Latest News From UK Campsite Finder

With Geordie Shore, 31st January at 10pm on MTV (Sky channel 126, Virgin 311)

In an effort to further raise the profile – and profitability! - of the “Glamping” market both for our own customers and the industry as a whole, we were delighted to reach agreement with MTV for them to have a Log Pod on the set of their highest ever rated UK show.
The show is watched by up to 1 million in the UK, and syndicated by MTV to hundreds of millions of viewers around the world. In addition, it receives a huge amount of media coverage in the tabloid press and lifestyle magazines.
Geordie Shore is hardly a camping show – but will demonstrate that you can have warmth and luxury even in Newcastle, in the middle of winter! In these tough economic times, the show will also bring luxury camping to a whole new market of 25 – 35 year olds who would never have considered a camping break or holiday.
In the two weeks since the first publicity photos were released by MTV, we have already seen a huge rise in the number of visitors to the network website at www.logpodholidays.co.uk and bookings taken by our client sites for both Log Pods and the new Gothic Pod.
For more information, please visit the website at www.thelogpod.co.uk or call us on 01269 850005.

Please visit http://www.thelogpod.co.uk for more information.

A chance to swap London for the Lake District during the 2012 Olympics - and to return carrying the

A chance to swap London for the Lake District during the 2012 Olympics - and to return carrying the torch for a newly learned skill - is being offered by a top Cumbrian holiday park.

Skelwith Fold Caravan Park in Ambleside is planning to put on courses in photography, sketching, painting, embroidery, creative writing and other arts during next July and August.

It believes that Cumbria's best chance of benefitting from the 2012 London games is to provide an alternative for those wishing to escape or avoid the visitor-swamped city.

Park director ‘Henry Wild’ thinks that the region is being given a great chance to distance itself from the razzmatazz of the event, and to hold out some more peaceful offerings:
"The Olympics is all about personal accomplishment, so we're inviting visitors to use 2012 as the opportunity to add a new creative skill to their list of achievements," he said.
"We'll be organising a series of short arts and craft courses, and publicising these to people who want to get as far away as possible from the overcrowded capital," added Henry.

Britain, he points out, attracts more than 30 million overseas visitors every year - the vast majority of whom will not hold tickets for the games.
In addition, says Henry, many of London's 7.8 million residents might relish an escape from an already overcrowded city swollen by Olympic spectators in July and August.

These people, he believes, are a much bigger market for visitors to Cumbria than the relatively small number of Olympic spectators who might be persuaded to detour 300 miles north.
Skelwith Fold's courses, said Henry, will be drawing on a long association of the holiday park with different aspects of the creative arts.
One of its showpieces is an acclaimed installation celebrating Cumbria's ancient stone circles, created by sculptor Kate Eveson from trees felled in storms which hit the county a few years ago.

The park also holds an annual summer show featuring hundreds of paintings and sketches plus photographs and poetry inspired by the Lake District.
Many are contributed by park guests who have bought holiday homes at
Skelwith Fold in order to pursue their hobby in the park's idyllic rural setting.

"We won't be offering any gold medals for people taking part, but we do believe the legacy of our courses will be treasured for a long time after the Olympics," said Henry.

Details of Skelwith Fold's summer courses will be posted on the park's
website at www.Skelwith.com

Please visit http://www.Skelwith.com for more information.

OWNERS of caravans and trailers have been barred from keeping them on the side of the road in an eff

By Joe Nimmo
Published on Monday 12 December 2011 11:09


OWNERS of caravans and trailers have been barred from keeping them on the side of the road in an effort to tackle parking congestion.


Portsmouth City Council has ruled that leaving non-motorised vehicles parked on roads for long periods of time is an ‘unreasonable use of the public highway’.

The council has identified 50 caravans, boats, horseboxes and trailers whose owners will now be issued notices letting them know they must be moved within 28 days.

If the council does not hear from the vehicles’ owners, they will be removed and then destroyed after a fortnight.

This is allowed under section 143 of the Highways Act 1980, which states that unauthorised structures capable of causing an obstruction can be removed from the highway.
CLICK TO READ MORE>>>>

Please visit http://bit.ly/sw2GfJ for more information.

It’s an epicurean delight, a celebration of the finest British food, ales and cider in the midst of

It’s an epicurean delight, a celebration of the finest British food, ales and cider in the midst of summer; it’s Eat Festival taking place from 1-5 August at Camp In London.
From 26 July – 13 August 2012, Camp In London will be home to one of the biggest camping festivals in London. The temporary 5,000 person-a-night campsite is perfectly located just a 5-minute shuttle bus ride from the Olympic Park and will be in operation specifically for the Olympics. Onsite entertainment will feature a great array of sport, entertainment, art and food and beverage options.
Eat Festival, the first of two feature festivals onsite will offer some of the most diverse epicurean delicacies from the United Kingdom. Sample quality produce from local organic farmers, cheese and cider makers, bakers and curers, just to name a few!
Entertainment over the five days will consist of jazz and big bands to perfectly compliment the decadent delights on offer.
In keeping with the fine food theme, there will be a traditional Maori hangi in the ground as part of the Eat Festival signature event, Pacifica Day UK. Taking place on 4 August, Pacifica Day proceedings will commence with a customary New Zealand welcome ceremonial dance and will continue throughout the day to showcase the exotic sights, sounds and tastes of the South Pacific region. Highlights include the special performance by the Beats of Polynesia with traditional costume and dance routines. The breathtaking indigenous New Zealand haka will leave guests speechless.
If you consider yourself a bit of a foodie and are eager to see what’s on offer, there is still camping available, from £15pp per night for pitch-your-own camping.
Admission to Eat Festival is free, however Pacifica Day on 4 August is a ticketed event. Tickets to Pacifica Day are now available here at a cost of £10. Children under 12 are free.

Please visit http://www.campinlondon.com/ for more information.

CAMP IN LONDON – HOTEL BELL TENTS

If you’re lucky enough to be taking part in the glitz and glam of the opening or closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympics, well here’s an offer for you!

Camp In London is taking camping to new heights with the announcement of their new ‘glamping’ section of their 5,000-person a night campsite in Walthamstow, London, just 10 minutes from the Olympic Village.

Camp In London have teamed up with Hotel Bell Tents to provide 100 of the luxury bell tent ‘rooms’ for a la de da deluxe camping experience during the Games.

Tea-light candle chandeliers will adorn the standing height ceilings; a montage of lush rugs will provide ample ground cover whilst luxury airbeds and 100% Egyptian cotton bedding completes the picture of glamping bliss.

Guests can take advantage of 24-hour reception where they will be able to check-in then retreat to the lounge where they can chill-out at their leisure.

With such a divine offering, we could understand how our glampers may head to their bell tent boudoir for an early retirement however, Camp In London have so much on offer to assist their glamping guests in the transition from slumber to celebration mode…

In addition to a complimentary continental breakfast each morning, guests will receive free entry to the camp entertainment zone during their stay. The Eat Festival will takeover the entertainment zone from 1-5 August and feature an array of fresh and local produce, ale and cider for the finest epicurean feast. See Hear Do Festival will run from 8-12 August and showcase art and crafts from established and emerging artists as well as cultural performances and live music. There will also be a large outdoor screen showing the Games and kid’s area fun club.

So if you’ve snagged a ticket to one of the ceremonies or you’re simply looking for a glamourous camping experience during the Olympics, take advantage of one of the Hotel Bell Tents on offer at Camp In London from £100 per person per night.

For more information on Hotel Bell Tents at Camp In London visit

Please visit http://www.campinlondon.com for more information.

Places to visit in Wiltshire

When the 1914-1918 war broke out, there was a need to find accommodation for the New Army. In many areas, training and transit camps were established for troops leaving for, and returning from, the battlefields in northern France. One of these areas was the village of Fovant, in Wiltshire and its neighbours Compton Chamberlayne and Sutton Mandeville. The villages and the fields in the shadow of the chalk downs became a military camp, complete with barracks, a hospital, parade areas, shooting practice ranges, a camp cinema and YMCA huts. A military railway was constructed to serve the camp, branching off the main line railway from London to the southwest

Thousands of men from all parts of Britain and overseas lived for a while in the area, passed on to the Western Front and returned from it. Many never returned but gave their lives on the battlefields in France. Others died of their wounds in the hospital or from disease. Rows of silent War Graves in Fovant and other nearby churchyards are testimony to their presence. In remembrance of their colleagues, many of the regiments carved into the hillside replicas of their cap badges. Many of these no longer survive, but by the end of WW1 there were some twenty discernible badges.

Please visit http://www.fovantbadges.com for more information.

We are very pleased to say we have again been given 'Gold' in the David Bellamy Conservation Awards.

We are very pleased to say we have again been given 'Gold' in the David Bellamy Conservation Awards. A big thank you for all the wonderful reviews our visitors gave us. Please read some of the comments posted on the site, they come directly from comment cards returned to David Bellamy.

David Bellamy Conservation Awards are made each year to parks which can demonstrate policies showing active concern for the environment. Assisted by local nature groups and holidaymakers themselves, David Bellamy looks at virtually every aspect of park management - from the protection of plant and animal habitats to the efficient use of energy and recycling. Helping visitors to understand conservation is also considered an important qualifying feature. Three levels of excellence can be achieved : Gold, Silver and Bronze.
You can look forward to enjoying a holiday close to nature, and a true taste of Cornwall. As they say in Cornwall 'Proper Job'.

Please visit http://www.ukcampsitefinder.co.uk/campsitedetails.php?n=548&name=Tehidy-Holiday-Park for more information.

David Bellamy Conservation Gold Award David Bellamy Award – Gold Level

Presthaven Sands has achieved a Gold level David Bellamy Award for 2011. This award recognises the importance of managing the environment in a responsible and sustainable way. Every aspect is covered, from saving water and energy and promoting local transport, to recycling, eco-friendly landscaping and protecting wildlife and flowers.

Please visit http://www.presthavenholidaypark.com/aboutthepark/parknews.aspx for more information.

Primrose Valley has achieved a Gold level David Bellamy Award for 2011.

Primrose Valley has achieved a Gold level David Bellamy Award for 2011. This award recognises the importance of managing the environment in a responsible and sustainable way. Every aspect is covered, from saving water and energy and promoting local transport, to recycling, eco-friendly landscaping and protecting wildlife and flowers.

Please visit http://www.primrosevalleyholidaypark.com/aboutthepark/parknews.aspx for more information.

2012 Boat & Caravan Show, the UK’s largest event CANCELLED

It is with great disappointment that a decision has been taken to cancel the 2012 Boat & Caravan Show, the UK’s largest event for individuals and families wanting to get the most of the Great British Outdoors with a history spanning more than 50 yrs.

The decision to cancel the show has been taken because of lack of support from caravan dealers, despite having strong support from other parts of the show (Marine, holiday homes, & lodges, tourism, accessories and outdoor leisure) Caravans have always been an integral part of the show which attracted over 87,000 paying visitors at a highly successful show.


Earlier this year, following a failure to secure the Boat & Caravan tenancy at the NEC the National Caravan Council, with the support of the caravan manufacturers announced plans to launch its own event at the London Excel to compete with the 2012 Boat & Caravan Show
Having consulted the market and in particular caravan dealers Ocean Media Group, the owner of the Boat & Caravan Show, was convinced that a national show was needed to support the leisure sector. The show concept was fully endorsed by the Camping & Caravan Club and leading exhibitors from all parts of the leisure sector. Despite their enthusiasm, these dealers latterly felt unable to participate in the show: this undermined one of the main pillars of the show and renders it no longer viable.

The Outdoor Leisure Show was an investment made by Ocean Media to deliver a new audience of outdoor enthusiasts to the caravan market. Although the show achieved its objective in delivering new unique visitors it was reliant on cross over visitors from The Boat & Caravan Show to survive so it too is no longer viable.
Trevor Barratt, CEO- Ocean Media said that “loyal exhibitors, including a number of caravan dealers, and the shows many visitors will feel sorry that due to lack of support from one element of the Industry, the 2012 show has cancelled after more than 50 yrs”.

Investigations will continue into how a landslip left 15 caravans teetering on the edge of a cliff i

Investigations will continue into how a landslip left 15 caravans teetering on the edge of a cliff in south Wales.

The owners of the Porthkerry Leisure Park near Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, will also resume their efforts to pull the caravans away from the cliff edge.

The rockfall happened at about 20:00 GMT on Monday. No-one was injured.

Vale of Glamorgan council said its officers would assess the current site risks and advise landowners of any remedial work needed.

Work began on Tuesday to move caravans away from the edge to another part of the site, which has 300 pitches in total.

Coastguards at Mumbles, Swansea confirmed a security guard at the park called on Monday evening to report coastal erosion.

The Barry coastguard team went to the scene and found that nobody was injured or in imminent danger.

The position of the erosion was marked and the incident handed over to the Vale of Glamorgan council.

Please visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-15550978 for more information.

On Channel 4 next week about review sites Mon 31 Oct, 9PM

By Julian Rush, Helene Cacace

This was from August 2010 but there is another episode on Channel 4 this week

As sales of travel guides are in freefall with free online reviews on websites like TripAdvisor freely available to help travellers decide where to stay on their holidays, a group of hoteliers tell Channel 4 News they want a change in the law to make websites liable for what reviewers say.

Finding that perfect B&B or best-value hotel can be pretty daunting.

But from Barbados to Blackpool, there's been a revolution in HOW we choose our holiday hideaway.

Sales of travel guides are in freefall. Down 22 per cent in the last five years, according to the Nielsen BookScan Travel Publishing Year Book, and plummeting a further 11 per cent in the first six months of this year.

Now, it may just be cautious booking because of the economic down-turn or perhaps because nowadays we just expect advice to be free, but web-sites that carry reviews from other travellers are on the up.

The biggest is TripAdvisor, with 35 million reviews by happy - and not-so-happy, members of the public across the world. And it reported a 50 per cent increase in the number of users logging on in the last year.

A holidaymaker in Blackpool told Channel 4 News: "It's best to look at what people are saying on reviews like how clean the place is. What the food's like, what sort of ammenities they've got there."

Another holidaymaker said: "All the stuff we needed was online so we looked at the customer reviews and the holiday park reviews and we're staying in a caravan park two miles up the road.''

"Usually the majority of people they give roughly the same advice and you tend to go by that so I'd go by that definitely."

Web reviews have become so powerful, they can bring a business to its knees.

Chirag Khajuria's hotel appeared in TripAdvisor's list of Britain's top 10 dirtiest hotels earlier this year.

He says it was an unfair rating and he has lost clientele as a result.

He told Channel 4 News: "First of all we only took over the hotel for six months so most of the reviews there were of the previous owners and out of eight there were only, I think, five which were bad.

"And branding such a big name, on the basis on five reviews which TripAdvisor can't even prove they were genuine customers or that they were my customers, is a very shameful thing for TripAdvisor."

TripAdvisor says it has now addressed Mr Khajuria's complaint.

We agree that there should be guidlines we have spoken to parks that have been given a bad review that we felt was an unfair, especially from knowing and visiting the park ourselves.On UK Campsite Finder although we have a review option we also have a right to relply.
All of UK Campsite Finder reviews are monitored.
With this in mind we would also advise all customers to read the reviews open minded as what is one man castle is another mans shack.
An example is one reviewer mentioned the constant sound of traffic on the main road ajacent to the campsite. We ourselves had camped in exactly the same spot. I am a light sleeper and heard no traffic throughout the night.

Please visit http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/business_money/hoteliers+call+for+new+online+travel+review+law for more information.

Devon creams off SW visitors, says parks group

17 October 2011

Devon's largest provider of park holidays says that the county is beating Cornwall
hands-down in the battle for West Country tourists.



Park Holidays UK reports that bookings at its seven holiday parks in Devon this
summer were up 14% on the previous year's figures.



Many of the extra visitors, it believes, were families who previously took Cornish
holidays.



Record fuel prices, says the group, are one of the main reasons given by guests for
putting the brakes on how far they drive to their holiday destination.



The explanation was supported this week by the AA which said that motorists had cut
their petrol consumption by more than 15% since the recession began.



Now Park Holidays UK says it will be using its parks' closed season this winter to
create extra accommodation in anticipation of another record year in 2012.



"When you start to compare Devon with Cornwall, it's hard to see how all those extra
miles are justified," said Park Holidays UK director Tony Clish.



"Devon's beaches are among the finest in the world, let alone the West Country - and
frankly the countryside inland is a lot prettier and more varied than Cornwall's,"
he said.



"There are also more visitor attractions and different days' out for families in
Devon, and our clotted cream is just as good as anything on the other side on the
Tamar.



"Devon means less petrol, less sitting in the car, and more time enjoying your
holiday - so what's not to like?" added Tony.



Park Holidays UK's seven holiday parks in Devon are based in Brixham, Paignton,
Dawlish and Dawlish Warren - and are the largest providers of park-based
accommodation in the county.



More information about both holiday breaks and holiday home ownership in Devon can
be found at www.ParkHolidaysUK.com, or call 0845 815 9797 for a brochure.

Please visit http://www.ParkHolidaysUK.com for more information.

Are you looking for a special winter holiday?

If you are looking at a holiday in Gastein and / or the ski-region "Ski Amade". Please take a look at their website www.appartement-gastein.at or www.kurcamping-gastein.at

In addition to two thermal baths for the coming winter, you can enjoy a relaxing sauna.

If you book one of their beautiful apartments or a place on the campsite before 1. November 2011, you will recieve a free entry into the new sauna.

This offer also applies if you want to book for summer 2012.

They are keen to welcome you as their guests.

Please visit http://www.appartement-gastein.at for more information.

More Britons are swapping fortnight holidays for one or more flash breaks this year

More Britons are swapping fortnight holidays for one or more "flash breaks" this year, according to major parks operator Park Holidays UK.

The strength of the new trend has prompted the group to convert many of its two-week stays to three, four and seven day breaks during this summer's school holidays.

"Quickie breaks, often booked at the last minute, have been gaining ground in recent years - but this season the family fortnight really is being kicked into touch," says director Tony Clish.

"For that reason, we have decided to convert thousands of longer holidays into bite-size chunks which are more easily affordable and can be taken up instantly by customers," he added.

To reflect the changes, Park Holidays UK has completely revised its website to put the emphasis on short breaks during six-week school holidays (www.ParkHolidaysUK.com)

It now features three and four day breaks from just £149.00 and week-long stays from £298.00.

The cost includes family accommodation in a caravan holiday home, use of all the park's sports and leisure facilities, and free passes to the professional nightly entertainment.

"Having plenty to do just yards from your front door is the key to a successful flash-break," said Tony.

"Youngsters, if they are old enough, can go off and enjoy all their favourite activities, and parents can concentrate on relaxing without having to chauffeur everyone around," he commented.

Park Holidays UK has 22 seaside parks in Southern England, from Devon to Suffolk - and new short-break offers are being added hourly to the thousands already posted on its website.

The company also has a help-line (0845 815 9775) to give advice on locations and current deals.
---------ends---------
More press information from Tony Clish on 01424 751185
or PR consultant Jon Boston on 01768 895225 (jon@jjbpr.co.uk)

Touring visitors to UK holiday parks are being invited to reveal the world from their window

Touring visitors to UK holiday parks are being invited to reveal the world from their window in a new photography challenge - and what they see could also capture them a holiday prize.

The aim of the free-to-enter competition, which runs until the end of October 2011, is to find the most striking scenes taken no more than five metres from the visitor's caravan or motorhome on any park.

But according to organiser and Lake District park owner Henry Wild, it won't necessarily be the prettiest pictures which will click with judges.

Imaginative images of all sorts will be welcome - from the wacky to the wondrous - so long as the scene is something which is capable of being glimpsed from the unit.

The most striking will win a luxury holiday prize at Skelwith Fold Caravan Park in Ambleside.

"The great point about parks is that they allow you to look out on a world which is predominantly green instead of grey - and where people are focussed on enjoying themselves," said Henry.

"We want to capture something of the spirit of this in a range of pictures which provide the greatest possible contrast to the type of views most of us see from our windows at home.

"It could be a stunning seascape, a bunch of kids having fun, or a badger taking a moonlight stroll - just a moment of holiday actuality that's likely to stay in your memory," he added.

As well as running Skelwith Fold, Henry is a member of the management board of the British Holiday and Home Parks Association which represents more than 3000 UK holiday parks.

He hopes the competition will produce a bumper crop of images on the public website Flickr which will show the great diversity of all the park association's members.

Parks, said Henry, range from small farm-based sites to major centres with family entertainment - and the Flickr library will help show the breadth of their appeal.

"Caravan owners enjoy some of the most privileged of all views, be it a red deer strolling past the window, a fiery autumn sunset, or just a scene of perfect pastoral serenity," said Henry.

"We're looking for images from any park which simply provide one person's view of the world outside their window, and sum up what makes caravanning special for them.

To upload a picture for the competition, log onto Skelwith Fold's website (www.skelwithfold.co.uk), mouse on "Gallery", click the tab to "Flickr sites", and follow the link to "Your Vista".

The competition is open to all caravan, motorhome and camping visitors to parks in the UK.

Please visit http://www.skelwithfold.co.uk for more information.

With the increasing costs in ferry crossings

With the increasing costs in ferry crossings and the price of the Euro many holiday makers are looking at staying in the UK this summer.
Taking into consideration the growing numbers of visitors, and parks offering a variant choices of holidays in the UK.
1/ Glamping which can consist of Tipi’s, Belle Tents, Yurts and Safari Tents, to a tougher version of a wooden tent structure like the Log Pods, Camping Pods and Octolodges.
2/ Family holidays groups which are full of things to do and entertainment with hundreds of facilities on site like Haven, Park resorts and Park Holidays UK to name but a few.
3/ Fun and adventure holidays which can incorporate hobbies like fishing, yachting, boating and surfing.
4/ Eco Break’s with Feather Down Farms, Broadmeadow, Feriaye Tyme, Eco Camping
5/ Caravan Club, Camping and Caravan Club, UK Campsite Finder Membership Discount Card and Acsi Discount Card. Many are taking up memberships trying to receive a more cost effective holiday. The discounts and offers can vary from Low-Mid season and some even offering discounts in Peak season of which until last year was un-heard of. The initiative in obtaining Peak season discounts coming from UK Campsite Finder taking advantage of the quiet season due to the weather in 2010.
Due to the increase in visitors to the UK because of the 2012 Olympic games many sites and parks are making major changes by adding swimming pools brand new toilet and shower blocks, Wifi, Gyms, sauna’s and improving pitches with Premium hook up facilities which have TV hook up running water and waste pipe and electric all attached to each pitch.
There are some amazing competitions on the online directories offering such things like free prize draw holidays and the brand new revolutionary Vango Airbeam Velocity 200 blow up tent. It is also a great way of finding out which shows and events to visit whist on your ‘Staycation’ to visit.
For further information please visit

Please visit http://www.prlog.org/11558622-holiday-makers-are-looking-to-staycation-in-the-uk-this-summer.html for more information.

A major holiday parks group is giving away holiday caravans this spring

8 April 2011
Free holiday home? Here's the keys and no catches

A major holiday parks group is giving away holiday caravans this spring - and they're for keeps with no catches. Families will simply be handed the keys and become the home's new owner.

It's then theirs to enjoy whenever they wish, and to rent out if they also fancy a second income.

The caravan holiday home may be up to 15 years old, and not as spacious as more recent models. But it will have had a rigorous safety-check - and be good for at least a few more years of active life.

Like ordinary buyers who pay up to £200,000 for their holiday homes, the owners of the free units will simply pay the standard charge for connection to services, and the annual pitch fee.

Director of Park Holidays UK, Tony Clish, said that a successful trial of the scheme last year saw 45 caravan holiday homes being given away - which is why it's now being rolled out across the group:

"We can do this because every year many owners trade up to brand new holiday homes, and some leave behind smaller, older models - and it's these we offer at no cost, " said Tony.

The new owners won't even have to pay for furniture, beds, carpets and major kitchen appliances such as an oven and fridge: they are all included in the holiday home.

"It's an absurdly generous offer, but what we're doing is giving people a low-cost way of enjoying holiday caravan ownership in the expectation that some will trade up the future," said Tony.

"But there will be absolutely no pressure for them to do so, and they can simply hand back the keys at any time - or even take their home with them, if they wish," he said.

Park Holidays UK's 25 seaside parks in southern England offer facilities such as swimming pools, children's clubs, attractions, and sports facilities - plus professional shows staged every night.

These facilities are free to owners of the no-cost caravans, as they are to all guests.

More information about the free caravan holiday homes, their locations and their availability - which will vary throughout the year - can be found at www.ParkHolidaysUK.com (click "Holiday Home Ownership" on the home page, and look under the left-hand "News" section).

ends

Please visit http://www.parkholidaysuk.com/static-caravans-for-sale for more information.

Lee Valley Regional Park Authority is committed to improving access for all.

Our Youth and Schools Service offers a wide range of activities for special needs students which can be adjusted to suit a wide range of learning needs. We’ll be happy to adapt programmes to suit from mild to moderate along the continuum to profound and multiple learning difficulties.

ACTIVITIES ON THE FOLLOWING TOPICS ARE AVAILABLE:

• Stream dipping
• Minibeast hunting
• Birdwatching
• Sensory trails
• Farm tours
• Rivers walks
• Water cycles and water treatment
• Local history
• Guided walks
. Team building

Each option provides a half day session of up to two hours. Please refer to our primary schools or secondary schools programme leaflet if you'd like a session with closer links to the National Curriculum.

BOOKINGS AND ENQUIRIES

For more information on how to book, charges or to discuss activities and the needs of your group in more detail, please contact the Youth and Schools Service at:

Lee Valley Regional Park Youth and Schools Service,
Abbey Farmhouse, Abbey Gardens,
Waltham Abbey, Essex EN9 1XQ
Tel: 08456 770 607
Fax: 08456 770 608
Email: youthandschools@leevalleypark.org.uk
Website: http://www.leevalleypark.org.uk/

ACCESSIBILITY

The majority of the Regional Park is fully accessible to those with mobility issues. Most of the Lee Valley Regional Park has hard paved paths running throughout. Many of our sites benefit from easy access gates and ramps.

Farm Discovery Day (for Special Needs schools or special needs students)

This programme will be run over two days 27th & 28th April 2011. There will be two sessions each day. Groups will only attend one session but can stay for a self guided visit around the farm for the rest of the day.

For each session students will be given a safety talk, then they will discover the farm through sensory experiences, games and meeting our animals.

Planned activities include chicken feeding, lamb feeding,milking (a model cow), games, quizzes, Learing to care for pets and ferret racing.

Special needs students of any age are welcome, physical and learning special needs can be catered for.

Individual activities will be adapted to suit the needs of the individuals in the group.

Dates Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th April 2011
Session times 10.30 -12.00 or 13.00 -14.30
Cost £4.30 per pupil (accompanying adults free)
Site Lee Valley Park Farms
Maximum numbers 3 groups, 15 students per group
Michelle Rosenberg - Media & Communications Officer
Direct: 01992 709 830 Mobile: 07920 810 403
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
Myddelton House, Bulls Cross, Enfield, Middlesex, EN2 9HG
Telephone: 01992 717711 Fax: 01992 709922

Please visit http://www.leevalleypark.org for more information.

Lakes lovers rally to new touring club

One of Cumbria's greenest caravan parks is rolling out the red carpet for its touring guests - and offering them a chance to enjoy a host of exclusive privileges during their visits.

Skelwith Fold Caravan Park in Ambleside has negotiated special rates and offers from a wide range of Lakeland businesses for members of its newly launched touring club.

Discounts in top restaurants and pubs, reduced cost entry to visitor attractions, and special prices for activities ranging from luxury spa treatments to water-skiing are among the offerings.

Members can also enjoy visiting Skelwith Fold in off-peak weeks at rates well below the normal tariff, and will be emailed with last-minute offers such as pitches for just a pound a night.

But although most members are likely to save the cost of their membership during their first short break, Skelwith Fold's Henry Wild says the most significant benefits will be enjoyed off the park:

"Our aim is to provide concierge-type privileges which opens doors to deals not always available to ordinary visitors," said Henry.

"Over the years, we have become familiar with how guests at Skelwith like to spend their time here - and so we've approached the kind of suppliers which we know they enjoy using.

"They have agreed to make offers such as a free bottle of wine with a meal, two-for-one deals, and reduced entry fees to attractions - and the savings will be substantial," added Henry.

Henry Wild was recently featured in the press calling for Lake District businesses to help publicise the county following cut-backs to the funding of the region's tourist board, Cumbria Tourism.

The new touring club, he said, is an initiative which should help increase visitor numbers to Lakeland, especially in off-peak times, and benefit both guests and local enterprises.

As well as cost-saving incentives, club members will also be invited to join in exclusive rallies on the park, based around themes as varied as theatrical evenings, hog roasts, and wild-food foraging.

Skelwith Fold was named as the Holiday Park of the Year in 2010 by Cumbria Tourism, and has won a number of top green awards for its care of the natural environment.

More about the Skelwith Fold Touring Club can be found on the park's website at www.skelwith.com

Credited to Jon boston

ends

Please visit http://www.ukcampsitefinder.co.uk/campsitedetails.php?n=2754&name=Skelwith-Fold-Caravan-Park-Ltd for more information.

UK Campsite Finder's stand and show details

UK Campsite Finder is at the Boat & Caravan Show for another year.

We are now 2 days into the show and its going great guns. The stand is looking great and having so much interest about the new website www.campsitefindereurope.com and the new look www.ukcampsitefinder.co.uk.

Adding 80 new parks in spain in the next few weeks.

The Outdoor Leisure Show will also be on from Friday - Sunday. Your Boat & Caravan Show ticket will allow entry into the Outdoor Leisure Show as well.

Yeomans Outdoors are displaying the brand new Vango inflatable tent which is amazing what a fantastic idea well done Vango.

Please visit http://www.ukcampsitefinder.co.uk/events.php for more information.

Soccer coaching for all you kids.

Broadhembury are proud to announce the Chelsea soccer school will be visiting the park for a 3rd year to give free football coaching sessions on Monday 30th May and every Monday from 25th july till 29th August.

Please visit http://www.ukcampsitefinder.co.uk/campsitedetails.php?n=1316 for more information.

New directors aboard as Britannia heads for growth

Two senior managers at Britannia Parks are being promoted to directors of the company in readiness for a forecast year of expansion.

Dave Goldman and Richard Sigsworth, both of who joined Britannia four years ago, will become directors of the residential parks group from April this year.

The two men have been key players in the recent development of the company which now owns twenty residential parks in Southern England.

Despite the crisis in the brick-built property market, Britannia has had little difficulty attracting buyers for the 2,300 park homes sited on its parks.
With prices ranging from around £75,000 to £250,000, its homes provide a semi-sheltered living environment in peaceful rural settings for people in or near retirement.

Now the Surrey-based company says it hopes to increase still further its parks portfolio, and to raise the quality bar even higher within its existing developments.

Recently, Britannia announced a £500,000 investment at its Braintree Park in Essex to include electronically operated security gates, plus new roadways, walkways and lighting.

Dave Goldman, who was previously Development Manager of the company, will now take the title of Director of Operations.

Richard Sigsworth, formerly the group's General Manager, will take his place on Britannia's board as Director of Sales and Marketing.

Richard's role will also include direct responsibility for Britannia's Kings Park Village at Canvey Island, the UK's largest residential park on which some 1200 people live in 740 park homes.

More information about the company and its parks is available at ends

Jon Boston

Please visit http://www.BritanniaParks.com for more information.