Mersea Island Owners Newsletter - September 2020

Sept 2020

Issue no 3

Mersea Island Holiday Park presents

Park Life

What’s happening at

MerseaIsland r

Rosie-Ellis Brothwood General Manager

Hello and welcome to our Autumn and Winter newsletter which is packed full of important information for all of our holiday home owners, including park updates and competitions.

We’ve been busy these last few months ensuring you are able to enjoy your holiday home here at Mersea Island safely and hope that you have managed to make the most of the season so far.

As always, the safety of our owners, guests and team is our number one priority, with this in mind please remember we are operating no mask, no entry to all our venues, which we hope you will agree is the safest option during the current time. You will have also noticed the hand sanitising stations dotted about, please

ensure you are using these whenever passing.

I am sure you have seen in the press, that the demand for UK Staycations has soared since the end of lock down and 2021 looks to be stronger than ever. If you do take advantage of our hasslefree sublet scheme, keep an eye out for the 2021 letting guides due to be sent out to you over the coming weeks.

The sooner you get this back to us, the more likely we are to let your holiday home.

So, grab a cuppa, put your feet up and read on for the latest news and updates.

I look forward to seeing you soon!

Follow us on social media

@MerseaIslandAwayResorts

@AwayResortsUK

@AwayResortsHolidays

What’s open* on park!

Indoor Swimming Pool Due to reduced capacity in the pool and high demand, we advise pre-booking your swim sessions. You can book at the Muddy Duck or by calling 01206 383 252.

Walk-ins will be taken if the pool has capacity, but we can not guarantee access.

All swim sessions are 1-hour.

You will have a 15-minute grace period to arrive for your session before it will be made available to other guests. We politely request that you arrive at the pool ‘swim-ready’ however changing room facilities will be available. Our toilets and showers within the facility will also be open.

Social distancing must continue to be adhered to in and around the pool.

WORD SEARCH Holidayhomes, Break, Family, Escape, Sea, Autumn, Cosy, Mersea Island, Relax, Away

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The Muddy Duck We are OPEN! If you join us inside, it is table service only so there is no need to head up to the bar; once you’re seated, sit back, relax and we’ll come to you! If you are enjoying some of the English weather, then please order with the host at the door. For your own safety, please ensure there are no more than 2 households at a table at any one time and a minimum of 1m social distancing is being adhered to at all times.

Additional seating outdoors will also be provided, weather dependant.

Adventure Playground Our Adventure Playground is open for you and your family to enjoy. However for your own safety, please ensure you are following Government advice around social distancing.

The Beach Access to our beautiful beach is open as usual for you and your family to enjoy. However for your own safety, and to keep in line with Government advice please ensure you abide to the 1m social distancing guidelines in place.

The Shop Our on-site shop remains open for you to be able to get hold of all your everyday essentials. As with other shops at the moment, there are precautions in place and we ask you to adhere to these to ensure the safety of yourselves, other holidaymakers, owners and the park team. You will notice the following measures in place: • Queue management system • Sanitisation station at entrance • Limited capacity • Social distancing • Sneeze screens at tills Contact-less payments only Holiday Home Sales Opening Times 9am - 5pm (Everyday)

For the latest updates please see: awayresorts.co.uk/Mersea-Island/whats-open/

*All facilities are open as above at time of going to print, but are subject to time changes and closures in line with government guidelines to ensure we keep everybody safe.

es Ima&gSocial Media We love it when you share your stories and pictures of your experiences at Mersea Island 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.

Please remember any inappropriate or offensive language will be removed!

We run a fun family page!

Drivers

10

To keep the park safe for everybody, please don’t forget that the speed limit on park is 10mph, and of course all the usual rules still apply!

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!

Take a look at our blog on our website, or visit goodtimes.awayresorts.co.uk

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 our lovely views all the time. @MerseaIslandAwayResorts @AwayResortsUK @AwayResortsHolidays

Maintenance Team No job is 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 have them authorised by Rosie-Ellis Brothwood. Please call Guest Services to obtain the necessary paperwork and to find out more.

Housekeeping Team We offer holiday home spring cleans, external washes and decking washes to all of our owners! Just pop into the office to book your spot. Keep an eye out for your Winterisation forms which will be with you over the next few weeks.

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!

Private Sublets

If you are subletting your holiday home can you please ensure that your electric and gas certificates are up to date, and that our office has an up to date copy so that your guests are able to purchase passes during their stay with us.

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.

Unfortunately we will be unable to issue any passes to guests if the certificates are out of date. Gas certificates are required every year and electric certificates every three years. If your guests are wishing to purchase

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 guest passes price before arrival, and just let them know that they’ll need these passes to gain access into our venues and facilities, thank you.

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 £6,500 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.

Contact Details

Since we last had your details they may have changed, you may have moved address, changed your mobile number or email address? We need to stay up to date so we can stay connected, sometimes there will be important messages we need to send you. So please take a minute to pop in and say hello when you’re next visiting!

Gas Bottles

When you feel like your gas is running out you can now simply 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.

s t n e m u c o D Please remember that we need up-to-date copies on file of your:

• Caravan insurance • Annual gas safety test

We can do the same for you too. Just imagine what you could do with that money – It could help towards the annual running costs for your holiday home or you could treat yourself to something nice or even 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 2020 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.

• Electrical test (3 years) If you are unsure if we have yours, please pop into the Holiday Home Sales Office at your earliest convenience.

Visit Guest Services to find out more and to help you decide if letting your holiday home with us is right for you

At Away Resorts, we believe in a healthy balance of the first place in your life - your home life, the second place - your workplace, and an important fun third place - an inclusively social place creating special memories and great times with friends and family.

We’ve all got something in common; we all love getting away from the hustle and bustle, enjoying quality time together, and relaxing in our holiday homes.

We’d love to think we are the third special place in your lives, a place to unwind and a place to make new friends for life.

If you’re not a part of our ‘The third place social’ we are just over on Facebook! We’d love for you all to become a part of it.

for more information, join the third place social at facebook.com/AwayResortsOwners

Calling all

photographers WIN £50 towards your gas and electric bill!

Calling all photographers of all ages and experience! You are invited to enter our photography competition for your chance to win £50 towards your holiday homes gas and electric.

Make the most of your holiday home

This month’s subject is: ‘Enjoying a stroll at Mersea Island’

View your bills | Make payments | Sublet your holiday home

Send in your pictures (at least 1MB) along with a brief description, the date and location of your photo, your name, age, address and telephone number to: holidayhomes@awayresorts.co.uk

Download our app today!

Our Away Resorts App can be found on Google Play or the App store, simply search Away Resorts! It’s the perfect companion whilst you’re on park with us. Simply sign in with your Away Resorts owner reference number to view your bills, make payments and sublet your holiday home and you can now pre-book all of your activities at the easy click of a button.

Send us your entries by Friday 18th December and winners will be announced in our next newsletter in January 2021.

Good luck!

By sending us your pictures, you agree for Away Resorts to use them on social media and for marketing purposes.

Fancy £500, £750 or £1000 off your pitch fees?

ot tub Hhousekeeping 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.

A great many of the Holiday Home Owners here at Mersea Island 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 Mersea Island 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.

How about £1,000 in Pitch Fee Credits?

holiday home. The second 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 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!

No hard sell promise

Do we have a deal for you?

You bet! If you recommend a friend who becomes a holiday home owner here at Mersea Island 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

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.

Fancy a holiday?

As an Away Resorts owner you’ll receive a 10% discount at any of our five locations. There are just a few rules; all discounts are subject to availability, holidays need to be booked by calling 0330 053 7000 and selecting your park.

Manchester Lincoln

Barmouth Bay

Tattershall Lakes

Birmingham

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.

Mersea Island Cardiff Bristol London

Visit awayresorts.co.uk and see what takes your fancy!

Sandy Balls

Plymouth

Whitecliff Bay

2021

Dates for your diaries!

Music Weekender Friday 28th - Saturday 29th May Colour Festival Sunday 15th August Cream Pie Fight Sunday 29th August Look out for further information and how to book these events during 2021.

Please check you are signed up to receive all offers so you don’t miss out. We hope to see you all there!

Children’s

Christmas card competition

We are looking for creative budding artists to design our very own Owners Christmas Card this year, and the winners drawing will be sent out to all our lovely owners at Mersea Island.

The theme is ‘Christmas at Mersea Island’

To enter Simply send us in the drawing by Friday 13th November to: Away Resorts, FAO Owners Team MER Christmas Card Competition, 599 Maxted Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP2 7DX Remember to include the artists name, age, address, the park name and pitch number. The winning artist will be notified by Friday 27th November.

Please note, unfortunately we can not return the entries, so if you would like to keep the original masterpiece please post a clear colour scan of the Christmas card cover.

Good luck and enjoy getting festive!

Part-ex your holiday home between Sept 21st and Nov 1st 2020 and take advantage of these fantastic offers...

Exclusive offers just for you! £

£

3 years Warranty+^

Up to £2,000 Deposit Contribution†

£

Earn up to £21,229 in Guaranteed Income

£

No Pitch Fees to pay until 2022

£45,995

2021 ABI Ryedale 36 x 12ft | 2 Bedroom

£ Exclusively for our owners, fantastic finance rate of 4.9% APR

† Upgrade into a new or pre-loved holiday home and receive up to £2,000 on us towards your deposit.

Here's how it works... £1,000 deposit** Contribution towards a holiday home worth up to £40,000 £1,500 deposit** Contribution towards a holiday home worth over £40,000 and up to £60,000 £2,000 deposit** Contribution towards a holiday home worth over £60,000

£48,995

2021 ABI Beverly 40 x 12ft | 3 Bedroom

2021 ABI Ryedale 39ft x 12ft | 3 Bedroom

£59,995

£54,995

£74,995

Our Latest Arrivals 2021 ABI Windermere 40 x 12ft | 2 Bedroom

2021 ABI Ambleside 42 x 12ft | 2 Bedroom

awayresorts.co.uk/holiday-homes 01206 383 252

*Finance subject to status written details available on request. Away Resorts Ltd is a licensed credit broker authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. 4.9% finance of up to a maximum of £75,000 over a maximum of 84 months. **Deposit contribution off er is valid on all new and pre-owned holiday homes. Valid on all existing owner part-exchange sales made on or between September 21st – November 1st 2020. Applicable to one purchase per household. The off er is applicable to Away Resorts owners only and cannot be combined with any other discounts offers or promotions. Where finance is applicable, the offer applies to Blackhorse finance only. A minimum of £2,000 cash deposit is required. Subject to status and deposit criteria. There is no cash alternative. Away Resorts holiday parks are not residential parks and holiday homes cannot be occupied as a permanent residence. ^Terms and conditions apply to Warranty+. Please see website for more details.