Campsite Wardens

JOINED-UP THINKING

Posted on August 2, 2022

JOINED-UP THINKING

A complete park management and booking system...

Visitors to Folly Farm, Pembrokeshire’s award-winning tourist attraction of 30 years, often commented that you needed two days to do everything on offer. With 100 acres of land to the North of the attraction, the team listened to their visitors and set about creating their own Folly Farm Holiday Park. Offering a wide range of accommodation for the family market to suit all budgets, to date Folly Farm boasts a 43 pitch-touring park, a 20-pitch campsite, four Showman’s Wagons and six fairground themed luxury lodges with hot tubs. A further eight luxury lodges and six safari tents will open soon.

 

 

LOCKDOWN LAUNCH
“We were confident there would be huge interest in our accommodation offering from our strong and loyal customer base but then the pandemic hit and we found ourselves launching our touring park after the first lockdown in July 2020 with just three weeks’ notice,” explains Zoe Wright, Head of Marketing “We achieved a 76 per cent occupancy rate that first August and followed that in August 2021 with 94 per cent.” Ease-of-use was top of the list when Folly Farm was selecting a booking system so the team partnered with the highly recommended GemaPark . GemaPark has exceeded our expectations in terms of a booking system for our touring park and campsite,” confirms Zoe.

“In fact, we also import into GemaPark partner bookings for accommodation we don’t sell directly, because it provides top line booking, arrivals and performance information in a much more user- friendly way than our booking partners’ systems,” she adds. GemaPark is used by many members of the team at Folly Farm. Holiday park wardens use it to generate arrivals reports and to check if customers are returners so they can welcome them back. Office staff confirm all the bookings and chase payments while the marketing team can easily upload or change tariffs and run property performance reports and push any availability. The finance team can easily reconcile payments, run spend-per-head reports and financial forecasts.

EASE OF USE
“Every member of staff finds it easy to use and it’s one of the few software systems we use that the staff don’t moan about,” says Zoe. “Reporting was a key consideration as we’d little to no experience of running accommodation so to be able to easily query occupancy rates, property performance for our different accommodation options and check financial performance has been pivotal to the future development of the holiday park,”

Zoe continues. “CRM was also important as we were building an accommodation audience from scratch. “We would happily recommend GemaPark to anyone looking for a booking solution for their touring site or campsite and the fact they can easily integrate with leading booking partners is a bonus.”

Netguides/GemaPark
T: 01983 282420
W: www.netguides.co.uk
W: www.gemapark.co.uk

ARGYLL HOLIDAYS JOIN COVE UK

Posted on April 27, 2022

ARGYLL HOLIDAYS JOIN COVE UK

ALLAN CAMPBELL (Argyll), Mark Seaton (Cove UK), Keith Campbell (Argyll) pictured at Loch Lomond Holiday Park.

One of Scotland’s leading holiday brands has been sold to international resort operator Cove Communities. Argyll Holidays, which owns eight holiday parks across Argyll and Bute, will be the fifth acquisition by Cove Communities under Mark Seaton as Managing Director of Cove UK.

Cove Communities is continuing its UK expansion following its first purchase which was the Bunn Leisure Family Resort, a 300 acre site in Selsey, West Sussex, now marketed as Seal Bay Resort. Cove also recently bought Medmerry Park, near Chichester which adds to its previous acquisitions of Gwel an Mor in Cornwall and Kings Park in Essex. Owned by the Campbell family who started out as sheep farmers, Argyll was established in 1967 with the development of its flagship park, Drimsynie Estate. Since then, it has grown to a group of eight holiday parks in and around the breathtaking Loch Lomond and Trossachs region of Scotland, just an hour’s drive north of Glasgow.

Keith Campbell, Director of Argyll Holidays, said: “Whilst we have been approached over the years by different buyers, Cove was the first company that we felt understood what we stand for and could continue what we started.” Cove UK is intent on building on Argyll Holidays strong reputation and commitment to serving its owners, guests and the local community for years to come. Cove UK has a pledge to source at least 20% of produce locally, build local partnerships and actively engage in local community initiatives. Cove UK’s Go Wild outdoor activities and environmental education programme is already flourishing at its other Parks including Seal Bay Resort (formerly Bunn Leisure) in West Sussex and Gwel an Mor in Cornwall.

Mark Seaton, Cove UK Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to add Argyll to our portfolio and will continue the exceptional work that the Campbell family has started. “Most importantly we will grow and develop the vision of Argyll under Cove, through sustainable business practices, a commitment to environmental conservation and investment in people and the local community.”

PARKDEAN CONFIRMS £144M INVESTMENT

Posted on April 27, 2022

PARKDEAN CONFIRMS £144M INVESTMENT


The UK’s largest holiday park operator, Parkdean Resorts, has confirmed £140 million is being spent nationwide at its parks as part of its biggest ever investment programme. The investment will go towards new accommodation, new and upgraded activities and facilities, and installing park-wide Wi-Fi capability, which will further improve the guest experience in 2022.

Parkdean Resorts operates 66 parks across the UK, and with advance bookings at record levels, the award winning company expects even more holidaymakers for 2022. The parks are now hiring for seasonal and full-time roles across sales, food and beverage, and housekeeping. Nationwide, the £140m investment includes over 850 new caravans and lodges, new developments at 16 parks, and hundreds of refreshed and upgraded chalets and lodges with a brand-new look. More than £13m has been invested in the company’s ‘Parks of the Future’ initiative.

Three parks, Newquay in Cornwall, Southview in Skegness, and Naze Marine, in Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex, will benefit from a whole host of exciting new activities and upgraded facilities as well as upgraded and brand new accommodation options, while Trecco Bay, Europe’s largest holiday park, will be bigger and better than ever after a further round of enhancements. The investment in these sites takes the total number of ‘Parks of the Future’ to ten, as Parkdean continues to invest in taking its parks to the next level.

HELP TO FILL PARK STAFFING GAPS

Posted on April 27, 2022

HELP TO FILL PARK STAFFING GAPS

REDWIGWAM’S LORNA DAVIDSON is heading up a strategic partnership to help restaff the hospitality sector

Hospitality is one of the most significantly impacted industries in the UK following the pandemic. Staff shortages due to isolation remain a challenge in 2022 with some businesses reporting that a third of their workforce are isolating at any one time. Soaring costs, supply chain issues, Brexit and an 80% decline in shift work hours during the pandemic are also factors for the industry.

So Redwigwam, the UK’s largest award-winning platform for flexible staff, has signed a partnership with leading hospitality software company Eviivo to help rebuild the hospitality sector. The company has helped over 5,000 businesses, both small and large, with finding and managing high quality temp staff to fill their shifts. The partnership with Eviivo, which helps over 13,000 hosts, property owners and hoteliers successfully manage properties through its award-winning platform, will help Redwigwam extend its offerings to ease communication services, manage guests and automate tasks for a wide range of B&Bs, hotels, vacation rentals and other independent accommodation.

Lorna Davidson, founder and CEO of Redwigwam, said: “We are looking forward to seeing how we can help bring significant workforce achievements to the accommodation sector together. “Our partnership will help sectors like hospitality to better navigate worker shortages and rising wage costs as well as providing business owners tools to succeed the next time that critical shortages occur.”

EQUITY FIRM ON ACQUISITION TRAIL

Posted on April 27, 2022

EQUITY FIRM ON ACQUISITION TRAIL

LOCH TAY is one of four Large Leisure sites in Scotland

Private equity firm, Limerston Capital, has acquired Largo Leisure, a Scottish-based holiday park operator and announced leisure industry veteran, Andrew Howe as its Executive Chairman. The deal demonstrates Limerston Capital’s commitment to the holiday parks sector and will see it strengthen Largo Leisure’s offer through targeted investment and operational support.

Largo Leisure offers self-catering lodge, caravan and glamping holidays across four parks located in Letham Feus in Fife, Braidhaugh Park in Perthshire, Sauchope Links near Crail and Loch Tay in Perthshire. The business was founded in 2003 by Rupert Barret and is targeted at a premium market, successfully capitalising on sustained consumer trends favouring staycations. In addition to Largo Leisure, Limerston Capital has signalled its intentions for further acquisitions, with a specific focus on individual or groups of smaller holiday parks across the UK.

Using Andrew’s in-depth knowledge of the sector and his understanding of its challenges and opportunities, the team is identifying well run owner operator parks with solid customer bases that they can further enhance, recognising their value and growth potential.

ANDREW HOW has been appointed as Executive Chairman for Largo Leisure.

BUTLIN’S SERVES UP FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Posted on April 27, 2022

BUTLIN’S SERVES UP FOOD FOR THOUGHT


Butlin’s has become an inaugural recipient of a PETA Holiday Award, given to the holiday company to celebrate a new animal-friendly era. From 2022, all activities and shows across the three Butlin’s resorts will be animal-free with a wide selection of delicious vegan dishes added to menus. Millions of UK families are eating more vegan foods for animal welfare, health, and environmental reasons. A survey by BBC Good Food showed that 21% of children from 5 to 16 years old are vegan or vegetarian and an additional 36% are interested in becoming so.

Butlin’s has adapted with the times – from just three vegan options on the menu in 2019 to over 100 today. PETA encourages the public to visit only attractions that do not use animals in performances or encounters or for any other entertainment purposes. “PETA applauds Butlin’s for offering spectacular and educational animal free entertainment,” says PETA Corporate Projects Manager Dr Carys Bennett. “And with a wonderful choice of vegan options, Butlin’s has become a top holiday destination for modern families. “We encourage all other holiday and tourist destinations still exploiting animals to follow Butlin’s lead.”

Jon Hendry Pickup, managing director of Butlin’s, says: “For several years now, we’ve been developing shows that bring the wow factor without using live animals. Guest feedback has been fantastic, and we can’t wait for Animals vs Dinosaurs to take to the stage in 2022. Our shows aren’t the only new thing this year,” Jon continues. “Delicious new vegan options can be found in all retail restaurants and buffets at the resorts and we’re always looking to expand our offering.”

SWIFT DONATION FOR MACMILLAN

Posted on April 27, 2022

SWIFT DONATION FOR MACMILLAN

SWIFT GROUP Managing Director, James Turner, and some of the Swift team celebrate the company’s latest Macmillan donation.

Macmillan Cancer Support was grateful to receive £30,000 from the Hull-based Swift Group recently. Since 1995, Swift Group has donated to Macmillan through a recycling of goods scheme, whereby damaged or unsellable items are purchased by staff members, with monies coming to charity.

The company has also previously donated to Macmillan by hosting Macmillan Coffee Mornings and ‘dress down’ days. An outstanding £100,000 has been donated in total over the past 27 years. The UK’s largest manufacturer of caravans, motorhomes and holiday homes, as part of the fundraising, eco-friendly scheme, Swift employees have the chance to purchase any kind of redundant or surplus materials from offcuts of wood to slightly imperfect items, like a scratched microwave.

Swift’s Content Marketing Manager, Cheryl Whiten explained: “Pretty much everyone is affected directly or indirectly by someone living with cancer, so everyone here at Team Swift understands the importance and meaning behind this scheme.” Swift’s Managing Director, James Turner added: “It’s an absolute pleasure to support Macmillan’s incredible work.”

NEW OWNERS FOR PARK HOLIDAYS UK

Posted on April 27, 2022

NEW OWNERS FOR PARK HOLIDAYS UK

One of Britain’s largest holiday park groups, Park Holidays UK, has been acquired by US real estate investment trust Sun Communities, Inc. (“Sun”). The £950 million acquisition was agreed in November 2021 and closed this month (April) following approval from the Financial Conduct Authority. Sun’s support will enable Park Holidays UK, which currently owns and manages 42 parks in Britain, to continue to invest in its existing high-quality holiday centres and to further expand its parks portfolio.

Sun is one of the largest owners and operators of manufactured housing, recreational vehicle and marina properties, and says that Park Holidays UK’s business model is a perfect complement to its own. Park Holidays UK Director Tony Clish said the acquisition will trigger an exciting new period of growth for the company: “The domestic holiday market continues to gain traction in the post-Brexit and post-pandemic environment, and we are seeing an ever-increasing demand for UK holidays,” he said.

“This partnership with Sun will bolster our ability to acquire new parks, and to continue driving up quality standards by making additional investment in our existing parks. “Our two companies share precisely the same values in terms of delivering an exceptional experience to customers at realistic value-for-money prices. “We both recognise that quality and value are the main drivers of holiday bookings and holiday home sales and are determined that this will remain our prime competitive edge,” he added.

 

PARK’S REGAL POLLINATOR BLOSSOMS

Posted on April 27, 2022

PARK’S REGAL POLLINATOR BLOSSOMS

PLANTING IS UNDERWAY at Long Hazel Park in Somerset.

To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Somerset’s Long Hazel Park have planted a Harry Masters cider apple tree as a part of the Green Canopy initiative. With the help of the Somerset Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury, the Long Hazel Park team discovered the Harry Masters variety was reared only five miles away by Mr Masters in Yarlington, as long ago as the late 1800s.

The Harry Masters apples are popular in many local cider blends and will be good companions to grow alongside our existing apple trees for cross pollination. The new apple tree will offer another variety of tree for the Park’s Tree-Mendous Challenge, providing blossom to encourage pollinators, as part of the Park’s David Bellamy Pledge for Nature.

MAKING A PARK DIFFERENCE

Posted on April 27, 2022

MAKING A PARK DIFFERENCE

LAURA WILBY, Associate Director of Caravan Guard and Leisuredays, leads by example as the company continues its support for vital heart research.

Leisuredays and Caravan Guard donates £1 to Heart Research UK every time a customer opts for an emailed policy rather than receiving their documents through the post. In 2021, its “Paperless Policies” campaign raised £18,614 for the charity, bringing the total amount raised in the last 12 years to £150,364. The money will be used to fund a PhD Studentship at the University of Leeds.

The student will be working on a project which aims to identify which type of platelet becomes stickier in patients with heart disease. Caravan Guard and Leisuredays lost one of their long-serving employees to heart disease, in December 2020, so they’re delighted to be funding this research project.