holiday destinations

THE FUN FACTOR

Posted on August 2, 2023

THE FUN FACTOR

Play remains an integral part of the holiday offering...

POST PANDEMIC, there appears to be a strong demand for parents to allow children the freedom to play outdoors in the fresh air. Pic. Proludic

Independently commissioned research - by leading outdoor play and sport provider Proludic, has shown that the public is as keen as ever to see high-quality outdoor play areas at holiday destinations across the UK. The results showed a relationship between the availability of play facilities and time spent at leisure venues. There is a clear desire to see play as an integral part of the offering.

Over half (51%) of the respondents said play areas were an important consideration for them when visiting a holiday park, or visitor attraction. A significant 41% said they were more likely to book a UK holiday park vacation if they had made good provisions for children’s play. The majority (65%) said keeping children entertained in a good play space at all visitor and leisure attractions was important to them.

Post pandemic, there appears to be a strong demand for parents to allow children the freedom to play outdoors in the fresh air, particularly as they have recently spent many months indoors. Playing outdoors has many benefits but particularly improves mental health, fitness and boosts vitamin D levels.

Proludic’s history in play began in 1985 with a range of play equipment constructed from timber. Back then the focus was to capture the elements of nature incorporating tree houses to play in, logs to balance along and trunks to climb up.

PROLUDIC, has shown that the public is as keen as ever to see high-quality outdoor play areas.

DESIGN INFLUENCES
Nature is ever present in Proludic’s history influencing designs and creating wonderful play opportunities for children in the play areas that the company has built over the last three decades. Nature has an abundance of play resources for children and is an ideal setting for adventure and discovery. The unstructured activities provided by nature stimulate physical activity, imagination, creativity, motor skills and cognitive development.

The use of natural materials in the construction of playground equipment brings nature into the play space and can offer an ideal backdrop within holiday destination venues and at leisure attractions. With this in mind, Proludic’s Origin’ range, launched in 2013, was designed to provide children with a secure environment to learn and develop through exploring nature’s play activities.

Balance trails, swings, springers, roundabouts and role-play items offer individual play opportunities to support movement development. A range of multiplay units has limitless combinations. Triangular towers with different floors, heights, ladders, climbing, ramps, fixed, and mobile, bridges, tunnels, vertical nuts, climbing walls, slides and Fireman’s poles.

All of these elements, make for original tailor-made play combinations. Known for its durability and resistance in outdoor environments to insects, fungus and inclement weather, Robinia guarantees the longevity of playground facilities. Rotproof and stable over time, it can be installed in the ground without the need for chemical treatments.

The Robinia used for the Origin range is PEFC-certified, which means it comes from sustainably managed European forests. Due to the expertise and skill of Proludic team members who have worked within the forestry industry, the company has recently extended the standard Origin’ range to include larger structures based on three themes - Medieval Legends and Tales, Adventures in Nature and Sealife Scenes.

COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS
Wicksteed is the leading manufacturer of outdoor playground equipment in the UK. The company boasts a longstanding history and heritage within the playground sector, developing trusted relationships with schools, councils, holiday parks and housing developers for more than 100 years. Working in partnership is a key ingredient for Wicksteed projects.

For instance, Pensnett Coppice has undergone a remarkable transformation, thanks to the dedicated collaboration between Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Friends of the Coppice, and Wicksteed Leisure. This rejuvenation project not only brought life back to the once-empty site but also created a vibrant and engaging playground that seamlessly blends with the natural surroundings.

With Wicksteed Leisure’s unwavering commitment to safety, children can now explore and play with peace of mind. The newly installed play equipment, in vibrant yellows and greens, stands as a beacon of joy amidst the natural beauty of the surroundings. Wicksteed Leisure’s expertise in design and playability ensured that the equipment seamlessly integrated into the environment while capturing attention from afar.

Every element was carefully selected to provide a diverse range of engaging options, offering endless hours of entertainment for children of all ages and abilities. Harmony with the natural environment was a paramount consideration in the playground’s design.

To preserve the rural charm of Pensnett Coppice, the play area features Notts Sport synthetic carpet surfacing. This durable and robust surface not only enhances safety but also blends harmoniously with the picturesque surroundings. The transformed playground has been embraced wholeheartedly by the local community.

PLAYING OUTDOORS HAS MANY BENEFITS but particularly improves mental health, fitness and boosts vitamin D levels. Pic. HAGS

HIGH ROPES
Following significant investment, SF Parks has launched a much-anticipated high ropes course at its White House Leisure Park in Towyn, Wales. This latest addition to the park will be followed by an upgrade to Jakes family restaurant and pub, an amusement arcade, a cinema room, and soft play, complementing existing facilities including a crazy golf course and food and drinks outlets.

And it comes as the family-owned business awaits planning permission for another adrenaline-fuelled activity – The Jump – where customers can leap from a three or six-foot platform onto a giant airbag. SF Parks, which also owns Golden Gate in Towyn, Riverside and Sun Valley in Rhuddlan, and Sirior Bach in Moelfre, Abergele, has big plans for the future. Director Jonathan Seldon says these exciting developments are just the start.

“The response to the high ropes course and all of our plans has been really positive, so we thank everyone for their support,” he said. “Our loyal customers are always top priority and enhancing their experience is paramount, which is why we will continue to make improvements and introduce more exhilarating and engaging attractions across the SF Parks portfolio.”

Fellow director Oliver Seldon reinforced those comments and revealed their overall vision will lead to more developments in the months ahead. “This new attraction and The Jump – should we receive the green light next month – show how committed we are to our customers and also the local economy, supporting small businesses and creating full-time and seasonal jobs,” he said. “We will continue to improve standards, embrace innovation and keep investing in all of our parks as that will have a lasting impact not just on SF Parks but the region’s tourism sector.”

WICKSTEED FIRE THE IMAGINATION with outstanding holiday park installations.

ADVENTURE PLAY
If you are looking for more examples of holiday stay and play options, then look no further than Blenheim Palace that offers vacations in partnership with Darwin Escapes. A new £3.6 million outdoor play experience at Blenheim, has been carefully designed and created to ensure children of all abilities from the ages of 2-12 are able to explore and enjoy the extensive play areas.

Adventure Play is a series of immersive interconnecting zones with secret chambers, clamber nets, tunnels, slides, rope bridges - and giant carrots! Covering a site larger than a football pitch, it celebrates the rich heritage of the 18th century baroque Palace, inspired by real-life features including the lakeside Boat House and Hensington Gateway.

Unfortunately, the days when children played out on the street all day are long gone. For many children today – especially families without gardens – outdoor play only happens on holidays.

The onus is therefore on holiday park owners and operators to ensure the play facilities they offer are the best they can be. The key message is invest in outdoor play and you will be rewarded with happy families who are much more likely to return to your park – and tell their friends about it.

COMPANY CONTACTS

Blenheim Palace
www.blenheimpalace.com/adventure-play/

Proludic
Tel. 0115 982 3980
www.proludic.co.uk

SF Parks
01745 833048
www.sfparks.co.uk

Technical Outdoor Solutions
Tel. 01768 840 300
www. technicaloutdoorsolutions.co.uk

Wicksteed
Tel. 01536 517028
www.wicksteed.co.uk

FRESH CORDLESS CLEANING APPROACH

Posted on May 5, 2023

FRESH CORDLESS CLEANING APPROACH

NEW TO THE UK AUTOMATIC POOL cleaner market this season is an impressive, cordless robotic offering from Ocea UK.

New to the UK automatic pool cleaner market this season, and already being snapped up by some of the biggest holiday destinations in the country, is an impressive robotic offering from Ocea UK. Ocea’s cordless cleaner is powered by Freedrive Technology and navigates using i-MAPPING Technology for accurate and powerful cleaning.

The advanced Freedrive Technology makes the cleaner completely rechargeable and negates the need for an umbilical cable like traditional pool cleaners. Freedrive brings all the advantages of a fully rechargeable power unit giving you the freedom to simply drop the cleaner into the pool – no heavy cable to worry about, nothing to plug in an no caddy to put away.

Magnetic technology makes the battery more energy efficient and long-lasting. Wireless technology means it is safe to swim whilst the cleaner is in action. Being cordless doesn’t leave you with a lack of power. The cleaner can run unhindered for up to three hours, meaning it can easily clean a pool up to 20m long with a single charge. All that while having a pump rate of 18m3 an hour and pumping water through an 18-micron fine mesh filter basket with a 2ltr debris capacity.

The patented i-MAPPING Technology is a smart navigation system that uses the cleaner’s six built in sensors, combined with sophisticated intelligent software, which results in your cleaner having the ability to plot its way efficiently and precisely around any shape pool.

With thanks to the six built-in sensors, the Ocea cleaner detects the difference between the pool floor and pool walls, resulting in an option to do a quick floor sweep, perfect for a last minute clean. It can also detect the pool’s waterline, and will scrub along it, removing all the grime build up that is common for that area. Contact Ocea UK or your usual swimming pool maintenance team to book a try before you buy model – we promise you won’t want to part with it!

Ocea UK
Tel. 01993 707910
www.oceauk.com

GAME CHANGERS

Posted on May 5, 2021

GAME CHANGERS

THE BRIDLINGTON CENTRE has proven to be a huge success with an estimated 50,000 plus people visiting the facility in the first six weeks alone.

With more than 100 aquatic installations under their specialist belt, Ustigate’s aquatic play schemes are assembled for a variety of budgets. Experience and expertise enables Ustigate to respond efficiently to all enquiries, carrying out prompt site surveys, calculations and designs to allocated budgets for all sizes of projects both indoor and out. In conjunction with long term aquatic partner Vortex International, Ustigate’s product portfolio includes waterslides, Elevations™ play structures, the award- winning Water Journey™ collection and over 300 individual and interactive Splashpad® play items, with the majority being available with the Safeswap™ Anchoring System. Particularly thought-provoking for holiday destinations, the Safeswap™ Anchoring System provides clients with the ability to exchange features for alternatives in the future, without the need to break the ground again.

FRESH APPROACH
This system enables all water play facilities to stay fresh and modern for years to come and it also enables a water play facility to be built in phases. Each anchor can be capped, provided with a ground spray or home to an above ground feature. The Safeswap™ system is particularly helpful when building a water play project according to budget constraints as it enables the infrastructure to be placed in year one and an array of aquatic play products can be purchased annually and assembled over the course of, for example, a five year plan. A multi-site holiday park operator can also alternate products of the same flow rates between locations to keep visitors intrigued and entertained. Alternatively, or additionally, the joy of Splashpad® is a trend that has encompassed the nation and its popularity continues to grow. An area dedicated to a multitude of water play items, a splashpad is set in a zero standing water environment, making it entirely inclusive and 100% safe without any lifeguard requirement. The trend is fuelled by the inclusive pleasure involved and the fact aquatic play product development has come on a very long way. Twirltec™ enables children to turn products 360° and Orbs and Twistnozzle™ feature widely throughout the award winning Explora range, enabling children to move, twist, spin, splash and change the direction of the water jets.

DIPPY’S SPLASH ZONE has been successful at extending the length of a visit and has increased park revenues through added value sales

WATER JOURNEY
Ustigate Waterplay and Vortex have also recently added “bouncing and splashing” to their offered activities via “Hop” from their Water Journey™ collection. Hop encourages children to physically jump on three soft, padded stepping stones to be rewarded with a bigger and higher splash from the ground up. Water play has been proven to promote water confidence, happiness, excitement, exercise, cognitive behaviours and group play. All factors that aid and promote good health and social development. Interactive aquatic play is being incorporated indoors and outdoors to promote water confidence at a young age and to deliver good health and wellbeing for all ages and abilities. Being with friends and families and being active indoors and outdoors is what makes us happy, fit and strong and the pandemic has taken its toll on everyone’s physical and mental wellbeing because we have never spent more time at home indoors and away from our loved ones and activities. The negative impact of Covid closures has been great on humanity and the leisure, hospitality and aviation industries given all was brought to a standstill in 2020. The roadmap out of the Covid pandemic must also remain cautious to ensure we continue to move in the direction of a healthier and more positive future. Exercise and staying outdoors have been recommended the whole way through. An outdoor Splashpad® with several features and a recirculation system is certainly a safe, clean and exciting place to be. Inclusive water features such as the KirkleathamWalled Garden set the scene for peace and tranquillity, a shining example of Ustigate’s inclusive aquatic play schemes promote happiness and physical fitness for everyone involved.

Ustigate Ltd - Water Display Specialists
Tel. 01322 424445
www.ustigate.co.uk
www.ustigatewaterplay.co.uk

STAYCATIONS SPARK HOLIDAY HOME BOOM

Posted on September 4, 2020

STAYCATIONS SPARK HOLIDAY HOME BOOM

Park Holidays UK is reporting an explosion in demand from new holiday home buyers with enquiries soaring fuelled by the likelihood that overseas holidays will be a no-go this year and possibly next.

Park Holidays UK director Tony Clish says his group hopes to avoid rationing the distribution of holiday caravans and lodges among its 31 parks. “We do carry good levels of new stock at present, and existing owners trading-up to 2020 models means that we should have plenty of pre-owned holiday homes to offer,” he said.

“Sales enquiries slowed in March when government ordered the shutdown of parks – but they’ve since been escalating to a phenomenal extent throughout spring. “I think there’s the realisation that one of the best ways to enjoy staying in the UK is by owning a holiday home where you can take breaks throughout the four seasons.

“That, of course, and the fact that a park is perhaps the safest of all holiday destinations with completely selfcontained accommodation set at least five metres apart. “The staycation trend was already well entrenched before this present crisis, and I think it is going to come back with a vengeance,” added Tony.