Halifax

CUSTOMERS GOING PAPERLESS RAISE OVER £200K FOR HEART RESEARCH UK

Posted on May 10, 2025

Caravan, campervan, and motorhome owners have helped Halifax-based insurance specialists Caravan Guard and Leisuredays reach a landmark £214,000 in donations to Heart Research UK by choosing paperless policies.

Since 2010, Caravan Guard has pledged £1 to Heart Research UK each time a customer opts to receive their policy documents via email rather than by post. In 2025, the company hit an incredible milestone, with a record-breaking £25,405 donated in the 2024 policy year alone.

Beyond paperless donations, Caravan Guard staff have taken on major fundraising challenges such as the Great North Run and the Great Yorkshire Bike Ride, raising additional funds for vital heart disease research.

A study published in The Lancet highlights the importance of such efforts, revealing that 25 to 44-year-olds in northern England are 47% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than their southern counterparts.

To celebrate this achievement, Heart Research UK and Caravan Guard hosted a staff health check event, providing blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, as well as a fun ‘Strike a Light’ game to encourage heart-healthy activity.

Managing Director Ryan Wilby said: “We’re thrilled to donate a record-breaking amount to Heart Research UK. Thanks to our growing customer base, we can continue supporting life-saving medical research.”

Heart Research UK CEO Kate-Bratt Farrar added: “Caravan Guard’s unwavering support has been instrumental in funding research and promoting heart health. Together, we’re making a real difference.”

Caravan Guard & Leisuredays
www.caravanguard.co.uk

CUSTOMER SERVICE CHAMPIONS CROWNED

Posted on March 13, 2024

CUSTOMER SERVICE CHAMPIONS CROWNED

Leisuredays wins prestigious national recognition...

LEISUREDAYS’ TEAM of 115 people look after the insurance needs of more than 110,000 caravan and motorhome owners

Static caravan and holiday lodge insurance specialists, Leisuredays, are celebrating after winning a top award for their high levels of customer service. The Yorkshire-based company was crowned Customer Service Champion at the 2023 Insurance Choice Awards.

The awards are an annual campaign to find the most trusted insurance firms and this year more than 92,000 data points were received from customer reviews on the Smart Money People website to help them find the winners. Jacqueline Dewey, CEO of Smart Money People, said Leisuredays received high levels of praise from its customers.

“Your customers should be the heart of your business and Leisuredays has proven this to be of utmost importance in its work,” she said. “Our reviews show customers complimenting the friendly and efficient staff, with many claiming that the Leisuredays team has gone above and beyond to solve their queries and concerns. “This kind of reassurance and confidence in a provider is a key part of policyholder satisfaction, and Leisuredays really has mastered its customer service.

Congratulations Leisuredays on this well-deserved win, keep up the great work.” Leisuredays is part of Caravan Guard, an insurance intermediary based in Halifax, West Yorkshire. Its team of 115 positive people look after the insurance needs of more than 110,000 caravan and motorhome owners and are tasked to deliver outstanding customer experiences every day.

 

Managing Director, Ryan Wilby, said he was over the moon the company had been recognised in the industry for delivering great customer service. “We’re passionate about delivering brilliant customer experiences, so for our customers to vote for us in their thousands and give feedback about our excellent service and how we’ve left them feeling impressed is a fantastic accolade,” Ryan said.

“We were extremely proud to beat off some fierce competition and win this top-level award that many insurance providers want to win. Our staff have a big reason to celebrate and a massive thank you to all our customers who took the time to vote for us – we couldn’t have done it without you!”

Leisuredays was also shortlisted for Best Caravan Cover Provider for their specialist caravan insurance cover and its sister brand Caravan Guard won Best Motorhome Insurance Provider. It is rated 4.95 out of 5 by customers on the Smart Money People website. To find out more about how your park can earn extra insurance commission by introducing customers to our team of service champions, email development@leisuredays.co.uk or visit. www.leisuredays.co.uk/operators please call 01422 396772.

LEISUREDAYS IS RATED 4.95 out of 5 by customers on the Smart Money People website

CARAVAN GUARD WINS NATIONAL AWARD

Posted on February 15, 2022

CARAVAN GUARD WINS NATIONAL AWARD

CARAVAN GUARD sustains its award-winning insurance delivery.

Insurance specialists Caravan Guard, incorporating Leisuredays, were thrilled to be crowned silver winners of the Personal Lines Broker of the Year at the Insurance Times Awards 2021.
The caravan and motorhome insurance specialists went head-to-head with nine other companies at a prestigious national awards event at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London last week after being shortlisted for two awards.
The flagship awards celebrated excellence and innovation and recognised the very best companies across the breadth of UK general insurance.
Caravan Guard collected the silver winners trophy after showcasing high levels of customer loyalty, business growth and excellent customer feedback.
The Halifax-based company was also a finalist in the Customer Champion of the Year – Broker category for its passion for delivering brilliant customer experiences and highlighting improvements in its already highly-rated service.
Caravan Guard’s Managing Director, Ryan Wilby, said he was delighted the family business had been recognised at these high-profile awards.
“It was fantastic to be finalists for two awards on this national stage, and to bring back some silverware for our team was the icing on the cake,” said Ryan. “We’re very proud of the work we do to deliver great service to our customers as well as providing specialist, market-leading insurance cover for their pride and joy.”
Caravan Guard has already been crowned winners of What Motorhome magazine’s insurance provider of the Year 2021 and was also a finalist in the UK Customer Satisfaction Awards 2021 but was pipped at the post by UK online business directory Yell.
Caravan Guard, incorporating Leisuredays, has a strong culture of supporting charitable causes. Each year it donates tens of thousands of pounds to local and national charities, including Overgate Hospice, Heart Research UK and Yorkshire Air Ambulance and caring completely is at the heart of its company values.

Caravan Guard (Leisuredays)
Tel. 01422 396 693
park-operator@leisuredays.co.uk
www.leisuredays.co.uk

Holiday Snaps – Gareth Walker

Posted on September 10, 2019

Holiday Snaps - Gareth Walker

What was your career path into the industry?
After leaving school, I worked in the financial sector for HBOS (now
Lloyds Banking Group). I worked for the group in various departments from International Payments to Treasury in the big smoke. I was
working in the marketing department when an opportunity to join
Leisuredays came up. And 14 years on I’ve never looked back!


How has the market changed during your time in the industry?
The changes I’ve witnessed have been for the better. The customer
product has greatly improved, which in turn provides insurance
companies/brokers with a better risk. Holiday parks are open longer and
have much more to offer, with a wide range of facilities and activities.
Conversely insurance has become much more heavily regulated,
meaning parks need our help more than ever to stay compliant.

How do you predict things will change in the next five to 10 years?
I can see more online and digital engagement between parks and
their customers and also between us and our policyholders. We’ll use
technology to make it ever easier and quicker for customers to obtain
the cover and make a claim.

What are the biggest challenges you face in your working life?
Work vs life balance is my biggest challenge. Trying to keep my wife
and the kids happy whilst travelling around the country to support
my team and our parks. But I’m privileged to have a great team of
Business Development Managers and a flexible boss (and wife)!

What is the best piece of business advice you have been given and by whom?
The best piece of advice that’s stuck with me is from one of my first
mangers. And that’s to be honest and don’t be frightened to make
mistakes. If you’re not making mistakes you’re not learning or improving!

What do you most like to spend your time out of working hours?
In my spare time I’m an Academy football coach with FC Halifax Town.
Both my boys are big into football and this covers any hours I have
free. It is a great way to wind down after a day on the road.

If we could give you three guests? Who would like most like to sit down to dinner with and why?
It’s hard to just choose three but in no particular order: David Beckham
– Because he was a very successful footballer, dad, business man and all
round decent guy. Dynamo the magician - I just love magic! Plus, he’s
a good Yorkshire lad and would be guaranteed to keep you entertained.
Dr Steve Peters – I’ve read a few of his books now and think he’d be
very interesting to have as a guest to bounce thoughts and theories off.

Do you have any claims to fame?
At one of the first Soccer Aids, I gave Maradona a high five when
passing him in the corridor on his way out of the stadium.

Where do you prefer to take your holidays?
We often visit Tenerife, however, my two boys love a week away in a
holiday caravan or lodge and it’s those holidays they talk most about
to friends and family. There are some fantastic holiday parks and
locations in the UK, but the ones with a pool, football pitch and a bar
will always be most attractive for a young family like mine!