Issue no 1
June 2017
Sandy Balls holiday village presents
Park life genuine desire to shake up the industry and see that vision become a reality.
Carl Castledine
CEO of Away Resorts Introduction of Away Resorts It’s been a big year for the team at Sandy Balls with our acquisition by pioneering UK holiday park operator, Away Resorts. Away Resorts has experience growth on an impressive scale since it launched back in 2008 when CEO Carl Castledine teamed up with holiday park aficionados Neil Ryder and Greg Lashley, who like Carl, had spent many years working at holiday park operators, including Park Resorts, Haven and Bourne Leisure. They shared a dream to create the holiday park of the future, and a
The first park they acquired was Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park on the Isle of Wight, and fast forward nine years, and Away Resorts is now the proud owner of six parks, including: the lakeside retreat of Tattershall Lakes Country Park in Lincolnshire; the entertainment-focused Mill Rythe Holiday Village on Hayling Island; the mountain escape of Barmouth Bay Holiday Park on the edge of Snowdonia National Park; and the Essex coastal hideaway of Mersea Island Holiday Park in the Blackwater Estuary on the coast of Essex; with the fantastic Sandy Balls joining the Away Resorts gang this year – and we are truly proud to be part of this dynamic, forwardthinking holiday village company.
Contact details Please could you pop into Guest Services when you are next on park to check your contact details with us. It might be that you have moved address, changed your telephone number or e-mail address and we need to know. Sometimes we need to get messages or updates out to you quickly either by a text message or e-mail so it is important we have the right details so you don’t miss out on relevant park information.
What’s happening at Sandy Balls
Summer Fun
1.5% Credit-card charges
Away Resorts is bringing its very own unique form of family entertainment to Sandy Balls this summer.
We have recently introduced a charge for payments made by credit card. The 1.5% transaction fee applied to credit-card payments covers all costs associated with processing the transaction of which the bank charge is just one element.
Maintenance team During the daytime, there will be the opportunity to take part in a number of scheduled walks, tournaments, quizzes and social dancing, while in the evening, the focus for family entertainment will be at the Woodside Inn. This will including quizzes, bar tournaments and the opportunity to meet our very own character Lucy and Scratch, who will be keeping the children entertained with their stories and adventures. Meanwhile, our activity programmes offer children and parents the chance to enjoy a wide range of activities together including zorb games, hama beads, forest caching, owl and reptile encounters, junior fencing and weird science to name but a few. More information can be found at www.sandyballs.co.uk/activities. We advise that you pre-book activities, and please be aware that the programme may vary throughout the year.
No job too small.....sounds like an advert, however it’s true! If you would like us to quote on any maintenance issues or one of those “I’ll do that job later” scenarios, we’ll be only too pleased to help. Pop into Guest Services to find out more.
Keep in touch with Away Resorts’ latest news with our NEW online experience ‘Goodtimes’
www.goodtimes.awayresorts.co.uk
Like us on Facebook
On park
events
facebook.com/ sandyballsholidayvillage
Outdoor cinema
New app 12:00
arriving soon
The brand new Away Resorts App will be launched very soon. With fantastic features including; booking activities, checking out what’s on, owners event listings, ordering a gas bottle, and more – watch this space!
Coming soon Join our facebook page for the latest updates.
Colour Festival Sunday 30th July A lively colourful weekend featuring our brightest Saturday of 2017. Inspired by the famous Indian ’Holi Festival of Colours’, there will be a programme of family events during the daytime centred around colour-throwing powder. These will include colour-gathering events; a fun colour run for adults and children where guests can run the track while being covered from head to toe in a rainbow of colours. You can choose to run, walk, skip or dance your way around the course. There will be an awesome mix of DJs, MCs, the famous ‘colour throws’ and plenty of ‘colour crazy’ give-aways. Presented outside. Cameras at the ready, this weekend is as fun to watch as it is to take part.
Coming soon
Cream Pie Fight New holiday home locations
Sunday 27th August The first-ever Cream Pie Fight here at Sandy Balls Holiday Village. This plans to be the largest gathering of guests armed with cream pie plates, having the biggest, messiest fun fight of the year.
Re-development of eight fantastic holiday home locations, with views to the River Avon coming soon. All locations have parking bays, so if you fancy an upgrade and re-location please ask in the Holiday Home Sales Office to find out more.
History of
1919 - 2017
Sandy Balls
The land was bought by Ernest Westlake in 1919 In the early years it was home to a youth movement but Ernest wanted to create a beauty spot for families
CREAM PIE FIGHT 2017
In 1937 the first log cabins were place among the trees
Competition time
Local
events
Calling photographers of all ages, backgrounds and experience.
There are some amazing off-park events happening around Hampshire throughout the year
Austin Seven Rally
Bournemouth Air Show
2nd July
31st August - 3rd September
The 750 Motor Club’s annual National Austin Seven Rally returns for its 55th gathering at Beaulieu. Austin 7s of all types from all over the United Kingdom and Europe gather for an event full of activities, including an Austin Autojumble, driving skills tests and concours competition. All Austin 7s are welcome (no need to be a 750 Motor Club Member). Other Austins and pre-1975 cars are also welcome - but all must be registered with the organiser. www.beaulieu.co.uk/events/ austin-seven-rally/
Fordingbridge Summer Festival 15th July A family occasion held on the edge of the New Forest, superbly located and situated by the famous River Avon. This event is enjoyed by thousands of visitors from far and wide, many travelling in their Vintage and Classic cars from across the counties of the south of England. www.fordingbridgesummer festival.org.uk
You are invited to enter our photography competition for your chance to win a £50 Love2Shop voucher. This month’s subject is How you relax in your holiday home Send your picture (at least 1MB), along with a brief description, your name, address, telephone number, the date and location of the photo to holidayhomes@awayresorts.co.uk. Competition closes Monday 7 August and winners will be announced in our next newsletter. By sending us your pictures, you agree for Away Resorts to use them on social media and for marketing purposes. Good luck
The UK’s biggest air festival is an unmissable weekend of wonder: in the air, on land and at sea. Award winning and internationally renowned, the Bournemouth Air Festival has welcomed more than eight million people to the UK’s leading resort since its inception in 2008. The Patron’s Club has raised an estimated £100,000 for Air Festival charities, nominated by the Armed Forces.
WI N
Do you fancy a holiday at one of our other
beautiful locations?
www.bournemouthair.co.uk
Southampton Boat Show 15th - 24th September Britain’s biggest boating festival. Returning for its 49th year, the Southampton Boat Show is planning to get more people than ever before participating in boating and water sports activities with an array of exciting on the water features at this year’s biggest festival of boating. At Mayflower Park.
As an Away Resorts owner you will receive a 10% discount at any of our six locations.
There are just a few rules; All discounts are subject to availability, holidays need to be booked by calling 01442 50 88 50 and selecting your park. You, our lovely owner, must be present on holiday. Your owner’s account number must be given at time of booking and ownership photo ID passes must be shown at check-in.
What you waiting for? Visit www.awayresorts.co.uk and see what takes your fancy
www.southamptonboatshow.com
2017 Away Resorts purchased Sandy Balls (the first new owners for 100 years)
During the war the log cabins became home for evacuees and a Red Cross post established there
In the ‘70s and ‘80s the village began to transform and was modernised
In 2007 a major development took place including turning the central area into a piazza and adding a bike shop
Earn thousands of pounds
simply by letting out your holiday home!
Fancy a little upgrade? Step 1
Managed Letting Many of our Holiday Home Owners at other Away Resorts locations let their holiday homes when they are not using them. It provides Holiday Home Owners with extra income that can help cover running costs. Obviously, the amount you can earn will depend on how often your home is available to let, but this is entirely at your discretion. Whatever suits you can be accommodated. Our managed letting service is dead easy to use and only requires a couple of forms to get started.
Earning Potential So how much can you earn? Well, we can’t give you a definite figure but we can promise that we can try to get the highest letting income possible. As you know, everyone loves a bargain and the competition for holiday dollars is fierce so there are times when we have to run promotional discounts via advertising and direct mail campaigns. Rest assured that our discounting decisions are made with very careful consideration of your best interests. After all, it is in yours and our interests that the park be a popular destination choice.
When it comes to holiday letting, your success is our success. Something to keep in mind is that most people enjoy holidays over bank holiday weekends, during school holidays and throughout July and August. If you can use your holiday home at other times and keep these peak periods free for letting, we increase our chances of your success.
Love is… a holiday home! If you find yourself falling in love with Sandy Balls and always counting down the minutes until your next visit, then you may also find yourself telling your nearest and dearest about it too. Whether you want to enjoy holidays with family or friends or you just want them to have as much fun as you do, don’t hide your light under a bushel. For a start, the bushel might spontaneously combust from your excitement. Secondly, it’s nice to share.
How about £1,000 in pitch fee credits? Do we have a deal for you? You bet! If you recommend a friend who becomes a holiday home owner here at Sandy Balls then you get some additional benefits. Not only can you enjoy holidays together, we will give you an account credit of
Step 2 We will then prepare a ‘no-obligation’ proposal for you, including the partexchange allowance on your current holiday home and the full delivery, siting and connection costs. We will also prepare a finance package designed to suit your specific needs if you wish to use our competitive finance schemes.
Holiday Administration The best part of the service is that we manage all bookings. Nothing for you to worry about. At the end of the year, we add up your bookings and subtract a commission and you receive the rest. All holiday homes must have up to date health and safety certificates.
HOW OUR MANAGED LETTING SERVICE WORKS :
1 2 3
You decide the dates you wish to let your holiday home out. You decide how you would like your sublet money paid to you three times a year. You sit back, relax and let us do all the hard work!
To find out more pop into Guest Services
How about £500, £750 or £1000 off your pitch fees?
One of our Ownership Team will visit you at your holiday home for an inspection to help us value it.
Don’t keep it
a secret
Perfecting perfection! We just want you to know that it is all quite normal for people to upgrade their holiday home. Honestly, it’s fine! Circumstances can change and the perfect holiday home just needs to be, well, more perfect! There are always a great variety of new and pre-loved models available, so feel free to pop in to Guest Services for a cup of tea and a rummage around the latest holiday homes that are available.
Simple to upgrade When you decide you want to think about a new holiday home, simply contact the Ownership Team via Guest Services. They are trained to take you through everything you need to know. You may even consider moving to another pitch on the park at this time.
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!
If you are happy to proceed and let us have some of your hard-earned cash, we will advise you of the expected handover date. We can also arrange to exchange your holiday home for your new one all in one day if you like.
Step 4 If you have an approved veranda on your current holiday home, this will be removed and fitted to the new one by the Park Services Team or an approved contractor.
Step 5 Move into your new holiday home, kick back, relax and wonder why on Earth you didn’t do this sooner!
Holiday homes for sale only
£67,495
£500 once they have taken over their 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
Step 3
only
£97,495
2017 Pemberton Marlow -
2 bedroom | 35 x 12ft Great family holiday home Spacious lounge Fantastic location
2016 BK Linear -
2 bedroom | 40 x 13ft Luxury decor Includes Hot Tub Stunning location
No hard sell promise Yuck, don’t you hate a hard sell? We do too. It’s not our way. We think we have a great offering which doesn’t need a hard-ball pitch because you don’t need a sledgehammer to crack a walnut. We promise that we will treat your referrals with absolute respect and courtesy and that includes giving them the option to say ‘no thanks’. No pressure.
only
£185,000
1990 The Godshill Holiday Lodge - 2 bedroom | 42ft x 20ft - Newley refurbished to the highest standard - Roll-top bath - Large decking
Pop into the sales office to find out more | Open 7 days a week
First to see will buy