The results of holiday park and campsite survey Pitching the Value were published earlier this year. Here, editor Victoria Galligan takes a look at the highlights of the survey and ask park operators Away Resorts about their views on current trends in the leisure & tourism sector…

Pitching the Value was commissioned by the UK Caravan and Camping Alliance (UKCCA) to find out the economic benefits of camping and caravan sites. It was carried out by Frontline in conjunction with the UK trade body the NCC, the Camping & Caravanning Club, the Caravan & Motorhome Club and the British Holiday and Home Parks Association.

Staff and the family owners of a mid Wales holiday park were joined this month by local village residents for a training session in vital life-saving skills.

It followed the recent installation on Warren Parc in Powys of a defibrillator, bought by the family-owned business following a series of successful fundraising events.

Led by volunteers from the Welsh Hearts charity, the session showed how the new equipment could be used to save the life of a person suffering cardiac arrest..

Available to holiday guests and the local community, the fully automated unit provides simple audio instructions which allow its use even by those with no medical experience.

Caravan Industry & Park Operator contributor Andrew Jenkinson attended two of the biggest spring shows to report on the new caravan, motorhome and holiday homes hitting the market in 2019…

Glasgow’s SECC was the ideal venue for the Scottish Caravan, Motorhome & Holiday Home Show (except no free parking is available) but the February show still attracted folk, and with good weather the foot fall was high. 

Park owners in Scotland can now view nine of the latest holiday homes, lodges and park homes by Willerby Ltd at its new Scottish showground at Williamson’s Garden Centre, Livingston. The manufacturer has relocated to a new site after three successful years in Carluke, Lanarkshire.

Offering dealers, parks and the public the chance to view Willerby’s extensive range, the new and improved showground will include seven of the latest holiday homes, a luxury lodge and one of the impressive Park Home by Willerby models. The custom built site will also be home to a new office for the Willerby and Park Homes by Willerby teams, with a dedicated space for customer information on parks and holidays in Scotland. 

Huck Nets based in Bridport, Dorset manufacture and supply an innovative range of purpose designed rope play equipment for both outdoor and indoor play areas.  The diverse range is designed to allow children’s imaginations to run wild and give a free rein to their natural urge to be active. 

Earlier this year Park Leisure Solutions were approached by leading UK Leisure Lodge and Park Home manufacturer Tingdene Homes to collaborate with the design and build of their ground breaking Quantum Lodge. The brand new Quantum Leisure Lodge will form the centre piece for many ‘50 Year’ celebrations for the company and will be seen at exhibitions up and down the country, starting with the launch at The World of Park & Leisure Homes Show, Stoneleigh, Warwickshire this week.

Lomond Woods Holiday Park has been named at this month's Scottish Hospitality Awards as Scotland's finest park, beating hundreds of other businesses to the title.

Stepping up to receive the accolade in front of VIP guests from Scotland’s tourism industry at the Crowne Plaza in Glasgow were members of the park-owning Wood family.

Lomond Woods is one of six parks owned by Wood Leisure, and this year's glittering awards ceremony also saw two of its other parks nominated for the Best Park in Scotland award.

They were Campsie Glen Holiday Park near Stirling, and Blairgowrie Holiday Park near Perth which gained a "highly commended" status in the category.

Established in 2004, Herefordshire based Active Garden are a supplier of playground equipment to both the residential and commercial market. Suppling to hotels, schools, pubs, nurseries and public play areas as well as at home, Active Garden is your number one choice when it comes to outdoor play. We have a wide range of commercial playground equipment, climbing frames, swings, slides, see saws, sand pits, play towers including forts and castles, ride on toys, garden games and play tents. We also specialise in the playground surfacing whether it be bonded rubber bark / mulch, rubber chippings, rubber grass mats (also known as Safagrass) or wet pour.

The leisure market is diversifying, particularly with the emergence and growth of glamping. Bob Andrew, Managing Director at Elfin Kitchens, looks at how UK park home operators can take advantage of glamping’s growing popularity and explores the benefits of fitting compact kitchens in luxury camping accommodation.

Hi, I’m Laundreez.  

I was inspired by my creator when she was attempting to wash a few undergarments in the bathroom sink. Her husband needed to use the sink so dashed to the kitchen, swooped up a large plastic bag and placed the wet items in the bag. She added more water and detergent, twirled the bag closed and shook the bag. The items could safely soak clean.

When the clothes were removed from the bag, they had been thoroughly cleaned. How remarkable she thought and headed to the internet for a bag-type, ‘mini-washing machine’. Having had no luck on Amazon, Google and what felt like the entire web, she designed her own reusable, durable, portable, mini-washing machine – my humble beginnings.