Parks Urged To Become Living Wage Accredited

Posted on June 10, 2015

A Cornish park has become the first in the UK to be accredited as a Living Wage employer.

Parks Urged To Become Living Wage Accredited

Mother Ivey’s Bay Holiday Park in Cornwall has become Britain’s first holiday park to be an accredited Living Wage employer and is urging other parks to follow suit.

Park director Patrick Langmaid believes that such a move is the perfect way for any business to demonstrate its social responsibility. “Our decision to pay the Living Wage, currently set at £7.85 per hour outside London, will add around £12,000 a year to our annual wage bill in the future,” says Patrick.

According to the industry’s trade body, the British Holiday & Home Parks Association, Mother Ivey’s is leading the way in becoming accredited by the Living Wage Foundation. Around 1,100 other businesses of all types in the UK have already signed up to the organisation.

“I strongly believe there is more to business than short-term profits and that long-term interests are most often best served by looking beyond the balance sheet,” said Patrick. “By putting the principles of social responsibility at the heart of our decisionmaking, we are resonating with the way many of our customers now feel about how companies should behave.

“We don’t regard wages as just another cost, but as a means of recognising and rewarding the hard work of our staff team, all of whom are incredibly loyal to our business, including many who have been with us for more than ten years.”

There is more information about the Living Wage Foundation accreditation at www.livingwage.org.uk

Bunn Leisure Announces Record Year

Posted on May 27, 2015

Bunn Leisure is celebrating its record-breaking 2014 results, which saw an increase in bookings, sales and turnover.

Bunn Leisure Announces Record Year

South coast holiday park Bunn Leisure has announced a record breaking year in 2014, with holiday bookings, turnover and caravan sales all reaching a new high.

The park in Selsey, West Sussex, benefited from last year’s sweltering summer and extended months of opening to post its best ever set of results. The park sold a record 420 caravans with sales up 12 per cent on the previous year. Turnover from bookings at Bunn Leisure and its sister campsite Warner Farm rose significantly, as did income from retail sales and site fees.

The company was also recognised by its industry peers with an award for 20 years of partnership from Hoseasons, a Hoseasons Diamond Award for customer service and a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence.

John Bunn, managing director of Bunn Leisure said: “Our mission is to provide our owners and guests with a fantastic, fun and safe place to enjoy the traditional British holiday and our aim is to always exceed our customers’ expectations.

“Our success in 2014 shows we are getting the formula right – and we are continuing to invest in Bunn Leisure to grow this successful park where people love to holiday and our staff love to work.”

Plans For Irish Center Parcs Village

Posted on May 13, 2015

Center Parcs has announced plans to open a new holiday village in Northern Ireland in 2019.

Plans For Irish Center Parcs Village

Center Parcs has announced plans to develop a holiday village at Newcastle Wood in County Longford, Northern Ireland.

The new development will feature up to 500 lodges, more than 100 indoor and outdoor activities, a spa, a range of restaurants and the iconic subtropical swimming paradise. The 375 acre site is currently owned by Coillte, the state forestry company and Center Parcs has signed an option agreement with the company.

The new Center Parcs, which is expected to open to guests in 2019, will create approximately 750 jobs during construction. Once open, the €200 million development will have capacity for up to 2,500 guests and will employ up to 1,000 people in permanent jobs. Center Parcs estimates that, when operational, the new holiday village will add approximately €32 million to Irish GDP per annum.

Martin Dalby, CEO of Center Parcs, said: “We are thrilled and excited about the prospect of bringing the Center Parcs concept to families in Ireland. “This new Center Parcs will have all of the ingredients that have made us so popular with families in the UK for the last 28 years and I am certain that Center Parcs will be a great success in Longford.

“We look forward to liaising closely with the local community during the next few months to fully share our vision and to explain the huge economic and social benefits that a Center Parcs holiday village will bring to the area.”

Norovirus Outbreak Closes Resort

Posted on April 20, 2015

Management at Potters Resort took the decision to close the resort to prevent further spread of the virus.

Norovirus Outbreak Closes Resort

Potters Resort in Norfolk was temporarily closed in February following a suspected outbreak of the winter bug Norovirus.

The virus was traced back to a coach party of guests at the resort near Great Yarmouth. Potters management team took the proactive decision to prevent further spread of the virus by voluntarily closing the resort over a three day period, during which time the resort was thoroughly disinfected.

Guests that were due to check in during the closure were offered a full refund and a public event celebrating the life of the late Brian Potter MBE also had to be rescheduled.

In a statement, Potters Resort said: “The source of the Norovirus outbreak has been traced back to a coach party bringing it in from outside the resort. It spreads from person to person so Potters management took the decision to close to prevent any chance of further spread and to safeguard guests and staff.

“We have advised the relevant public health authorities and they have praised our preventative course of action.

“Once again, we’d like to apologise for the inconvenience, but we believe that our voluntary decision to close demonstrates our total commitment to the well-being of guests and staff and that Potters has put people before profits.”

Record Funding For Coastal Attractions

Posted on April 17, 2015

Suffolk Coastal district council is one of the areas set to benefit from £36 million of funding from the Coastal Communities Fund. Pic: VisitBritain / Rod Edward.

Record Funding For Coastal Attractions

Seaside towns across England and Scotland are set to benefit from a cash injection of over £45m to boost growth in coastal areas.

A total of 27 coastal towns and villages across Scotland will benefit from £9.58m of UK government funding through the Coastal Communities Fund and a further £36m has been allocated to seaside towns in England. The money will support projects that will create nearly 3,000 jobs and almost 1,500 apprenticeships and training places.

Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the treasury, said: “I created the Coastal Communities Fund because, as someone who grew up on a small island, I know how much difference targeted investment can make to people’s lives. It’s already supported scores of coastal communities from the Highlands of Scotland to the south coast of England.

“Overall, hundreds of communities across the UK will benefit, creating jobs and making sure that some of our most remote and fragile communities share in the economic recovery.”

Among those to benefit will be Blackpool’s world famous illuminations which will receive nearly £2m to help create new light shows that will become a major tourist attraction and create and support nearly 550 new jobs. Tate St Ives will get £3.8m to help extend the art gallery so it can welcome 76,000 new visitors a year and Scarborough’s historic market will get £2.7m to refurbish the market and create space for 30 new businesses creating more than 80 jobs and apprenticeships.

Center Parcs Introduces Google 360° Technology

Posted on April 15, 2015

Center Parcs villages have been mapped using Google Business View technology, including the first fully operational sauna to be virtually toured.

Center Parcs Introduces Google 360° Technology

Center Parcs has become the first UK holiday resort to be comprehensively mapped using Google Business View technology.

The technology allows visitors to the Center Parcs website to virtually explore every square inch of the villages at the click of a button, whether viewing the subtropical swimming paradise or taking a look inside the range of accommodation options on offer.

It took 20 days, over 180 hours and in excess of 25,000 individual images to create the 140 different virtual tours. All buildings have been captured internally, including each of the different restaurants, leisure facilities and Aqua Sana spa.

In combination with Google Street View of all Center Parcs Villages, this is the most extensive use of this technology within the UK holiday sector. Four of the five Center Parcs Villages have been mapped, with the recently opened Woburn Forest set to follow later this year.

Broadchurch Fever Hits Bridport

Posted on April 15, 2015

Bookings at Highlands End Holiday Park are up by 57.8 per cent following the return of the TV drama Broadchurch. Pic: ITV

Broadchurch Fever Hits Bridport

Business is booming at Highlands End Holiday Park in West Dorset following the return of the popular ITV drama Broadchurch, which features scenes filmed at the park and the surrounding areas.

Highlands End Holiday Park in Bridport says bookings so far this year are up 57.8 percent for holiday home rentals and up 196 percent for touring pitches.

The programme, filmed around West Bay, returned for a second series on ITV in February, featuring a stellar cast including David Tennant and Olivia Coleman. Visitors flocked to the area last year to see the locations, and many more now seem keen to take a holiday in the heart of the action.

Highlands End Holiday Park general manager James Cox said: “At the end of October the cast and crew of Broadchurch were filming the second series on Eype Beach next to the park.

“While the holidaymakers at Highlands End were asked not to take pictures of any plot spoilers, they had a bird’s-eye view of the filming from the decking of their caravan holiday homes.”

He added: “We have recently expanded our luxury holiday lodge accommodation as the existing lodges, bungalows, holiday homes and apartments are all booking well on the back of Broadchurch fever.”

Cash Boost For Broadland Sands

Posted on April 15, 2015

Park Holidays UK’s investment at Broadland Sands aims to strengthen the commitment to family-friendly features found across other parks within the group.

Cash Boost For Broadland Sands

Holidaymakers at Broadland Sands Holiday Park in Suffolk will soon be benefiting from improved facilities following a £750,000 investment by the park’s owners Park Holidays UK.

The redevelopment project at the popular seaside park in Corton will see upgrades to the guest facilities and the park’s central holiday complex where a new state-of-the-art entertainments venue will be created.

Tony Clish, director of Park Holidays UK commented: “The facilities at Broadland Sands were already of a good standard, but as a company we are committed to keeping our holiday parks one step ahead of the competition.

“That’s why, after taking over the business, we made it our first task to walk around and draw up a wish-list of changes which would add to guests’ experiences.

“We have budgeted three-quarters of a million pounds for these projects, but we are prepared to let this figure over-run if it gives us the results we want.”

Despite only featuring on the company’s website since the New Year, Broadland Sands is already among the top five parks for bookings.

Mr Clish says that holiday home ownership proved extremely popular last year across his group and that 2015 is likely to see demand rise even further.

Movers And Shakers

Posted on April 8, 2015

The Beverley Holidays management team (back row L-R) Michael Jeavons, Tim Jeavons, Peter Jeavons, (front row L-R) Claire Jeavons, Nicola Furneaux and Gary Furneaux.

Movers And Shakers

Staying one step ahead and keeping abreast of the ever-changing holiday market has proven to be a winning formula for South Devon-based Beverley Holidays.

Owned and operated by the Jeavons family, there are three award-winning park areas which fall under the Beverley Holidays banner, each offering something different for discerning holidaymakers.

Last year the family-run company undertook a major re-brand - changing the names of the areas and upgrading the entertainment facilities on offer. This year will see a further investment of £1 million to increase the luxury accommodation offering.

Claire Jeavons, marketing director and third generation of the Jeavons family comments: “The way that holidaymakers plan, book and take their holiday is constantly changing and there are always new things you need to consider and adapt to. We have always looked ahead to make positive changes and I think this is vital for any successful business.

“We recently simplified the area names to Beverley Park, Beverley View and Beverley Bay to create greater unity. We have also enhanced our entertainment offerings at Beverley Bay and Beverley Park, whereby we have created two distinct venues that complement one another by providing something to suit all tastes,” adds Claire.

In response to the growing demand for luxury accommodation, 26 new top of the range caravans have been added to the holiday park, together with a platinum hot tub lodge to add to its existing lodge fleet.

Claire says: “The holiday park industry is always changing and the introduction of these brand new luxury caravans and our hot tub lodge is all very much in line with the emerging glamping trend."

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Beverley Holidays
Tel. 01803 843887
www.beverley-holidays.co.uk

All-Weather Swimming For Visitors

Posted on April 1, 2015

West Hayes Caravan Park in Lyme Regis has installed an Endless Summer enclosure over its existing pool to extend its swimming season.

All-Weather Swimming For Visitors

Fed up with a seemingly endless round of wet summers, West Hayes Caravan Park in Lyme Regis called in local pool retailer, Isca Pools to install an Endless Summer enclosure over their existing swimming pool to extend the swimming season.

Manager of the caravan park, Carol Bishop, says: “Erecting the enclosure is the best thing we have done in terms of increasing our business. “We have had so many favourable comments from customers about the difference it has made and the fact that they can now enjoy the pool, one of our main attractions, for so much longer, that it is worth every penny spent on it.

“Whereas before we could only open the pool from May to September, now we plan to open it from March to October.”

A textbook installation, the 17.6m x 11.0m, nine bay telescopic enclosure at West Hayes was up and running in just four days. Endless Summer is an experienced British company that manufacture pool enclosures specifically designed to suit the UK climate.

The pool enclosure is made up of a series of modular components which can be integrated to ensure that the enclosure can accommodate almost any shape pool, pool surround materials and adjoining buildings. The flexibility of the design and its adaptability will respond to your most creative and imaginative plans. Besides the standard enclosures, custom designs include retracting, fixed, lean-to, low level and centre opening models.

Richard Kinver, MD of Isca Pools says: “This is the second Endless Summer enclosure that we have installed and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to other clients.

“It has surpassed mine and the customer’s expectations and is the ideal solution to the unpredictable British climate. It’s easy to use, unobtrusive and attractive in design.”

Endless Summer
Tel. 0800 083 7495
www.endlesssummer.co.uk

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Parks Urged To Become Living Wage Accredited