centers across the country are offering free entry for dads from June 10 to 16. A standard entry ticket starts at £31 online.
4
The Eden Project in Cornwall is not only letting dad and grandads in for zero on Sunday, but they get a free pint if they dine in. A standard ticket is £38 online or £42 on the day.
Food and Drink
Why not take dad out for a bite to eat and drink to show how much you love him.
Frankie & Benny's
Italian restaurant chain, Frankie & Benny's is offering dads a free steak or pint if you pre-book a table for this week.
The steak usually costs £22.75, so the deal could save mum and kids plenty of money.
The steak offer is limited to the first 1,000 bookings and can be redeemed with any child's meal, all other bookings will receive a free pint or bottle of Peroni.
Prezzo
Another Italian chain, Prezzo, also has some pretty good offers up for grabs.
Not only will dad get a free pint of Peroni on Sunday, but if he has a decent dad joke to tell, his drinks will be free for the rest of the day.
The Coconut Tree
But if Asian food is more to your dad's taste, then take your dad to The Coconut Tree where he can get three dishes for free when accompanied by a full-paying adult.
The T&C's say: "For each paying customer, one Father, Grandfather or caregiver can choose 1 Hopper, 1 Curry Dish & 1 Side for free. Valid on Sunday 15 th June 2025 only."
Hoppers start at £4, whilst curries £9 and sides £4 - meaning you could say a minimum of £17.
Free cash schemes if you're struggling
Many of us are still struggling with the high cost of living - but there's help you can get.
New or expectant parents can get up to £442 a year to spend on food through Healthy Start scheme.
Some new parents can get £500 via the Sure Start Maternity Grant. The money is designed to help you cover the costs of having a child.
Councils also offer support through the welfare assistance schemes, to help cover the costs of essentials, from buying new furniture to food vouchers.
The amount you can get varies but an investigation by The Sun found that hard-up Brits can apply for help worth up to £1,000.
Discretionary Housing Payment is a pot of money handed out by councils to those struggling to keep a roof over their heads.
A scheme is available for those who find themselves unable to cover housing costs, though the exact amount varies as each local authority dishes out the cash on a case-by-case basis.
Many energy forms offer grants to help cash-tight customers. The exact amount varies depending on your supplier and you circumstances, but could be as much a £2,000.
TGI Friday's
Some TGI Friday's locations are giving dad a free drink when dining with family, if the table is booked in advance.
Greene King pubs
Dads can get a Jack Daniels whisky at Greene King pubs when dining with a guest between 12 and 18 June. Sign up to Greene King's mailing letter to get the voucher.
Wetherspoons
Some Wetherspoons branches are offering drink vouchers or discounts on meals, it's best to check with your local Wetherspoons for information.
Beefeater & Brewers Fayre
Beefeater & Brewers Fayre are offering a free drink or dessert with the purchase of a main meal, but offers vary by location.
Desserts start at £5.19 according to the menu.
Las Iguanas
South American-inspired chain, Las Iguanas, is offering a free Corona or soft drink with a main meal, with a maximum of six drinks per booking.
Fun, free gifts
If your dad prefers to open a gift on his big day, then there are some ways to get cheap presents for him.
Vodafone customers can get free socks from Sockshop and only pay £2.95 for postage. The offer is available until June 12 or until 30,000 pairs have been snapped up.
Co-op is giving away Walk a Mile with Dad t-shirts from July 11. There are 5,000 available and can be picked up on Co-op's website.
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Adventure dad
If your father is more of a thrill-seeker then head down to Bournemouth Pier, are giving dads a free zip-line ride. A single rider ticket costs between £20 and £27.
It is also hosting a weekend festival of music, food and fun for all the family.
Clacton Pier is offering dads free rides all day on June 15 after doing something similar on Mother's Day.
The offer is also available to grandfathers, uncles and guardians over the age of 18 when a Big Day Out Band is bought for a child.
Travel
Morebus in the Bournemouth region is offering free travel for fathers travelling on Sunday - as long as they are accompanied by a child buying a dayrider ticket.
Football fun
For the active dads, Toca Social in Birmingham is giving 100 dads the chance to play for free on Sunday.
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The moment I knew: moving so far and so fast wasn't in my character but it just felt right
The moment I knew: moving so far and so fast wasn't in my character but it just felt right

The Guardian

time15 hours ago

  • The Guardian

The moment I knew: moving so far and so fast wasn't in my character but it just felt right

In December 2024 I arrived in Sydney ready for an adventure. A friend was getting married in Australia and I had originally booked the trip with my ex, but when he dropped out after our breakup I decided to go ahead. I was considering quitting my job and moving back to the Netherlands so, even though I didn't know what my future would look like, I was ready for a holiday. I planned a week with friends in Sydney and Newcastle, a week with a friend travelling up the east coast and a final week on my own. On New Year's Eve I'd been at an all-day boat party on Sydney Harbour when a friend said she was off to meet an old flame of hers at a fireworks event in Bondi. I remember her telling me he had a nice single brother called Ben and showing me a photo: he had a moustache, was wearing a tank top and didn't look like my type at all. I told her I wasn't interested. I just wanted to stay with friends. When my friend's taxi arrived she pulled me in with her – and thank goodness she did because, when I met Ben in person, he looked completely different to the guy in the photos – tall and handsome with a big smile. He immediately made me laugh. We kissed within 10 minutes of saying hello, which was about half an hour before midnight. Ben had been ill with food poisoning and hadn't been in particularly high spirits until we arrived but said he immediately forgot about all of that. There was just this instant connection and we both felt as though we had nothing to lose. We lived too far apart to ever see each other again. The following day Ben and his brother invited my friend and me to a music festival. We worried it would be awkward at first but Ben and I picked up where we'd left off. We were like little kids running between stages. The next morning I had to leave for the wedding in Newcastle. I remember kissing Ben goodbye at the ferry terminal in Manly, wondering if I'd ever see this man again but knowing I definitely wanted to. We started texting straight away and I was so distracted I ended up missing my connecting train. Later in the trip I got an ear infection just before a five-day scuba diving expedition on the Great Barrier Reef. I cancelled – and something inside me was happy to, knowing that it would give me five days without a plan. Ben was competing in a triathlon in Nelson Bay and he asked if I wanted to come watch him drown, which felt like a fun way to hang out. It turned out to be an indirect invitation to stay with his aunt and uncle for the weekend. I booked a flight immediately. At this point I saw the whole thing as a bit of fun – a holiday romance, nothing serious. Being so far from home gave me a kind of 'why not' mentality. We both knew long-distance between London and Sydney would never work so we just decided to enjoy each other's company for as long as we had it. Over the next couple of days we spent time with his aunt and uncle, slept in a tent on the beach and competed in a mini-triathlon together. I remember travelling back to Sydney with Ben holding my hand the whole way back. He didn't want to let me go and I felt the same way. He booked flights to Melbourne with me for the Australian Open that week, and I ended up delaying my return flight so we could have an extra day together. Leaving each other at Melbourne airport was when we decided to see if maybe we could make long-distance work after all. We agreed to meet in Scotland six weeks later, calling each other every day in the meantime. I met all of Ben's family and friends on that trip to Scotland and, after four days, he asked me to be his girlfriend. This time when we went our separate ways it wasn't just goodbye until the next trip; it was goodbye until we moved in together. It wasn't in my character to do things like this but it just felt right and my friends and family could see that. They told me to take a leap of faith and see what happened. Ben and I reunited eight weeks later at Sydney airport and this time I was holding more than just a holiday bag. It turns out that my first impressions of Ben were right; we talked non-stop that New Year's Eve and, to be honest, we've never really stopped. He is still that fun and charismatic guy who makes me feel comfortable. For now Australia is our home but we plan to move back to Europe together in the longer term. Whether that's England, Scotland or the Netherlands remains to be seen – that's for figuring out later down the line. All I know is that we will find our home together. Do you have a romantic realisation you'd like to share? From quiet domestic scenes to dramatic revelations, Guardian Australia wants to hear about the moment you knew you were in love. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian.

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