April 2019
Issue no 2
Sandy Balls Holiday Village presents
Park Life creating a really special and friendly atmosphere, which makes our beautiful woodland setting even more magical. My door is always open, so do pop in for a coffee and a chat!
Clare Watkins
General Manager
I’d also like to say a huge congratulations to RosieEllis Brothwell on getting a promotion to GM over on Mersea Island. Rosie has been a great asset to the team here at Sandy Balls and we wish her all the best in her new role.
What’s happening at
New Developments
Our new development is well underway and we’re so excited for you to see it! We’ve spent the winter developing a combination of 108 beautiful cottage-style lodges and cosy woodland retreats.
The new Heartwood and Knightwood accommodation provides a stunning decor,
This year, Sandy Balls celebrates its 100th Birthday and I’m so proud to be apart of such a lovely community. We plan to mark our centenary in June by honouring the great outdoors and our heritage with a celebration of the forest, for you and your families to enjoy. Behind the scenes, the park is undergoing a massive project costing nearly £10 million. We’ve been developing gorgeous new pitches and even added a brand new play area that we know the tots will love. Previous ‘Great Weekends’ this year were a triumph! I’m particularly looking forward to a very special live-stream screening of Romeo and Juliet, performed by the Royal Opera House! Join us in the village square to watch Shakespeare’s story of two star crossed lovers, whilst sitting beneath the stars. It’s been a fantastic year so far, it’s great to see many new and old faces amongst the owners
your own hot tub and outside seating. There is also some brilliant work going on for our other developments: The Brambles, The Bluebells and Tawny Wood. We’re excited for our launch party on Saturday 1st June from 1PM-5PM showing the new additions and we’d love to see you all there! We’ve also treated the little ones to a brand new adventure playground, tying in with the woodland theme, where they can run around, hop like a bunny on logs and balance on beams - we know that they’re going to love this!
Introducing... We are also saying hello to Paul our new GEM! I am originally from Newcastle and have lived in Kent for 15 years. I am married and have 3 grown up children and 1 grandchild (with another on the way).
Download our app today!
In my spare time I play tennis and race motorbikes, I enjoy road cycling and mountain biking. I have worked for Marriott, David Lloyd, Bannatyne and Premier Inn, this will be my first role on a holiday park. I look forward to meeting everyone and my door is always open for a coffee and a chat.
Follow us on social media
View your bills | Make payments Sublet your holiday home
Please contact Lorna Parsons if you don’t have your log in yet. lorna.parsons@awayresorts.co.uk
@SandyBallsHolidayVillage
@AwayResortsUK
@AwayResortsHolidays
On park
Family Together June & Sept Midweeks Designed with the younger guests in mind, our Family Together is a fun break for young families to enjoy lots of activities and crafts. With Adult Exclusive Activities such as Sweet Bouquets to Axe Throwing to Toddler Exclusive Activities such as Baby Ballet, we also have Family Together Activities where you and your little ones can enjoy some quality time together!
events
Royal Opera House Romeo & Juliet - 11th June Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers encounter passion and tragedy in Kenneth MacMillan’s 20th-century ballet masterpiece. Soak up free culture on your doorstep: watch The Royal Ballet on stage at the Royal Opera House in this free live screening on the BP Big Screen at Sandy Balls.
Owners
Events 2019
100 Years of Sandy Balls 21st - 23rd June A family friendly festival to celebrate our beautiful park turning 100! Get in touch with nature as we celebrate in our forest with live music, arts & crafts, stories and loads more quirky fun! An imaginative family adventure!
Cream Pie Fight 24th August Our annual Cream Pie Fight is returning. Not only is it one of our largest gatherings, but it’s also one of the messiest too. Bring the family, all armed with cream pie plates ready to dive head first into this crazy family event.
Festive Weekenders 6th – 8th December & 13th – 15th December “Oh we wish it could be Christmas, everyday.” With festive activities galore and the smell of mulled wine in the air, here at Sandy Balls, it can be. Betwixmas 27th December Christmas Day may have come and gone but the show goes on at Sandy Balls. Join us for a fantastic seasonal break during that magical time between Christmas and New Year – Betwixmas! Christmas Spectacular 23rd December A cosy woodland lodge, the smell of mulled wine, snow in the village square, twinkly lights galore and festive entertainment for all the family. NYE Cracker 30th December It’s the final countdown at Sandy Balls so bring in the new year in style! Prepare to be dazzled with our sparkling entertainment!
Colour Festival Weekend 9th – 11th August A lively colourful weekend inspired by India’s famous Holi Festival of Colours. Get your cameras ready to see the park flood with colour, you won’t want to miss this one!
Disco Yoga with Bellini Brunch - 10th May Life drawings and Prosecco - 8th June Instagram Pool Party - 13th July Owners End of Season Party - 23rd November If you're popping along to one of our owners events, let us know by giving guest services a call!
Download our app to or visit owners.awayresorts.co.uk to find out more!
es Ima&gSocial Media We love it when you share your stories and pictures of your experiences at Whitecliff Bay on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts. It really is great to hear about them. However, we just want to remind you that if you are planning to share any Away Resorts images or text from our website, social
media channels or any or other marketing source, can you please just check with us first at enquiries@ awayresorts.co.uk and get written consent from. Also, if you are posting on any of our social media pages, please do not use any inappropriate language as we will have to remove any posts with offensive language.
Private Sublets
ut ck oblog! Cheour Full of lifestyle, travel tips and holiday guides, our Good Times blog is the perfect place to plan your trip with us. There’s lots of events showcased, which means that there is something for the whole family to enjoy!
Get social
Want to keep up to date with our news, developments and promos? Our social pages are filled with info and imagery from the parks so you can see the lovely views all the time. @SandyBallsHolidayVillage
Gentle Reminder
@AwayResortsUK
@AwayResortsHolidays
You're able to have 6/8 passes per holiday home (depending on the berth of your holiday home) for you and your family to enjoy the facilities that we have to offer here on park. Forms are now available to collect from the Holiday Home Sales Office, so pop in when you're next on park and get your details filled in!
If you are subletting your unit you will need to make sure that your electric and gas certificates are up to date and that the office has an up to date copy so that your guests are able to purchases passes during their stay at the park. We will be unable to issue any passes to guests if the certificates are out of date. Gas certifcates are required every year and electric certificates every three years. If your guests are wishing to purchase Guest Passes
they will be asked for the accommodation address and our Holiday Heroes will check the size of the accommodation on our system and charge the correct price according to the number of bedrooms and duration of stay. To avoid disappointment and to make sure your guests have an enjoyable stay from start to finish we do advise that you inform your guests of the correct price before arrival and that they will need guest passes to access all our facilities.
Documents Please remember that we need up-to-date copies on file of your…
Caravan insurance Annual gas safety test Electrical test (3 years) If you are unsure if we have yours, please pop into the Holiday Home Sales office at your earliest convenience.
Contact
Please pop into Guest Services and see Lorna next time you are on park with a recent utility bill to help us check your contact details and make sure they match up with what we have. It might be that you have moved address, changed your telephone number or e-mail address and we need to know. Sometimes we need to get messages or
Activities
Details updates out to you quickly either by a text message or e-mail, so it’s important that we’ve got the right details on file so you don’t miss out on relevant park information. If you haven’t done so already, please can you pop into Guest Services with your current council tax bill, a utility bill dated in the last three months and a copy of your current insurance certificate.
& Entertainment
Don’t forget to pick up the weekly entertainments guide from Guest Services – available every Monday or download from our website at:
lling all Caphotographers Photographers of all ages, backgrounds and experience. You are invited to enter our photography competition for your chance to win a £50 LOVE2SHOP voucher. This months subject is ‘enjoying your free time’ at Sandy Balls. Send your picture (at least 1MB), along with a brief description, your name, address, telephone number, the date and location of the photo to holidayhomes@awayresorts.co.uk. Competition closes Friday 14th June, and winners will be announced in our next newsletter.
Good luck!
By sending us your pictures, you agree for Away Resorts to use them on social media and for marketing purposes.
awayresorts.co.uk/sandy-balls/entertainment/activities
If you have a hot tub, we want you and your family and friends to use and enjoy it safely. It is important to be aware of the potential risks that can arise. Hot tubs are a recognised source of diseases and there have been a number of recorded outbreaks of Legionnaires which have included fatalities linked to poorly designed and/or managed hot tubs. Legionnaires is usually caught by breathing in small droplets of contaminated water. This means that other park guests may be exposed to it even if they are not using your hot tub. We expect you to maintain your hot tubs to ensure the safety for all. The Health & Safety Executive guidance
document is available to be downloaded for free from hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/ spa-pools We also advise you to follow any other recommendations from the hot tub manufacturer and/ or the supplier. Please note that if you are subletting your holiday home, you will be deemed to be undertaking a commercial operation and your legal responsibilities with regards to the management of hot tubs will be more stringent. For more information on your responsibilities or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Jan newsletter competition
winner is Kirsty
“
“
ot tub Hhousekeeping
Join us for a swim every weekday from 8am – 9am in our adult swim sessions.
My daughter loves to relax in our holiday home by spending time in her bedroom getting ready for the Sandyballs parties during our stay :)
Congratulations Kirsty, you’ve bagged yourself the £50 LOVE2SHOP voucher!
Quiz
TIME
1. Garlicky chicken 2. Where the magic comes to life 3. Australian feeling down 4. Rhyming poem 5. This miller is a star 6. Plaster from here 7. Starred alongside Dougal and Brian 9. Home of cricket 10. Beware of running bulls 11. Home of the Luge 12. Ed Shereran's girl 13. Dried Ham 14. Used after shaving 15. Race here in 24hrs 16. Break into parts 17. Natural stopper 18. Everyone has that sinking feeling 19. May give you a quick tan 20. Two makes a sweet
Just for fun. All the clues below relate to places in Europe can you figure them out from the clues?
Example: Two gentlemen play here - Verona If you are stuck with any, pop into the Holiday Home Sales Office, they may be able to give you a further clue!
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
Your answers
y a d i l o h a y c n Fa at one of our other beautiful locations?
We are lucky enough to be the proud owners of six parks in outstanding locations. As well as Sandy Balls, we have the spectacular lakeside retreat of Tattershall Lakes in Lincolnshire, Barmouth Bay on the coast of North Wales and in the foothills of Snowdonia National Park, the entertainment hub of Mill Rythe Holiday Village on Hayling Island and the amazing Mersea Island Holiday Park, the jewel in the crown of the idyllic island of Mersea in the Blackwater estuary just off the Essex coast, not forgetting the stunning Whitecliff Bay on the Isle of Wight. Â As an Away Resorts owner, if you book a holiday at any of our other parks, you will receive a 10% discount. There are just a few rules; all discounts are subject to availability, holidays need to be booked by calling 01442 50 88 50 and selecting your park. Â You, our lovely owner, must be present on holiday. Your owners account number must be given at time of booking and ownership photo ID passes must be shown at check in.
Manchester Lincoln
Barmouth Bay
Tattershall Lakes
Birmingham
Mersea Island Cardiff Bristol London
Sandy Balls Mill Rythe Plymouth
Whitecliff Bay
Gas Bottles
When you feel like your gas is running out, order via the Away Resorts app or just pop over to Guest Services and one of the lovely team there will be able to help you purchase another one for your holiday home.
5
Drivers To keep the park safe for everybody, please don’t forget that the speed on park is 5mph, and of course all the usual rules still apply!
Maintenance Team No job too small…sounds like an advert, however it’s true! If you would like us to quote on any maintenance issues or one of those ‘I’ll do that job later’ scenarios, we’ll be only too pleased to help. Pop into Guest Services to find out more.
Health & Safety Any owner that requires contractors to visit them on park will need to be authorised by Clare Watkins. Please call Guest Services to obtain the necessary paperwork and to find out more.
Doggies For your dogs, yours and everyone else on parks safety, we do kindly ask you to keep your dogs on leads at all time apart from using the dog exercise area. If your dog poops, please pick it up and help keep the park tidy and clean!
Owner
Perks
Don’t forget to carry your owner card with you when you are on park to receive…
• 20% off food & drink • 20% off activities, bookable at The Hub in Aubrey’s Forest Kitchen • 10% off clothing and toys in The Hub • 20% off food & drink in the Woodside Inn
How would you like to earn
th ousands
of pounds simply by letting out your holiday home? Last year some of our owners earned up to £15,000 from their holiday homes – without having to do any hard work. We took care of it all for them, from marketing to handing over the keys and even the cleaning. We can do the same for you too. Just imagine what you could do with that money – help towards the annual running costs for your holiday home, treat yourself to something nice, maybe build up some savings for later on.
HOW OUR MANAGED LETTING SERVICE WORKS:
1. 2. 3.
You decide the dates you wish to let your holiday home out. Upon request we deposit your managed letting service money into your account 8 times per year You sit back, relax and let us do all the hard work!
See 2019 sublet pack for more info
A complete service from the people who know your holiday park Some holiday owners manage the lettings themselves, and that’s certainly an option. The down side is that you have the stress of being responsible for everything, from start to finish. We’ve deliberately designed our service so it takes care of everything. It means no worries for our owners and a perfect stay for your holiday guests.
Visit Guest Services to find out more and to help you decide if letting your holiday home with us is right for you
In 1989, Ray Oldenburg published a book about civil society, democracy and civil engagement. Oldenburg suggests that for a healthy existence, citizens must live in a balance of three realms: home life which is the first place, the workplace which is the second, and the inclusively sociable places which are the third. You’re probably wondering what has this got to do with Away Resorts? Well, we have an exciting new brand coming soon for all our lovely owners, The Third Place Social, showcasing never before seen owners events plus much more!
We believe that The Third Place are the anchors of the community and facilitate more creative interaction between each other. A neutral ground where you are free to come and go as you please, no importance of status in society, witty conversation and frivolous banter are not only common, but highly valued but also having the same feelings of warmth, possession and belonging as they would in their own homes. We want to make Away Resorts be the ‘third place’ in your life – A place to relax, a place with familiar faces & a place for new friends.
for more information, join the third place social at: facebook.com/pg/TheThirdPlaceSocial
Events Local
Fancy £500, £750 or £1000 off your pitch fees? A great many of the Holiday Home Owners here at Sandy Balls have joined us because they were recommended to the park by their friends or family members. You can’t keep a good thing secret for long! Love is… a holiday home! If you find yourself falling in love with Sandy Balls and always counting down the minutes until your next visit, then you may also find yourself telling your nearest and dearest about it too. Whether you want to enjoy holidays with family or friends or you just want them to have as much fun as you do, don’t hide your light under a bushel. For a start, the bushel might spontaneously combust from your excitement. Secondly, it’s nice to share.
person you refer will earn you £750 and the third is worth a whopping £1,000. Bring your friends and help save on your pitch fees. For referrals to escalate, all sales must be complete within a 12- month period.
How about £1,000 in Pitch Fee Credits? Do we have a deal for you? You bet! If you recommend a friend who becomes a holiday home owner here at Sandy Balls then you get some additional benefits. Not only can you enjoy holidays together, we will give you an account credit of £500 once they have taken over their holiday home. The second
No hard sell promise Yuck, don’t you hate a hard sell? We do too. It’s not our way. We think we have a great offering which doesn’t need a hard-ball pitch because you don’t need a sledgehammer to crack a walnut. We promise that we will treat your referrals with absolute respect and courtesy and that includes giving them the option to say ‘no thanks’. No pressure.
How it works All you have to do is complete an owner referral form and send it in to us and let us do the rest. Alternatively, you can bring them along or even call to make an appointment for them. Simple!
New Forest Ghost Tour 1st June, 5th Oct, 7th Dec Discover the mysterious side of the New Forest. You’ll hear about accounts of murder, torture, witchcraft and mystery. If you’re brave enough to join us, you can grab yourself a ticket for £7.
www.thenewforest.co.uk/whats-on/ new-forest-ghost-tour-p868821
New Forest & Hampshire County Show 30th - 31st July & 1st August From woodworking to bee keeping demonstrations, local produce to lumberjack shows, the New Forest & Hampshire County Show boasts over 30 acres of showground for the whole family to explore. www.newforestshow.co.uk/tickets/
Hampshire Food Festival 1st July – 30th July A month long celebration of the finest food and drink produced in Hampshire, with lots of pop-up events all across the county.
New Forest Folk Festival 3rd - 7th July This family run festival started with just a few friends and some good food, over the next few years, the stage grew bigger, as well as the audience. A few years on, you’ll now see musicians, artists, crafters and much much more to keep you and your family entertained at this fun filled weekend. www.newforestfolkfestival.co.uk/ index.html
New Forest Marathon Sunday 8th September The New Forest is one of the most beautiful locations in the UK. Extensive planning and testing has gone into routes to offer a true New Forest experience. The multi terrain courses offer some of the most scenic running experiences in the country. With a blend of forest enclosures, open roads, far fetching views and of course, the famous New Forest Ponies! www.newforestmarathon. co.uk/#top
Our Investments
Winter 2016 £1.6 Million
Every year we’ve invested in our parks to give you the ultimate in holiday bliss!
Winter 2017 £2.2 Million
Holiday homes for sale
Fantastic finance packages available^
Total Invested
Winter 2018 £10 Million
£13.8 Million
on 0142
5 65120
6 and ask for you r part ex cha quote t nge oday
You could even have a new location on the park when you upgrade. Earn up to £18,336 in Guaranteed Letting^ Woodlands Lodge
Enquire now
01425 651 206
Carnaby Woodlands Lodge 2019 38ft x 12ft - 2 or 3 Bedroom available
The Westlake Lodge
ABI Beaumont
Enquire now
01425 651 206
ABI Beaumont 2019 42ft x 14ft - 2 or 3 bedroom available
Enquire now
01425 651 206
ABI The Westlake Lodge 2019 42ft x 20ft - 3 Bedroom
Pathfinder Artemis
Woodland Retreat
Enquire now
01425 651 206
ABI Woodland Retreat 2019 44ft x 14ft - 2 Bedroom
Enquire now
01425 651 206
The Pathfinder Artemis 2019 45ft x 22ft - 3 Bedroom
Fantastic offer Upgrade before the end of May and receive 1 years free insurance! *Holiday home upgrade purchases made between 12th April and 19th May and must be complete by 30rd May to take advantage of this offer. 1 Years FREE Insurance with Leisuredays. Sorry this offer can’t be used in conjunction with any other offer. **Guarantedd letting amount depends on holiday home grade and weeks let. ^Finance subject to status written details available on request. Away Resorts Ltd is a licensed credit broker authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Want to see more?
Open 7 days a week!
visit holidayhomes.awayresorts.co.uk or pop in and see us and ask for the keys