Jewels In The Crown

Jewels In The Crown

ABOVE: Lady’s Mile Holiday Park was named as joint winner of the Holiday Park Pool Of The Year title.

ABOVE: Lady’s Mile Holiday Park was named as joint winner of the Holiday Park Pool Of The Year title.

A neck and neck contest, which left judges unable to separate two short-listed entries, has resulted in the pair sharing the coveted 2017 title of Holiday Park Pool Of The Year. Devon’s Lady’s Mile Holiday Park did not just shine for its investment in water leisure facilities. The Park’s outstanding team of lifeguards drew unanimous applause from the judges following the dramatic rescue of a young girl in distress in the outdoor pool. She was lifted from the water, and the team carried out CPR and saved the young girl’s life. The team acted professionally and responded to the incident with great care and compassion. Their efforts have been recognised by the Royal Lifesaving Society for outstanding bravery with a certificate of merit. Meanwhile, part of the Bourne Leisure group, Haven Holiday’s Hafany Môr Holiday Park, in North Wales, was named as co-title holders following an outstanding £3m refurbishment earlier this year. The upgrade featured an impressive makeover including the addition of three flume slides, play areas for young children, a multi-lane slide, bubble pool, Lazy River and wave pool, plus a lane pool for those wanting to just swim.

The Holiday Park Pool of The Year contest was one of 30 categories contested at the UK Pool and Spa Awards held at the Vox Conference Centre at Birmingham’s NEC last month. The organisers, Waterland Media, were joined by former Apprentice winner and TV personality, Michelle Dewberry, and over 200 representatives from all aspects of the pool and spa industry. The judges commented on the impressive standard of provision across the holiday park sector for swimming pools, hot tubs and wellness. Prepare to be impressed, as we bring you this year’s short-listed pools.

For More on Park Pools Of The Year Click Here

Super Heroes

Super Heroes

Cost-effective energy efficiency and prudent housekeeping will maximise return on investment when it comes to swimming pools.

Cost-effective energy efficiency and prudent housekeeping will maximise return on investment when it comes to swimming pools.

A popular swimming pool is a must for the modern holiday park; number one for its undoubted pulling power in attracting and retaining visitors year on year.

On the flip side, the average holiday park swimming pool can present a huge drain on business resources both through upkeep and running costs as well as staffing overheads.

Operators find themselves under more pressure than ever to demonstrate effective energy efficiency and prudent housekeeping to maximise return on investment when it comes to swimming pools.

“Most people are now opting for energy efficient pools, more so than ever before,” comments Tim Bareham of Cresta Leisure. “It is partly down to an increase in environmental awareness generally, as well as the rise in energy prices, and of course the allure of cost savings that can be achieved over time.”

Tim adds: “Although energy efficient methods are generally more expensive to install, the benefits are huge. You’ve got to speculate to accumulate.”

Deer Park Golf and Country club in West Lothian, Scotland has enjoyed a 25% reduction in gas and electricity usage in their swimming pool following the installation of Heatsavr.

Deer Park Golf and Country club in West Lothian, Scotland has enjoyed a 25% reduction in gas and electricity usage in their swimming pool following the installation of Heatsavr.

Going ‘green’ is not only helpful in protecting the environment, but it can also translate into cost savings. If it were a superhero then Brenntag’s Heatsavr would have powers akin to the Invisible Man. The Heatsavr is a liquid pool cover that works by forming an invisible monolayer over the surface of the pool, preventing heat and moisture from escaping while the surface is unbroken. There are many other associated benefits that come with having a pool cover. Stopping evaporation also directly effects the quantity of chemicals used to maintain hygienic water conditions. By reducing evaporation you are also reducing the quantity of chemicals normally lost through evaporation. Having a pool cover also reduces the amount of contamination that enters the pool through the water surface, this will also have a direct effect on the rate of chemical consumption.

Deer Park Golf and Country club in West Lothian, Scotland had Heatsavr installed as part of an upgrade that also saw them have new boilers fitted. The work that was carried out saw a 25 per cent reduction in gas and electricity usage since the work was undertaken in August 2013. The country club had previously used a traditional pool cover, but it was ill-fitting because their pool is oval shaped. That meant that heat and moisture were still able to escape, as the cover was only partially effective. Heatsavr liquid pool cover reduces evaporation not only at night but also during the day when bathers are present in the water.

To read more of this story please subscribe online.