Caravan Industry & Park Operator - Product Showcase

& Park Operator industry

ONLINE PRODUCT SHOWCASE

FEATURING:

Groundcare & Landscaping

Furniture

Designs for a Cleaner, Safer & More Sustainable Environment

If you’re looking for outdoor waste management solutions, street furniture or water safety, choose Glasdon; manufacturers dedicated to providing sustainable solutions to help camping and caravan sites maintain clean, safe and healthy environments.

Industry leaders in design, manufacture, and supply…

Glasdon has over 60 years of experience in the design, manufacture and global supply of essential products to improve the beauty of open spaces, enhance the safety of a site and help transform waste management systems in need of change. They take pride in offering high-quality, durable, and recyclable products that meet the diverse needs of customers in pursuit of becoming eco-friendly.

Sustainability built in Glasdon strives to minimize its environmental impact by using ecofriendly materials whenever possible. Using their very own specially formulated post-industrial recycled materials like the polymers Durapol® or Enviropol®, they can guarantee their products contain recycled and recyclable materials. Both these polymers are present across a large selection of their range, predominantly seen in external litter bins and seating. These products are built to last and are a great way to reduce environmental impact in product design.

Quality and durability are vital in the leisure industry

Nobody wants to invest in a product that will break or wear out after just a short period of time. That’s where Glasdon truly shines. All their products undergo rigorous testing and certification processes. This ensures that they not only meet but exceed industry standards for performance and life expectancy. You can trust that when you choose Glasdon, you’re investing in firstrate quality.

Solutions to be proud of…

Keep areas and sites of leisure litter free

For quality outdoor litter bins, it has to be Glasdon. They have been designing and manufacturing bins to the highest standards since 1959. Choose from a range of styles, materials, colours and capacities to suit your site’s needs and make waste disposal effortless for your guests with engaging waste control solutions. Bins like the Elipsa™ Litter Bin are popular additions in recreational areas across the country. A contemporary and stylish unit offers a host of design features to make it accessible for guests and operators, utilising two elliptical-shaped apertures to capture 70 litres of waste and a lift-off body and base plinth with a keyed locking system for minimal lifting during emptying.

Become a zero-waste site

Ensuring that the least amount of waste can be sent to landfills is crucial, especially in the camping industry, a business that is so synonymous with the environment. While Glasdon is confident in its ability to design reliable litter bins, so too is its craft in the ever-important design of recycling bins. Single-stream and multi-stream recycling solutions of up to 360 litres can be used to capture all commonly collected waste streams, including plastic bottles, aluminium cans, paper, and food.

Don’t fall victim to dog fouling

A holiday for the family is a holiday for the family dog. Unfortunately, some dog owners visiting your site won’t take responsibility for their dog’s waste; fouling will inevitably occur. Minimise that risk with bright and clearly labelled containers to encourage hygienic disposal and keep your open areas free of this unsightly waste. The Fido 25™ is a best-selling Glasdon solution to the issue. An exceedingly strong and durable contemporary design to suit any environment, designed to be wall or postmounted, offering a small footprint to keep walkways clear.

Always be on guard

If your leisure site features a body of water, you have a duty of responsibility to keep visiting guests safe around it. No matter how deep, be it a pool or a pond, adequate water safety measures will always be required. The highly visible Guardian™ Lifebuoy Housings are designed to withstand temperatures all year around, protecting the life-saving equipment that resides inside. Glasdon lifebuoys are fully compliant with Chapter III standards for life-saving devices as per the Life Saving Appliance code (SOLAS, 1974).

Create inviting spaces your guests deserve

From park benches to picnic tables, no site is complete without a space to sit, lunch and enjoy the surroundings. This can be either situated on decking outside the home or in a dedicated location for picnics. Either or, Glasdon provides a vast array of street furniture, renowned for their durability and long service life. For example, the Pembridge™ Picnic Table comfortably seats up to 8 people with an unmatched safety design, enhanced by rounded sections on the seat and table edges. Manufactured from Enviropol™, the frame is 100% recycled plastic and is 100% recyclable at the end of its service life.

To find out more about how Glasdon products can help improve your site and other areas of your organisation, please contact: enquiries@ glasdon-uk.co.uk or visit http:// uk.glasdon.com/.

Join us as we take a closer look at a selection of worthwhile Glasdon products to enhance the beauty of your site.

15 years of picnic tables

Woodberry has been supplying picnic tables to holiday parks for over 15 years.

They are the basics of outdoor furniture but, consider what you need them for.

Top 5 considerations to choosing picnic tables:

• How long do you want them to last?

• Where will they be located?

• Do you want to be able to move them?

• Are you able to maintain them?

• Who are your customers that use them?

How long do you want them to last?

1 year or 25 years?

Picnic Tables vary greatly in quality and price. If you are looking for cheap tables that will last the summer season then there are plenty out there.

If, like most of our park customers, you need furniture to withstand highfrequency use by families who are not delicate in their use of the tables then you need something with stronger and harder wearing.

Woodberry source and supply wooden and recycled plastic picnic tables.

The wooden picnic tables are made from chunky fsc certified wood that has been immersed in spirit-based wood treatment rather than tanalised.

With tanalised treatment, as it is a high pressure treatment, the wood fibres are weakened in this process leaving the picnic tables more prone to rot and splits.

Recycled Plastic picnic tables are entirely weatherproof and Woodberry guarantees ours for 25-years commercial use.

Where will they be located?

If you are a coastal location or experience weather extremes, think about the weathering effect on the picnic tables. Also, think about whether the tables are heavy enough to stay grounded in strong winds.

Recycled plastic picnic tables are ideal for coastal locations as they are heavy duty, do not blow over and are completely weatherproof.

Wooden picnic tables will need more regular maintenance and wood preserve treatment in the salty, windy conditions. We can offer ground fixing kits if you are worried about furniture blowing over.

Do you want to move them?

You might need your picnic tables to be movable so they can be flexible where you place them. Or you might need them to be ground fixed and heavy for security and weather proofing.

The round chunky wooden 8-seater picnic tables we offer, and the recycled plastic tables are the heaviest options. Lighter weight wooden A-frame picnic tables are easier to move.

Are you able to maintain them?

Do you have the time and the staff available to maintain and treat the picnic tables up to twice per year?

If so, we recommend the wooden picnic tables but if not, it is worth investing in the recycled plastic picnic tables which need no maintenance or treatment.

Who are your customers that use them?

There are various designs of picnic table that make them easier access for older people or children or provide additional comfort with backrests included.

These either have a low step over or no

step over to access the bench seat.

Round topped picnic tables are more sociable or you might want a 2-seater or 4-seater smaller picnic table to fit a space.

Contact Woodberry

We know our picnic tables! Talk to us at Woodberry about what you need to best serve your site.

01926 889922

mail@woodberry.co.uk

www.woodberry.co.uk

Hospitality whatever the weather

Outdoor shelters have increased considerably in popularity in the last few years.

Holiday Parks have been working with Woodberry to install outdoor shelters for hot tub shelters, communal hospitality areas, entertainment areas, for meet and greet locations and covered bowling alleys!

If you’re considering outdoor shelters, here’s our top tips

Top Tips for Outdoor Shelter Installation

Where would you locate it?

Consider where you want an outdoor shelter. Is it adjacent to a building or do you need something free standing on a patio or lawn? Do you need to run power to it? Is it a sheltered location or open to the elements?

What size space do you have?

Do you just have a small space or a large open area that needs covering?

We have built shelters in narrow corridors, in the middle of fields and on a pontoon in a marina. shelter.

The main requirement is a flat surface that it can be fixed to but otherwise we can work with most measurements.

Be mindful of windows, doors, and fire exits when measuring that a structure wouldn’t obstruct these.

Is planning permission required?

Generally, planning permission is not required as these outdoor shelters class as temporary because they are ground fixed.

However, if you are in doubt or you are in an area of outstanding natural beauty, national park or heritage site then please talk to your local planning team.

What do you want to use it for?

Do you just want to extend your bar or café area outdoors with rain protection, do you want it as an entertainment stage, an area for private parties, to provide privacy and protection for hot tubs or as a meet and greet area for activities?

If you want to extend your outdoor hospitality then a canopy or covered pergola attached to the building located on a patio or deck might be the best option. For flexible shelter, jumbrellas which cover a large area but can be easily put up and down could be a good solution.

If you want to create more of an entertainment area or bookable for private parties then a free standing wood or metal gazebo would be best.

If you want to protect hot tubs, we have smaller metal and wooden, free-standing gazebos that can come with side blinds for privacy and weather protection.

If you want some individual dining pods to create a feature and host groups of 6-8 then the wooden dining pods would be an idea.

Do you need it installing or will you build it?

Our expert team offer installation and will deliver to site and build in your exact location. Or we supply the outdoor shelters flat packed so if you have a skilled team then you can build it yourself.

Contact us

Outdoor shelters do require good consideration, but our team are on hand to make the process easy and quick for you. Please give Woodberry a call on 01926 889922

mail@woodberry.co.uk

www.woodberry.co.uk

UK Sundecks launches stunning new holiday home Leisure Deck solution

UK Sundecks are launching a new, all-in-one holiday home decking solution at this year’s Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show.

Offering an affordable ‘go-to’ decking solution for holiday home owners and parks, their new Leisure Deck is available in a range of contemporary colours, offering a durable, lowmaintenance private outdoor space for relaxation.

They will be on hand on the Omar Group stand at the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show, NEC Birmingham, from 21st to 26th February (Hall 5, Stand 5050), where it will be installed on Regal Leisure Homes’ Cranleigh lodge.

The new Leisure Deck is a standard 8ft wrap-around deck with 22ft of walkway and steps, sure to complement any holiday home and offer expanded living space in sunny weather and warm evenings. It has been devised as the ultimate option, taking into account most customers’ aspirations to balance looks, quality, price, layout, longevity and practicality.

The decking can be installed in a single day, and optional extras include matched skirting for the deck and holiday home. Unusually, UK Sundecks doesn’t use any sub-contractors to enable them to maintain rigid quality control standards, and has a strong reputation as established industry specialists and a consistent, honest and

dependable approach at all times.

Anti-slip, easy to clean and with a 10-year structural warranty, the decking is sturdy and built to last, despite the accessible price, with a galvanised steel sub-frame for added strength and durability. Even the handrails are re-enforced with steel, and the entire system is fire retardant with Class 1 BS 476 Part 7 fire rating, keeping it ahead of industry requirements.

Speaking about the new Leisure Deck for holiday homes, Rob Frankum, Managing Director for UK Sundecks said; “The decking marketplace is competitive with a wide range of options to choose from, and we wanted to make things a bit simpler for buyers by presenting a great ‘go-to’ system which should fulfil any buyer’s remit. Speaking to both our park and consumer buyers, we knew that most were looking for a good-quality decking system that would be safe, strong and built to last, complementing their holiday home perfectly, adding an extra-special feel to their outdoor space.

He continued; “We are well known for our leisure lodge and park home solutions, having been established in the industry for many years, and regularly receive feedback about how outstanding our decks

look. We wanted to make it clear that we offer that same high standard for holiday home owners and park/fleet buyers. By developing this solution, which is a layout that works practically for most plots and lifestyles, we can respond quickly to enquiries, although we can still adapt if our customers want something a little different. At a finely-tuned price point, it’s a win-win for all.”

Four deck board colours are offered as standard; Beech, Birchwood, Maple and Light Oak, with the further following options also available at an additional cost; Anthracite Grey, Dark Oak, Driftwood, Lunar Grey and Moss Grey.

Rob concluded; “We love nothing more than adding our products to a home in a way that makes it look absolutely stunning, it’s something we take great pride in. But what’s also important to us is that our customers will still be as pleased with our work in 10 years time as they were on day one.”

For more information about UK Sundecks call 01384 567 919, email sales@ uksundecks.co.uk or visit www.uksundecks. co.uk.

Brand new holiday park set to open on the edge of the Lake District

The owners of a popular family run holiday park in Cockermouth are getting ready to expand by opening a brand new second park in the hamlet of Winscales on the edge of the Lake District.

James Stewart and family, who have operated Brigham Holiday Park since 2013, have added the second park –Grasmoor View - to what they hope will become a growing portfolio of small, exclusive holiday parks in the area.

Grasmoor View is an exclusive luxury lodge ownership park with pitches for just 25 specially selected holiday lodges from some of the top UK manufacturers.

Situated in a prime, accessible location just off the A595, Grasmoor View has excellent transport links into the towns and villages of the Lake District. It is also perfectly placed for holiday home owners to appreciate the beauty of the western lakes, offering the best of both countryside and coastal setting.

The Stewart family acquired Grasmoor View in 2020 and have completely redeveloped and fully landscaped the site – previously a somewhat neglected touring park – using local Lakeland slate. New infrastructure, a treatment plant, electric security barrier, CCTV, and Wi-Fi, plus the planting of hedges and dozens of trees around the boundary, help provide complete peace of mind and privacy to owners. There is also a pond with a newly landscaped seating area and expansive views over to Grasmoor Fell, which drops down to Crummock Water.

All lodges on the first phase of the new park come with bespoke glass decking, a private parking space, and will be fully winterised.

James said: “It’s been something of

a labour of love to transform the site into a top quality holiday park. We’ve already had interest from existing holiday home owners at our 5-star Brigham Park including someone who has upgraded to a brand new lodge on this exciting new development.

“Not everyone wants to be right in amongst the throngs of tourists and that’s what makes both our parks so special. We’re all about peace and tranquillity, a true Lakeland escape from today’s busy lives, but you’re still close enough to lots of great places to visit.”

One of the British holiday lodge manufacturers selected for Grasmoor Holiday Park is Victory Leisure Homes. The East Yorkshire manufacturer’s flagship twobedroomed Lakewood Lodge features a contemporary open plan living space with VELUX roof windows, large fully glazed floor to ceiling French doors, a luxurious master bedroom with walk-in wardrobe and ensuite shower room, and fully integrated modern kitchen appliances.

The Stewart family have more than 15 years’ experience in the holiday park industry and it’s a full family affair with James’s wife and three sons all involved in the business.

“We’ll never sell the parks as the boys will continue with them when we’re ready to slow down,” says James. “It’s a real, handson family business with all of us doing everything from grass cutting to meter readings to gas deliveries – anything that needs to be done. We’re not ones for sitting

around and we take a lot of pride in the maintenance and appearance of the parks, which we know our owners fully appreciate.

“Over the last 10 years, there’s been considerable investment in our holiday parks, which both have 12-month owner seasons. Although we don’t have a hire fleet, we regularly support our owners if they want to explore the market for subletting. For some, this is a great way to make money to cover the annual costs of running a holiday home and helps breathe life into the parks at all times of the year. Owning a holiday home on one of our parks can be much more affordable than people think, and the benefits can last a lifetime.”

The first phase of development will see an initial 13 holiday lodges on the site plus all the infrastructure, including further landscaping, in readiness for phase 2. Owners also have the option of charging points for electric cars.

Brand new luxury lodges on Grasmoor View start from £89,999. To find out more about owning your own holiday home on Cumbria’s newest holiday park, visit https:// www.grasmoorviewlodges.co.uk.

Using Finance To Your Advantage

businesses

amounts with a business loan. Subject to meeting your lender’s affordability rules, some lenders are happy to offer as much as £250,000.

Business loan lenders usually price their loans according to the perceived risk of the application, with higher risk loans commanding higher interest rates.

In some cases, you may be able to reduce your interest rate by taking a slightly higher or lower loan amount, or by reducing your term. As most lenders applications are online, the simplest way to do this is to try a few variations of loan amount and term to find the sweet spot between manageable monthly payments and getting the best deal.

In this article, we will break down the key lending products, how they work and the best ways to save money when taking them out.

Commercial mortgages

A commercial mortgage can be used to purchase a new site or refinance your existing one. Unlike residential mortgages, commercial mortgage lenders underwrite each application on its merits and have industry-specific criteria. For caravan park operators the maximum loan is usually 65% of the ‘going concern’ value of your park –this is the combined value of the property and business.

The application process revolves around the lender getting a clear understanding of both your property and the financial position of the business. The financial position isn’t as simple as sending over your trading accounts, most lenders will accept

‘addbacks’ – adding back costs from the accounts to increase the profit.

The most common approach is to calculate the EBITDA, this is earnings before interest, tax depreciation and amortisation. While this can sound complicated, it’s simply a case of taking your net profit and adding your tax payments, interest payments, depreciation and amortisation costs. On top of this, you’re usually able to add one-off payments, such as a one-off investment in improving IT infrastructure. Using addbacks increases the figure from which your lender calculates the affordability of your mortgage. This can increase your maximum loan, meaning you can borrow more.

Business loans

Business loans work in much the same way as traditional personal loans, although it’s usually possible to borrow much higher

Business revolving credit facilities

Business revolving credit facilities come in several forms, the main ones being overdrafts, credit cards and standalone business revolving credit facilities. These facilities are called revolving credit as they allow you to borrow and repay the debt as required to suit your needs.

Business revolving credit facilities often come with higher rates than business loans and commercial mortgages, often between 2-3% per month. There are often big differences in pricing between lenders, meaning big savings could be possible by spending the extra time needed to shop around and find the best deal.

These facilities usually come with an online application process, so changing your facility size can help you to find the sweet spot that triggers a lower interest rate.

In an ideal world, our

would run free from debt, leaving us to spend our profits on improving our businesses. Of course, we don’t have unlimited funds meaning at times, raising finance can give you the cash injection needed to achieve your business goals.

FOOTFALL SET TO FLOURISH AS NEW NORTH DERBYSHIRE CARAVAN AND MOTORHOME BRANCH NEARS COMPLETION

NATIONAL caravan and motorhome dealer Kimberley – The Caravan and Motorhome People is set to open a new accessory shop

at its 1.6-hectare Chesterfield branch following refurbishment of an existing onsite building.

Trading at the North Derbyshire base began in October 2021 following the acquisition of the former engineering site in April 2021. February marks the latest stride forwards for the dealer as it unveils a new-look visitor friendly building.

Chris Lowe, managing director at Kimberley, said: “Our Chesterfield branch has made great progress since opening towards the end of last year and we’re delighted to be welcoming more people to the site in the coming months. We have completely refurbished the building that was in dilapidated condition when we bought the site, which has resulted in a welcoming environment we’re proud to share with staff and customers.

“There are also the outside areas of the site that needed work since we moved in and we’re pleased to have recently completed the laying of a hard standing surface for our expanded display area, which will soon enable us to display around 100 leisure vehicles of various shapes and sizes.

“We had a large existing client base in the South Yorkshire and East Midlands regions prior to opening our latest outlet. But we have increased our capacity to offer the latest vehicles and facilitate expert servicing, meaning we can also help more new customers to enter the world of caravanning and motorhoming too.”

Kimberley regularly updates its offering of new and used vehicles from multiple leading manufacturers across its branches in Nottingham, Darlington and Chesterfield. This includes popular motorhome and caravan options from Compass, Xplore, Swift, Coachman and Bailey, such as the exclusive Compass Kensington found only at Kimberley – The Caravan and Motorhome People.

With December’s towing legislation now allowing anyone with a full driving licence to tow a caravan weighing up to 3,500kg, Kimberley expect a flood of younger families and new customers as we approach the Spring travel season.

While restrictions have since been lifted, recent travel events such as France limiting UK travel via the Eurotunnel has put off many Brits looking to travel around Europe this year, with many still opting for the UK staycation.

Chris continued: “Many British caravanners are still fearful of travelling overseas with the pandemic still influencing travel, so we expect UK staycations to remain high on the agenda this Spring. To support customers in getting the most out of their holidays we are excited to advise new customers on the very best accessories and models for 2022 travel.”

Committed to building relationships in the local community and maintaining its history of being a conscientious business, Kimberley is also sponsoring the Local Hero of the Year award at the Chesterfield FC Community Awards set to take place in April.

With the leisure industry season fast approaching, John Ivell, operations manager at Kimberley’s Chesterfield branch, said: “It’s been great meeting new customers as well as welcoming existing customers for which Chesterfield is more convenient than our other outlets. Sales and enquiries since opening have been

strong, meaning we expect once Spring arrives and our shop is established there will be much higher footfall than we’re already experiencing.

“2022 looks set to be another recordbreaking year for UK staycations and being able to take your home on wheels away is increasingly capturing the interest of younger families in particular. Many of our new customers that we have met during the last couple of years have taken advantage of the great outdoors and enjoyed the modern equipment found in caravans and motorhomes, many of which have admitted that they wished they had invested years ago.

“By visiting our site in Chesterfield, people are entering the gateway to the Peak District and a number of caravan and motorhome sites in the area await – such as the local Caravan and Motorhome Club site which is no more than a 20-minute journey from us. With our new accessory shop opening soon, we’re positioned perfectly for people to drop by ahead of a day out or weekend away in the area.”

For more information on Kimberley, please visit www.kimberleycaravans.co.uk.

A Gamechanger for All Seasons

Mudcontrol Ltd supplies durable, ecologically-sound products made from playground certified, 100% recycled domestic plastic, with a rock solid 20 year manufacturer’s warranty.

If you need an instant and long-lasting ground protection system to create a solid and sustainable hard-standing for foot or vehicle traffic, MUDCONTROL slabs are the answer you have been looking for. Anywhere you would consider using concrete or hardcore Mudcontrol can give you an almost instant ecologically sound, long – lasting and durable solution without burying your investment never to be seen again.

They are revolutionary – a simple D.I.Y. way to create an easily removable hardstanding for people, animals and vehicles (they’re rated to 60 tonnes) anywhere you have a mud problem. They can also be left down for decades giving true diversity. Incredibly easy to install without the need for intrusive groundworks or heavy machinery, these slabs are a true gamechanger.

As a nominee for the Farm Business 2021 Sustainability Award

Mudcontrol wear our eco credentials on our sleeve, with the company ethos being rooted in sustainability and reliability.

Each slab measures 50cm x 50cm x 5.3cm and weighs 7kg (1 stone). They are the sub-base and base in one and are laid straight down on the ground, interlinking with adjacent slabs to provide a stable, self-supporting, free-draining

surface, either temporary or permanent, and they won’t flex and sink. Grass will grow up through the holes, and can be mown, grazed or left.

Mudcontrol fencing - Posts, rails, bollards, edging, boardwalks, decking, 100% recycled plastic, inert and stable, a rot-proof Playground Certified alternative to wood. The posts can be installed by hand or by machine and stapled, nailed or screwed into. There’s a huge range of options - lengths from 85cm to 6m, diameters from 4.5cm to 25cm,

square, round or cross post, rails, boards etc also available.

Please check out our website at www. mudcontrol.co.uk, the Facebook page @ mudcontrol, @mudcontrol on YouTube, or contact us via the website to discuss your requirements.

sales@mudcontrol.co.uk

01536 669630

Supplying quality British furniture to the Leisure Industry

Are you in need of updating your furniture? Charterbrae manufacture modern style furniture with a wide extensive range of products on offer. We can also make your furniture to suit any specific sizes you may need with our in-house bespoke service.

Charterbrae have been manufacturing and selling quality British furniture for over 50 years. We are proud to be a “True UK Manufacturer” and share with you the benefits of high-quality British goods and are highly skilled and specialized manufacturers of metal furniture. Our aim is to produce high quality furniture that not only looks impressive, but which survives within busy environments. We are continuously expanding our product range and exploring new innovative ideas. Through skilled engineering, our team can

take a product concept or an idea from a client and turn this into fully specified CAD drawings ready for manufacture. We pride ourselves on providing a personal, flexible service, both in terms of product design and manufacture; all our products come with 5-year manufacturers guarantee against faulty materials or workmanship. We make all our products from mild steel and combine these with a comprehensive range of wooden tops from MFC, laminate and compact laminate all in a variety of finishes to contrast your metal work.

Designed and built to last

Through our highly skilled engineers, we create quality pieces you’ll love and that’ll last for years to come. This is achieved through our own high-tech production facility where we create our range of products including standard lines and handmade bespoke items of metal-based furniture and seating.

Product Design.

We listen to your requirements and work closely with you to develop exactly the right solution Installation.

Your furniture will be installed by our highly trained team, backed by our fully coordinated distribution and logistics

network, ensuring your project is completed on time and to the highest of standards

W: www.cbbeds.co.uk

E: sales@cbbeds.co.uk

T: 0121 520 5353

Manufacturers of quality British furniture

Manufacturer of high-quality furniture for the hospitality, tourism and leisure industry to name a few.

As manufacturers of furniture, we control the process from start to finish, ensuring everything we supply is of the highest quality. We our in-house bespoke service, we can take a customer’s concept and turn this into manufactured goods

Tel: 0121 520 5353

Email: sales@cbbeds.co.uk

www.cbbeds.co.uk

Lighten the outdoor mood

Stem

£250 from lightinglover.com

Make the most of your garden, terrace or outdoor space. This rechargeable floor lamp can be placed anywhere. Perfect for reading on a terrace or to highlight elements of your garden. The top is shielded, reflecting all the light downwards so it won’t shine in your eyes or stop you from seeing the night sky. It has three stage dimming and recharges with a micro USB cable.

Whether it’s to brighten up your reception, communal areas or pathways and walkways, wireless lighting will eliminate the need for complex fittings and untidy wires and cables.

The outdoor range from LightingLover. com contains a wide selection of modern lamps and lanterns which are all portable, wireless and rechargeable.  Its solar lanterns, available in two sizes, are the perfect minimal aesthetic for tables and entry ways and will activate at dusk or in low light.

The bud range includes a petal-style bulb lamp with multiple intensity options depending on the ambience you want to create. This range comes in six colours for a modern look including aubergine and fluorescent orange to really make a statement.

If you’re looking for floor lamps, look no further than Stem. The top is shielded, reflecting all the light downwards so it won’t shine in your eyes or stop you from seeing the night sky.

Bud Ball

£75 from lightinglover.com

Available in black or white.

Minimal and pleasingly simple, Bud Ball provides a soothing and relaxing ambient light. This cable-free, portable lamp is rechargeable using a micro USB cable and has simple controls. A single button is used to switch on and off and provides a three step dimming function so you can adjust to any situation.

With summer on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to upgrade outdoor lighting in and around your site.

lightinglover.com

– ocean blue, olive green, aubergine, lemon fluorescent orange.

illuminating a night picnic, dinner or an indoor play the constraints of the globe bulb is forms which appear and protect the light. to activate the light increase the light

50% to 100%.

micro USB cable, Bud do-anything LED lamp.

Bud £75 from lightinglover.com

Available in six colours – ocean blue, olive green, aubergine, lemon yellow, ash grey and fluorescent orange. Whether you’re illuminating a night picnic, a romantic rooftop dinner or an indoor play den, Bud frees you from the constraints of cables. Imitating nature, the globe bulb is shelled by two petal-like forms which appear to simultaneously hold and protect the light. Push down on Bud’s bulb to activate the light and press again to increase the light intensity from 25% to 50% to 100%. Rechargeable using a micro USB cable, Bud is a go-anywhere, do-anything LED lamp.

Using technology to enhance the personal touch

Geoff Chestnutt is Director of the family owned and run, Chestnutt Holiday Parks at the foot of the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland. The four parks have been in the family since 1968 in what started as a small site close to the beach. Chestnutt Holiday Parks went live with Elite Dynamics’ EliteParks IT solution in 2020.

“Our customers come back time and time again, first with their children and now with their grandchildren and it’s great to see. So, at the back of my mind, I was a little concerned we would lose some of the personal touch by introducing more technology to digitise our holiday park operation. Even though we’ve grown over the years, we’ve still tried to keep the personal touch. That’s a differentiator. But with the size of the business and what’s required now, it’s been essential to modernise. We could no longer do things by paper. It just doesn’t work. You need to run at a much more efficient level, and people’s expectations are higher than ever so we can’t be let down by our software systems. Now, we’ve got a one-stop shop to coordinate the management side of the business as well as connecting more with our customers.”

“Our previous park management system had served our purposes, but we got to the stage where we knew there was just too much time being taken on certain processes. Direct debits for example were taking a long time to reconcile and there wasn’t the confidence in some of the data we were pulling out… so then it was taking even more time to double check it. Time

efficiency is a big thing as is having the reassurance that the data is all correct.

“We’ve now been able to re-evaluate how we do things, and the software is flexible in the sense we can keep some of our old processes as we know they work for us - as well as doing things better with the new system. We’re really excited about the new ways the software can help us communicate and inform our customers. We were worried about being able to keep the personal touch, but the software is actually integral in making it even more personal. We’re introducing an owner’s app, which will give us a certain amount of ownership to keep them informed but also for them to be able to keep in touch with us

too. It’s a two-way street. We’re expecting to see a positive take up of the app as we have a lot of young families, so it’s another avenue to engage with them. With Elite Dynamics’ industry and tech expertise and support, we’re enhancing our customer journey and looking after our customers in a meaningful and productive way.”

Chestnutt Holiday Parks

3 Grange Road, Cranfield West, Kilkeel, BT34 4LW, Co. Down, Northern Ireland +44 2841762653

https://www.chestnuttholidayparks.com/

Holiday parks need to keep up with the hotel industry

Family run Vale Holiday Parks operate 12 parks across Wales and Cornwall. Director, Thomas Scarrott runs the parks with his parents and two brothers and is chairman of the West Wales branch of the British Holiday and Home Park Association (BH&HPA).

Thomas champions the holiday park industry through his work with the BH&HPA and recognises the opportunities for the industry to engage with technology the benefits to parks of digitising processes. Vale’s IT solutions are provided by Elite Dynamics using their award-winning, Microsoft-endorsed EliteParks park management solution with integrated finance system.

“The project to upgrade our software systems started because we wanted to be completely cloud-based. We needed to be able to log on wherever we were in the world, no matter what device we had, and we knew Elite Dynamics could offer us this. I can go on my phone, dial into any of the parks, see what devices are plugged in, and if there are any issues.

“For me, the best benchmark is the way the hotel industry does things and we as an industry are a few years behind them in the way we manage our processes and systems. What Elite Dynamics are delivering with their software puts us on par with the tech that hotels have, and in some respects, takes us beyond what they have. Parks willing to adapt and make the shift over to an ERP, are the ones that will succeed, and if not, they’re going to remain stuck in the

20th century and that’s a big issue for the industry.

“If I wanted to get information from our previous system, I’d have had to go to two or three different pieces of software, run two or three different reports, and then sit down and collate it all to pull out what I wanted. In caravan terms, we partexchanged a park management system, a finance system and a general office system and upgraded it to an ERP so everything is under one umbrella. I can get every last piece of information I need in real-time at the touch of a button and that’s something

we’ve always strived to achieve. It helps us make better decisions and take the business to the next level.

“Like us, there are a lot of family-owned holiday park businesses in the industry and so many parks are reliant on 3rd party service providers like OTA’s to manage bookings for them. Then other systems looking after accounts and owners. It’s very fragmented. Perhaps it’s not widely realised that there is an all-encompassing solution out there designed specifically for holiday parks. Before we made the switch to EliteParks, we were using, and paying for, multiple pieces of software to carry out different tasks within the business.

“Another benefit is that it is completely scalable, and as it’s based on Microsoft licencing, the cost is dependant primarily on the number of users. So, no matter how large or small your holiday park operation, you can still drive your business forward with technology.”

Vale Holiday Parks

Clarach Bay Holiday Village

Aberystwyth

Ceredigion

SY23 3DT 0333 358 2025

https://www.valeholidayparks.com.