CAMPING IS MAJOR WELLBEING BOOST

CAMPING IS MAJOR WELLBEING BOOST

SPENDING TIME IN NATURE is an effective remedy for poor mental health

A major research study has confirmed how camping in the great outdoors improves people’s well-being and mental health. The Outjoyment Report was commissioned by The Camping and Caravanning Club and undertaken by a team of academics at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and Sheffield Hallam University.

The study included a survey of nearly 11,000 campers and non-campers, assessing their attitudes towards the benefits of all types of camping such as pitching up in a tent, caravan or motorhome, or going glamping. Key findings from The Outjoyment Report discovered campers are:

 

CAMP FOR PURE OUTJOYMENT, Alton The Star Club Site. Photo courtesy of The Camping and Caravanning Club

• Happy: 97% of campers say happiness is their top motivator for going camping while 48% of campers reported feeling happy almost every day, compared with 35% of non campers
• More connected to nature: 93% go camping to enjoy being in nature – the second highest motivator after happiness, and they score highly on measures of nature connection
• Enjoying better well-being: 93% of campers value camping for the benefits it gives to their health and well-being – an increase on the 85% of our Real Richness Report in 2011
• Flourishing: 44% are flourishing (have optimal mental health) compared with 31% of non campers. This increases for those who camp more often
• Less stressed: 88% of campers are motivated to go camping to take time out of everyday life and have higher levels of psychological well-being than non campers
• Active outdoors: 98% of campers take part in outdoor activities. 91% go walking, 39% cycle and 26% enjoy bird-watching.

Dr Kaye Richards, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University, said: “Camping connects people – to the outdoors, to nature, to each other, and most importantly to themselves. Positive emotions generated from outdoor enjoyment help to alleviate everyday stressors and promote feelings of life satisfaction. It is no surprise then, that the more people camp the more this can improve happiness and well-being.”

 

The Outjoyment Report also examined subjects such as the importance of children going camping as part of their formal education, and how survey respondents felt about healthcare professionals prescribing spending time in natural settings as a remedy for poor mental health.

83% of respondents felt positive about health professionals prescribing spending time in nature as an effective remedy for poor mental health, a significant rise from 58% in our previous study. And 94% believe children should learn outdoors while 93% think pupils should camp as part of their formal education – a big rise from the 59% of the 2011 report.

Sabina Voysey, The Camping and Caravanning Club’s Director General, said: “Camping in all its different forms puts us on the doorstep of the great outdoors and provides a clear pathway to a healthier and happier lifestyle – one in which people appreciate nature more and are active outdoors. Sabina added: “Our vision is for a society in which camping and memorable outdoor experiences can play a full part in building a happier, healthier nation.”

FAMILY PARK TAKES TOP HONOURS

FAMILY PARK TAKES TOP HONOURS

GARETH ROWLAND and his daughter Kelly, centre, plus members of the park team receive their top park award

The family owners of Holivans, a holiday park near Mablethorpe, in Lincolnshire, are celebrating after being crowned as the county’s leading provider of park holidays happily coinciding with their 70th anniversary celebrations. The long-established business scooped the top gold accolade at the Destination Lincolnshire Tourism Awards in the Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year 2022 category.

Today it provides more than 172 pitches including luxury lodges with private gardens and hot tubs, holiday caravans to rent and own, glamping units, and pitches for touring caravans, motorhomes. Facilities include indoor and outdoor activities for youngsters, plus the park’s popular Tow Bar where families can relax over drinks and enjoy evening entertainment.

“We are immensely proud to have achieved this gold award from Lincolnshire Tourism, not least because we were up against so many other superb parks in the region,” said managing director Gareth Rowland “It is especially important to us as judges were looking not just at the quality of what is provided, but also the standards of service and hospitality on offer to guests. “Delivering this is in the hands of our friendly and hard-working staff team who always go the extra mile for customers, so they must also take a big share of the credit.”

ALL ABOARD SEARLES NEW TRAIN

ALL ABOARD SEARLES NEW TRAIN

THE HOP-ON, HOP-OFF SEARLES LEISURE RESORT train is a visitor favourite in Hunstanton, Norfolk.

After an extensive search, Searles Leisure Resort, in Hunstanton, Norfolk, has managed to find a replacement train after its former loco was retired this summer following 30 years of service.

The hop-on, hop-off train is an easy and convenient way for guests to travel around the park, stopping at its many different leisure, entertainment and dining facilities.

It also heads out of the resort and into Hunstanton town centre, allowing passengers to disembark at attractions such as Old Hunstanton beach and the lighthouse.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT

RETURN ON INVESTMENT

All aboard for the Brean Leisure development journey...

MAJOR INVESTMENTS include the on-site Brean Country Club.

Regularly attracting over 500,000 visitors annually, Brean Leisure is a 200-acre resort that is reaping. Over the last 10 years over £15 million has been invested to improve the holiday experience of guests at both Brean Leisure Park and its sister sites. The group has a cluster of four parks at its Somerset base, Holiday Resort Unity, Golden Sands, Brean Country Club and Brightholme.

The combined offering boasts 165 hire fleet caravans and lodges, 750 private holiday home owners and a small matter of 400 touring and camping pitches. Not surprisingly, 150 employees work across the year while the overall number swells to 250 in peak summer months. The team’s main focus since 2021 has been on sustainability, adopting the slogan ‘Sustainability at Heart’.

The move has seen the company achieve some outstanding outcomes through mixed recycling, food recycling and energy initiatives. Although the founders, the House Family, remain the driving force behind the business, they could not have manage it alone. They gratefully acknowledge the help and support from past and present management and team members and hope they have enjoyed being part of the family-run enterprise in Somerset. Alan House comments: “The family are committed to reinvesting heavily into the park and the facilities to make it even better.

Planning permission has been received for an expansion to Brean Splash Waterpark and a flagship new entrance and entertainment complex at Holiday Resort Unity. “There’s an annual investment into new hire fleet accommodation of around £1m which keeps standards high and generates good used stock to then sell onto the private owners areas. “We are always planning at least two years in advance and looking at how we can enhance the experience and satisfaction of our guests.

The Brean story started when Albert and Marie House bought Unity Farm in 1946 and for the next 30 years ran the farm primarily as a dairy farm with a herd of 140 cows. They then supplied the local area with milk that was bottled on the farm. The farm grew to include a number of pigs and sheep and a milk round. Bert also had a passion for horse racing and enjoyed success with a number of winners in both flat and national hunt races.

As far back as 1946, camping was a very popular past time and Fry’s Chocolate Factory, from Bristol, pitched large tents on three fields of the farm for a two-week period during the summer so that their employees could have a holiday by the sea. What we know today as Holiday Resort Unity, spread its early roots there, and it wasn’t long before many groups including Boy’s Brigade Troops from across the country were coming to Brean for holidays.

 

DRIVEN BY THE FOUNDING HOUSE FAMILY, Brean Park is very much a team effort.

 

PLANNING PERMISSION
In 1948, planning permission was granted to change the use of some of the farmland to caravans and camping and 20 acres were converted to this use. During the 50’s and 60’s caravan and camping became a bigger part of the business and slowly the number of cows, pigs and sheep decreased. In the late 60’s ‘Bert’s Bar’ was opened on the resort and became one of the parks first main facilities. During the 70’s and 80’s the beginnings of Brean Leisure Park was created and the Mid Somerset Golf Centre which included Target Golf, driving range, pitch and putt and also an eight-hole golf course opened.

Through the years additional recreation activities were added including greyhound racing, a swimming pool, donkey derbies and open-air markets to name just a few. The park was now attracting a lot of visitors from the Birmingham, South Wales and Bristol areas and in the late 1970’s the House family bought out the other directors so that they could concentrate on their passion of developing leisure and holiday facilities for local residents and holiday makers. The directors of the park from this point forward were Mr and Mrs House Senior and also Richard and Bridget House.

The original golf course was expanded to 18 holes and Brean Golf Club was created. The course hosted a number of pro and celebrity amateur tournaments as well as becoming a members club and a facility for holiday guests to use. In 1980, the complex known today as the ‘Tavern’ was opened and was then known as the ‘Farmers Tavern’ providing a venue for evening family entertainment, functions and weddings. The complex also included an Amusement Arcade and fast food outlets.

The greyhound track was closed in 1984 and to improve the look of the park a significant landscaping project was undertaken across both Brean Leisure Park and also Unity Farm. Further facilities were added during the 90’s including a river tyre ride at the swimming pool complex and also the addition of two, ten-pin bowling lanes at Unity Farm in 1994. One of the biggest projects the team has undertaken was the RJ’s Entertainment complex, a £1m investment with an American theme that replaced Bert’s Bar and Chicks Roost with a 700 people venue capacity in 2000.

Over the next 10 years the development of the facilities continued and included a new toilet block in green field and also an extension to RJ’s called ‘Berties’. Always looking for fresh opportunities, in 2003 the company acquired the neighbouring ‘Golden Sands Caravan Park’ with an additional 20 static caravans available for hire. 2005 saw the opening of the Costcutter supermarket as well as a refurbishment to the Yellow Field toilet block.

With Holiday Resort Unity now providing holidays for hundreds of people every year the old reception and office building became outgrown and a new facility was opened in 2006 to improve the check in procedure of our guests. The old reception building was then converted into the over 18’s arcade at Unity Bowl. In 2008, a new toilet block was constructed at Brown Field and also the Caravan Sales building was constructed and opened.

The Resort was also awarded a 4 star holiday village for the first time by the English Tourism Board. Work to improve Brean Golf Club was completed in 2009 including the creation of the longest hole in Somerset. A family nine-hole pitch and putt was opened. A Subway franchise and a family restaurant were opened during 2010 following the purchase of a former pub just 100 metres from the entrance to Brean Leisure Park which is now the home of the Bay of India.

 

THE £2M INVESTMENT in Brean Splash included an indoor children’s splash park.

 

WATER PLAY
In 2011, the first phase of a multi-million pound project to create Brean Splash; a new pool and entertainment complex, was completed. The £2m investment in Brean Splash saw the opening of a new indoor 25m swimming pool, indoor children’s splash park and a seaside themed outdoor children’s play structure with three waterslides. Three years later the team completed the final phase of Brean Splash to include a new indoor pool area with mini slides.

Meanwhile, Brean Play, our new indoor soft play attraction opened, offering an all year round play facility and cafe. The concession at Fun City changed hands and will now be called Brean Theme Park. There was no question of resting on any laurels as in 2016, a new gym, sauna and steam room opened at Brean Splash as well as Rainbow Rings Waterslide, rapidly followed by a new Baby Pool and Disco Slide at Brean Splash Waterpark.

In 2018, work was completed on a new £4m golf and lodge development, marketed as the Brean Country Club; a premium venue for dining, weddings, events and lodge development for sales. Coast, a new dog-friendly café, opened in the former Legends bar. A year later, saw the addition of new hire fleet and a refurbishment of Wimpy restaurant, into The Pavilion Food Court, plus a new central stock distribution centre.

The Covid-19 breakout caused major disruption at the resort. This delayed new projects and inhibited operating across the year. Nevertheless, a new Ninja Warrior course was installed on the mezzanine at Brean Play with a new sandwich shop replacing Subway and the launch of ‘The View’ restaurant at Brean Country Club.

Installation of a new outdoor play equipment at the outdoor play area in 2021. Still open to opportunities, Brightholme Holiday Park, 300m from Holiday Resort Unity, was purchased a couple of years ago, adding 70 privately owned static caravans and a bar and restaurant to the combined offering.

NOT A PENNY MORE…

NOT A PENNY MORE

Balance your insurance policy sums...

THE GAP BETWEEN PROPERTY rebuild costs and the amount buildings are currently insured for in the UK is widening.

It’s unlikely that reviewing the sums-insured on your insurance policy was top of the list for new year’s resolutions, but perhaps it should be!

It is likely that if you haven’t reviewed your sums insured for a while, you may find that you are under insured, in fact data shows that up to 83% of properties are underinsured and on average they’re only insured for 66% of what they should be!

A greater proportion of properties are now underinsured and the gap between property rebuild costs and the amount buildings are currently insured for in the UK is widening.

INSURANCE GAP
Latest research shows 83% of properties were found to be underinsured, up from 80% in 2021. On average, these buildings were insured for just 66% of what they should have been. The percentage last year was 68%, which shows how the buildings under-insurance gap is widening in the UK. This gap is biggest among buildings insured for up to £500,000, which are on average only covered for 51% of their rebuild cost.

Buildings insured for more than £2 million are closer to what they should be, but still only covered on average for 70% of reliable rebuild cost. But what is the effect of underinsurance? Well in the unfortunate event where you have an incident on your park where you need to make a claim, if you are found to be underinsured then your claim settlement may be reduced proportionally in line with the level of underinsurance.

This can happen if the reinstatement cost of the property is not adequately valued at the time the insurance policy is taken out, or if the reinstatement cost of the property increases over time and the policy is not updated to reflect this change. Common increases can include refurbishment of premises, additional buildings and increasing cost of materials to reinstate buildings.

Insurance policies are often index-linked which means the insurer will increase sums insured at renewal by a set percentage to take into account inflationary pressures, however if the initial sum insured is incorrect then all this does is prevent an underinsurance issue from getting worse.

LATEST RESEARCH shows 83% of properties were found to be underinsured.

RE-INSTATEMENT SUMS
The other point to bear in mind is that your insurance policy will contain a ‘buildings definition’ and any reinstatement building sum insured needs to take into account that definition. A standard building definition will take into account roads and paths and underground infrastructure and if this isn’t reflected in your building sum insured or catered for separately, as it is under the Park Protect Insurance policy, then you may find that you are underinsured in the event of an insured loss.

The onus is on the policyholder to ensure that these sums are correct, so how can you avoid this potentially costly issue? A professional valuation can help ensure that your holiday park is adequately insured. It is important to have an accurate valuation of your property and assets in order to determine the appropriate amount of insurance cover. The value of your property and assets may change over time, so it is important to review your insurance cover regularly to ensure that it remains adequate. Conversely, research shows overinsurance can also be an issue.

Research shows that 13% of buildings assessed were covered for too much this year, on average by 132%. So having a professional valuation could actually save you money. A specialist insurance broker can help you assess your insurance needs and find a policy that meets your specific requirements. They can also help you understand the terms and conditions of your policy and ensure that you are adequately covered. Park Protect provides tailor-made insurance for the specific needs of your business. Get in touch to find out more.

pib Group
Tel. 01422 358 525
www.pib-insurance.com/parkprotect

HAND TO HAND SUPPORT

HAND TO HAND SUPPORT

Leisure Days is the trading name of Caravan Guard, that helps holiday park owners by taking care of the insurance administration of customers’ holiday accommodation. Parks work with Leisure Days as Introducer Appointed Representatives. They effectively introduce the customer to Leisure Days a quote, then Leisure Days sets up and administrates insurance policies.

Common claims dealt with in the 2022 holiday season have been both internal and external accidental damage, escape of water and storm damage. The team has dealt with claims where trees have fallen onto static caravans, winds have caused roof damage as well as leaks from showers.

Leisure Days is able to service customers via an award-winning Adviser team, that are available seven days a week, or via their website, to make sure they remained covered. Parks are able to keep a track of customer insurance and are kept fully informed with which customers have taken cover via the Leisure days Live system.

Specialist insurance policies takes care of specific risks faced by residential or holiday park residents, such as accidental damage, fire, theft, storm and flood. Specialist insurance will also cover fixed items to outbuildings around a park or holiday home, so sheds, storage boxes, decking, or in the case of park homes, patios and garages as part a home’s structure.

Leisure Days
E. park-operator@leisuredays.co.uk
Tel. 01422 396 693

IRRESISTIBLE COMBINATION

IRRESISTIBLE COMBINATION

Pictures and reports from the unmissable Holiday Park & Resort event...

THE HOLIDAY PARK SCENE team has gathered information and contact details for some specialist suppliers who stood out for the Holiday Park SCENE team.

 

The hotly-anticipated Holiday Park & Resort Show proved to be an irresistible combination as visitors from across the sector flocked to the NEC in Birmingham. November’s two-day business show received a positive response from visitors, speakers and exhibitors alike.

Complementary shows of Farm Business Innovation, Family Attraction Expo and Leisure Food & Beverage ran alongside Holiday Park & Resort, combining their pulling power for an irresistible draw.

Free to attend, more than 11,000 visitors were recorded across the show offerings, with many visitors opting to attend a choice of 140 seminars, 500 hand-picked exhibitors, industry-leading experts and unrivalled networking with a wealth of business development opportunities.

 

BROAD SPECTRUM
The Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show provides you with the unique opportunity to network with 5,257 of the biggest names in the industry. Exhibitors maximise the opportunity to showcase products and services to an array of industry experts and buyers, directly from the holiday destination market.

Exhibitors responded to the current economic climate with an array of advice and information on new income sources, cost savings and ways to increase business efficiency. One of the key ingredients were ways for holiday park and resort owners to diversify and innovate their businesses and operations.

The combined event business awards are a celebration of ideas that are pushing the boundaries in design and service, recognising those that combine an unprecedented blend of innovation, creativity and uniqueness to its user. This year’s competition winners included a cocktail machines that serves up excellent quality cocktails at the touch of a button. Daisy Vending were awarded for their provision of milk and milkshakes featuring its premium milk vending machines.

Inch Perfect Trials saddled up to be first passed the innovation line as an on-line retailer for new and used trial bikes with the added offering of training and experience days The sustainability award celebrated NexGen Heating for its innovative heating solution for applications across multiple industry sectors. Plan your 2023 visit early for the event that returns to Birmingham’s NEC on November 15 and 16. Holiday Park Scene will once again work with the show organisers as a preferred media partner for the event. Autumn issues of the magazine will be distributed at the show.

 

 

TOP MARKS FOR UK CAMPSITE

TOP MARKS FOR UK CAMPSITE

AA caravan and camping award winners...

 

LEADING CAMPSITES AND CARAVAN PARKS in the UK have been confirmed and are featured in the AA Caravan and Camping Guide

 

The leading campsites and caravan parks in the UK have been confirmed and are featured in the AA Caravan and Camping Guide 2023, out now from AA Publishing. Amongst those celebrating is Silverdale Caravan Park in Lancashire, the AA Campsite of the Year for England and this year’s overall winner.

A rise in eco-friendly camping has shown holidaymakers are looking for environmentally friendly destinations. Camp Katur, winners of the AA Glamping Site of the Year, focuses on upcycling materials with fire pits created from washing machine drums and galvanised bucket washbasins.

Among the regional winners is Beaconsfield Holiday Park, winner of AA Campsite of the Year Heart of England, a purpose-built, family-run park on farmland in open countryside which offers quality in every area. Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Media says: “With people spending their holidays in the UK and exploring the great British countryside, we are thrilled to celebrate the UK’s best campsites for 2022.

“This year’s winners have demonstrated outstanding quality, high levels of customer care and fantastic facilities which meet customers’ growing expectations. “With UK staycations continuing to prove popular among holidaymakers, the AA Caravan and Camping Guide offers an invaluable guide to holidaymakers choosing to stay in a tent, caravan, motorhome, or glamping site.

We hope this new guide inspires people who are set to embark on new journeys.” AA Media connects the UK with travel ideas and rated places to stay and visit. It includes AA Hotel & Hospitality Services, which rates and publishes information about the hospitality industry, including hotels, guest accommodation and restaurants.

They introduced the renowned star rating scheme for quality in 1908 and have inspected restaurants for the Rosette award since 1956. Ratedtrips.com showcases all AA-rated places to stay and visit, and they publish a well-established range of lifestyle publications such as their camping and restaurant guides.

 

MORE HOLIDAYMAKERS are looking for environmentally- friendly locations to pitch their tents and caravans.

 

BEST SELLER
Britain’s best-selling caravan and camping guide provides the very best places for people to take their tent, caravan, or motorhome across the UK. This guide enables travellers to discover over 580 sites from five Pennant premier parks to more affordable options. Now in its 55th edition; being in the guide means the sites have been professionally inspected by the AA’s highly experienced inspection team, it also features AA award-winning parks and.

Top sites with gold and platinum pennants across as well as AA’s Campsite of the year. The guide consistently sells year on year, which demonstrates a loyal readership. Just one or two bookings via the guide covers the outlay of the assessment fee. Inspectors look for best in class in any given region, where the owners and team have created a top-class experience within their site’s grading level.

All winners will feature in the 55th Edition of the AA Caravan & Camping Guide. All the destinations featured in the guide have been inspected and rated by AA professional inspectors, grading sites from one to five Pennants, based on their facilities and hospitality.

Each entry within the guide includes location, ratings, contact details, directions, prices, opening times, facilities, and a description to help holidaymakers select the right site for their needs. Mirroring the increasing popularity of luxury camping, this year’s winners include glamping facilities, including yurts, shepherd’s huts, and vintage caravans. The winners include a focus on family friendliness, eco-friendliness, fishing, best views and sites for lake lovers.

 

BACK TOGETHER AGAIN

BACK TOGETHER AGAIN

Reporting from the Hoseasons owners conference...

 

EVENING ENTERTAINMENT at the Hoseasons Owners Conference 2022 gala dinner and Diamond Award Ceremony

 

The Hoseasons Owners Conference is always one of the UK holiday industry’s most hotly-anticipated events of the year. Bringing together hundreds of holiday park, lodge, and boating hire operators and a further 50 handpicked industry suppliers, there’s always a buzz in the air as the first week of November rolls around and people start getting ready for ‘conference’.

But last year’s event – the company’s 16th - was even more special than usual as it marked a return to it’s regular in-person format following a two-year break due to Covid. Held at The Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, South Wales, the Hoseasons Owners Conference saw more than 500 delegates treated to a mix of market insight from the team at Hoseasons and parent company Awaze, as well as a range of external speakers including Olympic Champion Hurdler Colin Jackson, markets commentator Justin Urquhart-Stewart and professional speaker Phil Hesketh.

TRADE SHOW
The two-day event also featured a trade show exhibition reception providing park, lodge, and boating operators the chance to network with key industry suppliers, including hot tub companies and holiday home manufacturers through to providers of IT business solutions, such as Elite Dynamics - the event’s headline sponsor.

Luke Hansford, Senior Vice-President of Business Development for Awaze UK, says: “The Hoseasons Owners Conference enables us to stay close to the networks of key suppliers within our industry and gives our owner partners the chance to speak directly to people who can help them achieve their growth ambitions. “Exhibitors are handpicked to reflect the best range of services our owners require to successfully operate and grow within the UK holiday accommodation market, and our 2022 exhibition was our biggest and best to date.”

The event culminated with the renowned Gala Dinner – a chance to recognise and celebrate the achievements and successes of the best-performing locations in the Hoseasons portfolio and reward then for the outstanding holiday experiences and service they have provided the company’s customers over the previous 12 months. Entertainment from comedian Michael McIntyre ensured 2022’s event will live long in the memory of those who attended.

 

DELEGATES ARRIVED to an exhibitor reception which kicked off the two day event

 

Paul Evans, Vice–President, Property & Portfolio for Hoseasons, says: “It really was a fantastic event and was great to see our industry back together again. Together we were able to reflect upon 2022 and celebrate some remarkable achievements, whilst also planning for success in 2023 and beyond.

“The year ahead will clearly come with its challenges, but the optimism in the room at Conference was palpable and it was great to hear owners sharing our positive outlook on the future for domestic tourism. “We always set ourselves the challenge of bettering the previous conference,” he says, adding: “Our team is already busy planning an even better one in 12 months’ time!” The 2023 Hoseasons Owners Conference is set to return to The Celtic Manor Resort on 7th – 8th November, 2023.