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!

Paperless Policies Keep Giving

Posted on April 29, 2019

Paperless Policies Keep Giving

Caravan, lodge and park owners continue to go paperless – helping their insurance provider, Leisuredays, to raise more and more money for national charity, Heart Research UK. As part of Leisuredays’ commitment to helping hearts, the company donates £1 to Heart Research UK every time a customer opts for an emailed policy rather than receiving their documents through the post. Throughout 2018, Leisuredays’ Paperless Policies campaign raised a hearty £14,292. Leisuredays’ Paperless Policies initiative has raised a massive £91,970 in the last nine years. Associate Director Laura Wilby presented Heart Research UK with a cheque during the Halifax-based company’s Healthy Heart day. As a big thank you, the charity delivered heart and cholesterol checks, plus lifestyle advice to staff, who celebrated with a health fair, eating healthy snacks and sharing recipes and exercise ideas.

Rainy Day Planning

Posted on February 6, 2018

Rainy Day Planning

ABOVE: Specialist holiday park insurance is vital to ensure adequate cover.

Luckily, 80-year-old park home resident Alan Smith was not injured in a devastating fire that wrote off his Essex Park Home and destroyed all possessions and contents inside. Even more luckily, Mr Smith had the extensive cover and benefits of residential park home insurance policy with leading specialists, Leisuredays, one of the leading holiday caravan and park home insurance specialists in the UK The Leisure days team was able to quickly pick up the pieces for their customer by co-ordinating the removal of the badly damaged property and then helping with the ordering of a brand new park home, replacing his contents and having a brand new unit sited, connected to services and creating suitable access. “Our team is best at making customer insurance easy,” says Gareth Walker, of Leisuredays whose in-house claims liaison team worked closely with the loss adjusters and a specialist team at our underwriters, RSA, to handle this high value claim. “The expert claims team always works hard with all parties to make sure claims are handled efficiently, guiding customers and park owners through the process so claims are settled as quickly as possible,” Gareth continues. “In this case, the park home owner was also quickly given some money to pay for replacement clothes and toiletries as most of his possessions were damaged in the fire.”

As customers await their replacement park homes, a robust insurance policy can also pay for emergency short term accommodation for family and pets that usually live with them. Other costs involved in this claim include demolition and site clearance, local authority charges for delivery of the new park home and the cost of a new park home. Customer insurance rates vary from park to park. When calculating a premium, insurers take into account the type of unit being insured, its value and the value of its contents.

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Company Contacts
Compass Insurance 01452511430 www.compass.co.uk
Leisuredays 01422396693 www.leisuredays.co.uk/park-insure
Wilby 01422358525 www.wilbyltd.co.uk/parkprotect

Milestone For Family Insurance Firm

Posted on September 8, 2017

Milestone For Family Insurance Firm

A leading leisure insurance provider, Caravan Guard, incorporating static caravan insurance specialist Leisuredays, is celebrating insuring more than 90,000 customer at over 900 UK Holiday Parks.

The milestone was reached as the Halifax-based company celebrated being shortlisted for a trio of national insurance awards. “This is down to our fantastic team of positive people who are all committed to delivering exceptional customer service,” explains Ryan Wilby, Caravan Guard’s Managing Director, “Plus our great value insurance policies, which are amongst the most comprehensive on the market.”

So far this year, Caravan Guard and Leisuredays have reached the finals of the prestigious British Insurance Awards, and earlier this month they were shortlisted in three categories at the forthcoming UK Broker Awards.

Ryan added: “We’re absolutely thrilled and proud to have more than 90,000 caravan, motorhome, holiday caravan and park home customers on cover. As we continue to deliver brilliant customer experiences and grow our workforce we have our sights firmly set on insuring 100,000 customers in the coming years.”

Caravan Guard was established in 1995 by Ryan’s father Peter Wilby and along with Leisuredays has remained a family–run business and one of the leading insurance providers for static caravans, touring caravans, motorhomes and park homes. Their static caravan insurance policy is also independently rated as five-star by financial researcher Defaqto.

Paperless Policy

Posted on March 7, 2017

Paperless Policy

Leisuredays’ Managing Director, Ryan Wilby, presents a cheque for £15,163 to Barbara Dinsdale, of Heart Research UK, and their mascot Hartley.

A paperless initiative by insurance provider, Leisuredays, has helped the company raise more than £15,000 for national charity, Heart Research UK.

Leisuredays donates £1 to the charity every time a customer chooses to receive their insurance documents by email rather than in the post. The Paperless Policies initiative has raised a whopping £62,908 in the last eight years.

This year, Leisuredays’ Managing Director Ryan Wilby presented the charity with a cheque for £15,163 during Healthy Heart day. The money will help to prevent and treat heart disease across the UK by funding the charity’s work.

“We thought we’d written our biggest cheque last year, but once again I’m delighted that our customers have helped to raise the most money yet to support Heart Research UK’s very valuable work,” said Ryan. “Plus, customers not only receive their insurance documents quicker but they’re also helping to protect the environment too.”

Award-Winning Ways

Posted on July 13, 2016

Award-Winning Ways

Caravan Guard’s PR & Communications
Officer Liz Harrison (right) receives the Customer Connectivity Award.

Insurance specialists Caravan Guard, which incorporates Leisuredays, have been recognised for their outstanding communication with customers and raising the company’s profile among caravanners.

The Halifax-based company beat off stiff competition to win the ‘Customer Connectivity Award’ at the 2016 Insurance Marketing and PR Awards.

Happy customers were central to Caravan Guard’s ‘Don’t take our word for it’ campaign, which included magazine adverts, customer videos and social media.

Caravan Guard’s Director of Marketing Craig Thompson said: “We’ve harnessed the power of this customer feedback throughout our marketing from direct channels to our communications with park and dealer customers to help us keep customers and attract new ones.”

Holiday Park Scene Magazine