Thrills And Spills

Posted on June 30, 2017

Thrills And Spills

Water play is sure to keep guests returning year after year…

There’s no better time for enjoying the thrills and spills of water play than on a family holiday.

A holiday park that can offer a unique and exhilarating swimming experience is sure to score over it’s nearest rivals. Through smart design and a clever selection of features, any holiday park can transform their swimming pool into an exciting aquatic play space that guests will enjoy and want to return to on repeat visits. “Water play installations offer a range of benefits when compared to standard swimming or paddling pools,” explains Ernie Hemming of Ustigate Waterplay.

“Firstly, a water play installation uses water on demand, which is a more economical and cheaper solution as water will be consumed only when someone touches one of our activation bollards using considerably less water. Moreover, a water play installation provides countless hours of fun for all the family.”

Ustigate installed a bespoke splash zone at Dinosaur Adventure Park in Norfolk last year.

The allocated splash area had previously been home to long-standing old wooden outdoor play equipment which had become outdated so the park owners took the decision to reinvest in the area and give it a new lease of life. The new splash zone takes inspiration from the famous Dippy the Dinosaur, the mascot and one of the Dinosaur Adventure Park’s most popular attractions in order to attract and retain more customers on site.

The splash zone was divided into three bays which have range of play items designed for each age group - toddler, teen and family. The focal point is the huge ‘supersplash’ elevation consisting of a bucket that tilts over crashing onto a platform creating a mini-tidal wave soaking everyone in its spray zone. The fully PWTAG compliant filtration and recirculated water system ensures highest quality of water for children to play in.

EXPLORE OPTIONS

Ustigate’s Vortex sourced products offer the latest designs and features which are premium quality and competitively priced. The price of a typical splash pad depends mainly on three factors; size of the scheme, the type of water system that will be used - one use or re-circulating - and finally the selected water features. According to Ustigate, a typical once use system would usually cost between £50,000- £100,000 and a recirculating system costing £300,000- £500,000.

“Ensure you have explored all possible options as water installations can be expensive and time consuming,” comments Ernie. “Remember that the cheapest option may not always be the right decision in the long term as a significant drop in quality may lead to additional repair or alteration costs in the future or even worse closing of the water play installation. “Even though initial setup costs for a high quality and robust water system may be excessive this will be cost effective in the long run as the water system will be able to stand the test of time and demands of excited children.”

Leyland-based World Leisure recently completed a £1.5m overhaul of the swimming pool facilities at Ribby Hall Village Holiday Park in Lancashire, in just 12 weeks.

MAIN ATTRACTION

The holiday park’s pool is well-known for its water slides and is used by members and visitors alike. It was given a refurbishment eight years ago but bosses at the attraction decided the time was right for a complete revamp, with added facilities to maintain interest for visitors. The new pool features new slides including a 48m interactive play slide. Members and guests are able to climb a tower to the top of the slide, which then takes them out of the building and back inside again. As they come down the slide, they can play an interactive touchpad game on the inside of the slide, with scores recorded once the ride is complete.

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Company Contacts

Certikin Tel. 01993 778855 www.certikin.co.uk

Hippo Leisure Tel. 01752 771740 www.hippoleisure.com

Ustigate Waterplay Tel. 01322 424445 www.ustigatewaterplay.co.uk

World Leisure UK Tel. 01777 284883 www.worldleisureuk.co.uk

Into The Woods

Posted on June 30, 2017

Into The Woods

For over 35 years Blairgowrie Holiday Park was the Wood family’s flagship site, but after the expansion of the company – extending to a further four parks – the 2008 purchase of Deeside has since changed the landscape.

The Deeside site boasts exquisite hot tub lodges, contemporary holiday homes and en-suite glamping pods. The Woods’ also welcome campers with large areas of hardstanding and fully serviced pitches available. Says Park Manager Shona Stewart: “The park provides a peaceful and tranquil environment for its guests to have a relaxing stay while enjoying picturesque countryside views with nature on your doorstep. The area is popular among visitors from Scotland and further afield who come to explore Royal Deeside.”

As the parks have spread across the country, so too has the family’s involvement in running the company. Colin and Margaret, who started the business three decades ago have since been joined on the team by their daughters, Rachel, Kirsty and Sarah.

The eldest, Rachel, is in charge of the administrative and financial side of the business. Middle daughter, Kirsty, manages the HR and Health & Safety sectors, and the youngest, Sarah, is the head of the Marketing and Sales department.

The girls are also joined by their husbands, who oversee the parks operations, and most recently Shona Stewart who — two years ago — was promoted to Park Manager after six-years as the Administrator for Deeside Holiday Park.

Wood Leisure
Tel. 01250 878123
www.woodleisure.co.uk

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Hidden Entrapment Danger Strikes

Posted on May 3, 2017

Hidden Entrapment Danger Strikes

A four-year-old British girl is recovering after being sucked into a spa filter at a hotel complex in Bulgaria.

Holiday park owners are being urged to show duty of care when it comes to the swimming safety of their guests. Earlier this year, a four-year-old British girl was seriously injured after being sucked into a spa pool filter at a holiday complex in Bulgaria. Thankfully, doctors were able to save the girl’s life and she is now recovering from severe injuries to her bowel and intestines. An incident of this kind is known as ‘entrapment’ and is entirely preventable, and only happens because what appears to be a perfectly safe outlet is, in fact, a potential death trap.

Every year incidents of entrapment – where limbs and other body parts are caught via strong suction from drains at the bottom of either private or public pools – are reported in the media, tragically because the event often results in drowning. But worryingly many incidents are also going un-reported. The Blue Cap Foundation in the Netherlands conducted an investigation into swimming pool entrapment at 100 hotels and aqua parks in popular European holiday destinations. They found at least one hazardous circumstance in every swimming pool that could cause an injury and 31 of the pools were condemned to be dangerous and even life-threatening.

“The problem is that there is nowhere to report this type of incident and most holiday companies are nervous about action been taken against them from over reactions,” comments Craig Valentine, Health & Safety Manager at Bourne Leisure. “I think that there should be a confidential hotline or email address that such incidents and other pool-related issues could be reported without reprisal. In turn this would help stop dangerous incidents happening by using industry best practice with learning outcomes.” Many UK companies have been campaigning to raise awareness of the dangers of entrapment for years. These include Mineral Supplies International (MSI), which has supplied the Vac-Alert anti-entrapment device to UK and European markets since 1996.

Installed on both pools and hot tubs, the Vac-Alert responds within a millisecond to any increase in filter pump suction; spring-loaded pistons open the pipe to atmosphere, freeing a person trapped by life-threatening suction. “Entrapment is a serious issue globally,” comments MSI’s Amanda Slade. “But what’s concerning is that many cases of entrapment are going unreported and are being put down to ‘accidental drowning’. After all, no pool operator wants that type of bad publicity.” Amanda adds: “This is why we have been working with major holiday operators and cruise liners who want to demonstrate that they will put duty of care first every time when it comes to their customers.”

Home Grown Success

Posted on May 3, 2017

Home Grown Success

Killarney Park was the Kellam’s first park and is still the flagship of the Killarney Homes portfolio.

Nottinghamshire–based Killarney Homes started life in the 1960s when David and Sheila Kellam purchased land to create Killarney Park. The couple built Killarney into a successful holiday park with a clubhouse, swimming pool and fish & chip bar. When home-grown tourism started to decline in the mid- 1980s, their son Gary, who had previously joined the family firm aged just 16, saw the opportunity to develop the park for residential use. Today, Gary and his wife Joanne, still oversee the business but their daughter Sophie and son Alex, are increasingly taking the reins. The Killarney Homes portfolio now includes three parks and employs 11 full time staff. Despite its growth, the family firm ethos is still central to everything they do. Their philosophy is that “Killarney is small enough to care and experienced enough to cope.”

“Mum does the accounts, Dad oversees things, Alex does the ground works and I look after the office,” explains Sophie. “One year, Dad put 18 homes on Killarney Park in a 12 month period with the help of just two staff. Now, we have a small team of staff to help us but we take a personal interest in everything and like to get to know all our owners and tenants. We don’t have ‘departments’ for marketing, sales, accounting, IT and so on… we’ve just been doing it for 60 years so the park business is in our blood!” Killarney Homes has over 185 private residential homes with 300+ residents and 200 rental properties with around 300 tenants. Killarney Park and Willow Park are purely for home-owners, whilst Moor Farm Park offers short term rental accommodation.

FLAGSHIP SITE : Killarney Park is still very much the flagship of the business. Located just six miles northeast of Nottingham in 35 acres of picturesque woodland, this gated community offers 148 homes. Designed exclusively for the over 45s, Killarney Park mostly contains park homes in the traditional style and offers a range of amenities to keep even the most active residents busy. An on-site clubhouse offers a wide range of regular activities including arts and crafts classes, exercise clubs, supper evenings and themed party nights. According to Sophie, Killarney Park “offers residents the serenity of the countryside with all the conveniences of modern daily life nearby.” A courtesy bus service offers regular trips to the local market town of Arnold, as well as Nottingham and Mansfield. The local area also offers plenty of natural beauty with walking trails, golf courses and many historic places to visit. Five years ago, the Kellam family started to develop Willow Park. Offering modern and exclusive accommodation for the over 45s, Willow Park offers sustainable luxury living in a sheltered valley on the edge of the pretty village of Calverton, ten miles outside Nottingham. A partnership with Stately Albion has been key to the development of Willow Park. “We have worked exclusively with Stately Albion to create beautiful homes for Willow Park,” explains Sophie. “Vaulted ceilings, exterior cladding, triple glazed windows – these gorgeous, modern homes challenge the ‘traditional view’ of park homes.”

Willow Park offers residents modern homes and plenty of green space.

GREEN CREDENTIALS : “The homes also have the most fantastic eco-credentials. Specifically designed for low carbon footprint lifestyles with double the insulation of a standard build, they can reduce energy bills by up to 50% and save residents money, as well as the environment.” Willow Park has just 35 available plots with new homes being added all the time. Each home is set in its own private garden with driveway parking for two cars. The design of the park allows for plenty of green space and residents have use of a communal allotment and composter for garden waste. All the water supplied to the homes is sourced directly on site from the park’s own natural spring, providing the most affordable water rates in the area. Killarney Homes’ final park is also located on the outskirts of Calverton. Moor Farm Park provides affordable rental accommodation starting from just £55 per week.

Killarney Homes Tel. 0115 965 2426 www.killarneyhomes.co.uk

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Holiday Snaps – Alex Saul, General Manager at Greenacres, Cardigan View and Garreg Wen holiday parks.

Posted on April 26, 2017

Holiday Snaps - Alex Saul, General Manager at Greenacres, Cardigan View and Garreg Wen holiday parks.

Alex is the General Manger of three holiday parks North Wales. His career began in the nightclub industry, before a brief spell managing health clubs and then joining the holiday parks industry at parks in Cornwall and South Wales. He now looks after more than 1,400 holiday homes across the Greenacres, Cardigan View and Garreg Wen sites. Alex’s downtime is spent with his wife Claire and two children, Annabel and Barnaby. During the summer he enjoys kitesurfing and in the winter he likes to go shooting with his Labrador Floyd.

How is the summer season shaping up for your parks? The 2017 season is looking fabulous; double digit growth in holiday bookings and strong caravan sales mean we are in a great place. I keep seeing reports that it will be the hottest summer in years which would be the icing on the cake.

What are you most looking forward to about the summer season? I think the parks look a bit lost and forlorn when they are closed. I am looking forward to seeing families enjoying themselves, venues full of people having fun, kids riding around on their bikes and the smell of BBQs in the air.

If you had to identify one element, what is the most crucial aspect to the success of the parks? The team - it’s a cliché but so true. Without your team you do not have a business. Even in the age of the internet, people buy from people and relationships are important. They are also the parts of the holiday families remember long after the photos of a sunny day have faded.

What challenges are currently facing the holiday park sector? Competition between parks and the drive to create value for customers will always be a challenge. Things like a weak pound are on our side but we cannot take it for granted, we have to provide great service and high standards if we are going to maximize on the opportunities in front of us.

What is the best piece of business advice you have been given and by whom? A coach and phycologist called Martin Perry made us do an exercise involving throwing tennis balls around. You stand in a circle throwing to each other and keep adding balls until they start to drop. The lesson is that you can do loads to get a successful catch and it taught me that the responsibility for a successful catch lies with the thrower. In business this means that the responsibility for a team successfully implementing projects, lies with the management.

What has been your most interesting experience in the holiday industry? The variety that I am faced with in a single day is staggering and definitely keeps me on my toes. The best part is getting to know the different types of people we encounter, from the successful entrepreneur who is looking to buy a holiday home to the young family taking a well-earned weekend away.

Where do you see yourself and the park in ten years’ time? I think the next ten years are going to be very exciting and a fabulous time for the industry. New players will come in and for the companies that get it right, great rewards and success will come. I love this industry and in ten years’ time I hope to be doing pretty much the same, enjoying the challenge, working with great people and helping families get the most out of their recreation time.

Where do you go on holiday? I am a keen kite surfer so anywhere there is sun a wind. This year as a family we went to Cape Verde which was amazing.

Park Expansion

Posted on March 7, 2017

Park Expansion

Tingdene is expanding Bedwell Park in Cambridgeshire

Tingdene Parks is expanding one of its Cambridgeshire park home sites with the addition of new plots. Bedwell Park in Witchford is about to see the launch of seven plots on what is already one of the county’s most sort after park home estates exclusively designed for the over 45’s. Works have already commenced to accommodate a mixture of ready to move into homes and vacant plots for customers to design and furnish to their own specification.

The homes which are built to the latest energy saving standards provide low maintenance and can be designed and built to individual specifications, with over 100 floorplans and ideas to choose from. Each home also comes as a turnkey package, to include carpets, curtains beds, kitchen appliances, sofas and chairs providing the opportunity for that truly fresh start in life. By choosing to downsize and move on to these private residential estates has meant that owners have been able to release equity from their previous property, leaving some money in the bank allowing them the opportunity to truly enjoy life.

Just a Penny More…

Posted on March 7, 2017

Just a Penny More...

A holiday experience wouldn’t be complete without trying your luck on the prize crane or the coin tipping machine. In fact, the arcade has been a staple attraction of the Great British seaside holiday since the early 1900’s. Part of the Bourne Leisure group, Haven currently operates 37 arcades at its parks across the UK and has seen a shift from traditional arcades moving to all-encompassing family entertainment centres. “Our guest feedback indicates that arcades are a valued part of the holiday offering.

I wouldn’t suggest that anyone books a holiday based purely on the arcade offering, as we have seen a focus towards our Nature Rockz activities, but it is a very wellused facility and part of the overall holiday experience,” says Kevin Scott, Head of Arcades at Bourne Leisure. “The arcades are now environments where families can play together and often we include other family products such as soft play.” Redemption games, where the player is rewarded proportionally to their score, are Haven’s most popular arcade games, closely followed by cranes and coin pushers.

“We have expanded the redemption and prize offers at the expense of the gaming element of the business. A very high proportion of our games offer has a prize element which is very well received by both the holiday makers and our owners,” reveals Kevin. He adds: “Arcades have long been and are still very much part of the seaside family holiday and there is no indication to suggest that this will change in the near future.” Before investing in arcade games and equipment, it is advisable to seek advice from a reputable dealer or manufacturer, who offers a warranty and will give you fast and efficient after-sales care and service for the entire life of the equipment.

ATTENTION TO DETAIL “Too many park owners become totally disillusioned by a particular attraction that has failed in the past and this fazes their judgement for ever buying anything similar ever again - all because they were badly advised in the very beginning,” comments David Robinson of World of Rides. He continues: “Never buy any rides or equipment based on the lowest price, as every month we receive at least one sad story of cheap failed equipment at peak times of the season, which has resulted in lost income, and more importantly, disappointment and lost customer satisfaction.”

World of Rides is a leading UK manufacturer of battery operated land and water-based leisure rides. The company’s three biggest selling rides for 2017 so far are the fully operational Driving School Car, which has all the same controls as any normal road car, the glow in the dark Future Bike, which has under-LED lighting, and the new Baby Beetle Car for smaller children. “Our entire 12v/24v range of rides are becoming very much more popular with holiday park owners, partly due to the fact that they are nearly all able to carry either two children or a parent and child, but also because they all run without any noise, air or water pollution,” says David. “With trade prices starting at only £2,750 each, they still remain the highest earning children’s rides, due to them being fully directional and interactive with the riders.” According to David, really good rides and amusements will normally achieve full return on investment a number of times over in any one season, providing that they are operated correctly and looked after.

LIFE SPAN “All modern EEC and UK made rides have a long life expectancy, but in order to keep guests and visitors coming back every year, and incomes retained at their maximum, the rides should ideally be run on a rolling five-year-plan, with at least one new ride attraction being added to the park every year,” says David. “After that, each ride should be subsequently downgraded or replaced after year five, depending on its continued income potential and key position in the park,” he adds. For holiday parks that choose to hire their arcade equipment, it is advisable to work with fully vetted and experienced operators who use up-to-date rides that are tested and documented using H.S.E.-ADIPS safety testing every year. It is also important to check that the operator can show documentary evidence of themselves being fully insured for Public Liability for a minimum £10,000,000, in the event of any incident.

INSURANCE MATTERS Another key consideration is to ensure that your arcade equipment is covered by a suitable insurance policy. According to Compass Insurance, the key message when it comes to rides and machines - whether they are relatively simple coin-operated equipment or larger, more complex facilities - is to have a conversation with your insurer or broker before you go ahead and sign a hire agreement or make a purchase. “Park owners and managers should be aware that your insurer or broker may decline cover,” advises Chris Jones, Retail Underwriting Manager at Thistle Insurance Services. “An increase in premium could otherwise apply – and in the worst case scenario this could make the rides or machines commercially unviable. It’s always best to have the conversation up front.”

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Holiday Snaps with Peter Lawrence, Andrewshayes Holiday Park

Posted on July 13, 2016

Holiday Snaps with Peter Lawrence, Andrewshayes Holiday Park

Peter Lawrence is the General Manager at the Andrewshayes Holiday Park that offers a mix of static caravans, camping and seasonal tourer pitches on a rural park in East Devon. Established by his grandmother 80 years ago, Peter oversees the day-to-day smooth running of the third generation site, as well as strategic planning.

What challenges are currently facing the holiday park sector?
The sector has fragmented with new types of holidays now on offer and a range of facilities. Honest marketing is important to ensure that customers know what sort of park they have booked onto and we can therefore better manage their expectations. For example, as a medium sized park we do not offer a full entertainment programme, however this is not a requirement for all families.

How have visitor expectations changed during your time in the holiday business and how have you reacted to those demands?
Expectations are far higher today, people are taking more holidays and demand quality. Trying to improve the quality of the holiday park and the service while maintaining good value for money is the challenge.

If you had to identify one element, what is the most crucial aspect to the success of the park?
Customer service has to be second to none. Even the most disgruntled customer can be managed with good customer service.

Where do you see the park in 10 years’ time?
We would like to expand the park, but due to being in an AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) that is unlikely to happen for us. We are looking into glamping options and the possibility of converting existing static caravan pitches into lodges. With a finite space it’s about the best return on the land we have.

What has been your most challenging experience in the industry?
One year three families with tourers arrived at the end of July for their holiday, all convinced that they had booked three pitches for three weeks at the end of their last holiday - they hadn’t. Of course at that time of the year we were virtually full so there was a lot of juggling involved to keep them happy!

What is the best piece of business advice you have been given and by whom?
My grandmother once told me “you reap what you sow”. I think that’s sound advice for life in general and in business it’s certainly true that the more effort and hard work you put in the more you get back.

How is the summer season shaping up for Andrewshayes Holiday Park?
Bookings are coming in well for the peak weeks, it’s the shoulder months we always need to work hard to fill. Of course we are hoping for some good weather to really keep customers happy.

Where do you go on holiday?
I like a complete change of scenery and have a passion for skiing which ties in nicely with the park being closed.

Anything else you would like to add or flag up?
The rise of social media is a new challenge for us but is also a great opportunity, especially for parks with smaller marketing budgets to help get their name out there. As an inland site we are always up against the more sought after coastal parks and we find we have to work harder to attract customers.

It’s A Family Affair At Gwynedd

Posted on May 31, 2016

It’s A Family Affair At Gwynedd

Gwynedd Holiday Home Park in Mid Wales is keeping it in the family as it’s new managers are announced. After more than a decade the park managers George and Menna Freeman have retired and handed over the reins to their son Jonathan and daughter-in-law Michaela.

Both Jonathan and Michaela have experience in park management, having previously run Green Meadow Holiday Home Park near Aberystwyth. Now, in addition to managing the 80 pitches at Gwynedd Holiday Home Park, the couple have also taken on 70 pitches at Glan-y-Don Holiday Home Park next door.

“When we were told that mum and dad were retiring a managers, we were given the opportunity to take over from them,” explained Jonathan. “We loved managing and developing Green Meadow where we made many friends, but the time was right for a new and bigger challenge.

“We are really looking forward to meeting all the holiday home owners on the parks now that the new season has arrived and there are exciting times ahead.”

Looking forward to a retirement cruise to the Norwegian Fiords this summer, George and Menna say they will still provide cover as relief managers for Salop Leisure in the future when needed.

“We thoroughly enjoyed our 10 years at Tywyn and made some very good friends on the park and in the local community,” said George, who still owns a caravan holiday home on Glan-y-Don Holiday Home Park.

“I am sure Jonathan and Michaela will do very well because they have had a good grounding at Green Meadow and know how to use new technology.”

Holiday Snaps with Olive Dunlop, Ballyness Caravan Park

Posted on May 31, 2016

Ballyness Caravan Park in Bushmills, Northern Ireland, opened in 2000 for touring caravans, motorhomes and caravan holiday homes. A family-run business, the park’s owners David and Olive Dunlop work full-time on the site. Olive runs the reception and shop and looks after the touring park while David concentrates on the general maintenance and caravan holiday homes.

How is 2016 shaping up for Ballyness Caravan Park?

With the phenomenal success of Game of Thrones and other locally produced films, Northern Ireland is starting to get the national and international recognition it deserves for its wonderful scenery and produce, and this is helping to drive not only international visitors but domestic visitors who did not realise what we have to offer.

If you had to identify one element, what is the most crucial aspect to the success of the park?

Standards. Whether it is in services provided, cleanliness of the park or paperwork for customers, we aim for the highest possible.

Who is the most important person in the business and why?

Some people would say the next customer, but I would say the last customer. If he leaves Ballyness happy having had a great holiday, he will come back and also tell his friends.

What challenges are currently facing the holiday park sector?

The uncertainty of the political future with the EU Referendum is probably one of the biggest unknowns facing the holiday park sector. We are governed by a raft of EU regulations and no one knows for certain what would happen if we were to leave Europe, or for that matter what would happen if we stay in under the new deal.

How have visitor expectations changed during your time in the holiday business?

We decided a few years ago to be much more customer focused and if there is a problem getting it fixed as soon as possible and keep them informed at all times. This not only repairs the relationship but our customers are amazed by the service they get.

Where do you see the park in 10 years’ time?

We would still like the business to be successful 10 years down the line, but we keep an eye on the short to medium term and are quick to react to any changes or ideas that come up.

What is the best piece of business advice you have been given and by whom?

“Do your own thing” advised a very good friend of mine. We were continually getting bogged down in petty rules and regulations and when we tried to keep everyone else happy, we found we were not progressing far. By doing our own thing, not only did we do it right, but better.

Where do you go on holiday?

Somewhere sunny and warm in December. We have four weeks off after working seven days a week for the rest of the year and at that time of year, we like to head to the sun.

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Thrills And Spills