Tuesday 31 May 2011

Seaside holiday homes from less than £12k

Seaside homes for less than £12,000

Following recent news that coastal properties have dramatically increased in cost over the last decade, Haven are bucking the trend by offering seaside holiday homes for less than £12,000.

The Halifax bank recently released figures stating that the cost of owning a home by the sea has more than doubled with the biggest price hikes seen in Cornwall, the Lake District and Tenby in West Wales. The average cost of a house in Sandbanks in Dorset is quoted at well in excess of £500,000 with Padstow in Cornwall the second most expensive place to buy.

A spokesperson for Haven said, ‘Many people dream of escaping to a bolt-hole by the sea but for most of us the cost of traditional bricks and mortar makes owning one prohibitive. Our holiday homes offer an affordable alternative without the stress of buying a house – purchasing a holiday home on one of our Parks is no more difficult than buying a car. There are no legal fees, mortgages to arrange, stamp duty or purchasing chains to contend with – you can enjoy all the benefits of a seaside retreat within a matter of weeks.’

Even the famous view across Poole Harbour is shared by Haven’s Rockley Park –at a fraction of the cost whilst the company’s Kiln Park Holiday Park is just a gentle seaside stroll from Tenby offering all the benefits of the location without the price-tag.

Haven’s prices range from as little as £11,995 for a pre-owned holiday home on Golden Sands, near Mablethorpe to around £140,000 for a premium home with a view at Rockley Park .

Above prices include your first season site fees but you’ll need to budget for future site fees, insurance and ongoing costs. The great news is the holiday homes are ready to move into with furniture and fully-equipped kitchens (right down to the knives and forks !). They also offer a range of additional lifestyle benefits including health suites, fishing, golf and a welcoming social environment. Facilities vary from park to park so check the website (www.havenholidayhomes.com) for details.

31st May 2011

For media information and images please contact Deborah McCabe on 01444 235 154 or email deborah@aboutwords.co.uk



Haven'ly treat for Father's Day

Encourage your Dad to share his Father’s Day treat by booking him a break at a Haven Holiday park!

With prices from as little as £25 per person for a weekend break (based on up to six people sharing) it’s excellent value for money – and ALL the family will enjoy it.

Choose between Caister Holiday Park on the Norfolk coast, Golden Sands near Mablethorpe or Cala Gran near Blackpool where a three night break in a Superior holiday home arriving on 17th June for six people will cost from just £149. Similar breaks at Haggerston Castle in Northumberland or Combe Haven near Hastings are available from £169 – click on www.haven.com for other parks offering Father’s Day deals.

Haven have plenty of Dad-happy treats including parks with fishing lakes, golf courses, surfing, pitch ‘n putt, adventure golf, sports bars with super-sized screens and a full programme of daytime and evening entertainment. And the rest of the family will be spoilt for choice too with kids’ clubs, huge indoor and outdoor leisure pools and a range of organised sports and activities. Facilities vary from park to park so check the website for details.


Call 0871 230 1900 or www.haven.com for information and immediate bookings.

31st May 2011

Thursday 19 May 2011

Celebrity eco-campaigner Anna Ryder Richardson visits Dorset to endorse ‘greenest ever’ holiday home

Haven Holiday Homes recently unveiled the industry’s greenest ever holiday home with the support of celebrity eco-campaigner Anna Ryder Richardson, former star of Changing Rooms, I’m a Celebrity and now a passionate campaigner on behalf of her own sustainable and conservation-led zoo.

In a first for the industry, Britain’s favourite family holiday company has worked with leading manufacturer Willerby to produce ‘The Vision’, offering a holiday home for purchase on their parks which incorporates a raft of environmentally-friendly features.

Anna will be sharing her enthusiasm for the new holiday home on Sunday 22nd May when she tours Haven’s three holiday parks in Dorset where local residents, holidaymakers and holiday home owners will be able to meet the bubbly celebrity face to face.

Anna said, ‘Eco-tourism is a major player in changing the way we live our lives and the more we adapt and change our own practice the better it is for the planet. Holidaying in the UK is not only fun but it’s also better for our carbon footprint. I love the idea of taking this one step further by buying a caravan that has such low impact on the environment.’

The new eco-van will produce savings of at least 45% in electricity and gas costs with huge benefits for reducing carbon emissions and saving energy costs.

From the outside the new van looks similar to many other holiday homes but
Willerby say that the secret lies in the most sophisticated insulation ever installed in a luxury, static caravan. The insulation, including walls, ceilings and floors, provides similar layers of protection as bricks and mortar, taking the holiday home industry to a new level. ‘The Vision’ also includes double-glazing, 100% energy efficient lighting and water saving devices throughout.

And Anna was delighted that the caravan combines unrivalled eco-credentials with a very stylish interior. She added, ‘I love the way it looks. It’s very contemporary and stylish but still very welcoming. The lovely earthy colours give it just the right feel.’

The caravan comes complete with free standing furniture, integrated kitchen appliances, a king size bed, space saving fold-under twin beds and a fully fitted bathroom complete with corner bath.

Demand for purchasing the new eco-friendly caravans is already high as potential new and existing owners seek out a holiday home that will make significant savings in energy costs without compromising on style and comfort.

Geoffrey Smith, General Manager of Rockley Park said: “This is a first for the industry and a real demonstration of Havens’ commitment to environmentally-friendly practices.’

He added, ‘Owning a caravan on one of our parks is in itself a commitment to a sustainable holiday choice, avoiding air travel in favour of regular holidays closer to home. We are confident that both new and existing Owners will opt for the advanced eco-benefits of ‘The Vision’, saving costs and further minimising their impact on the environment.’

To find out more about owning a holiday home with Haven click on www.havenholidayhomes.com.

Meet Anna Ryder Richardson on Sunday 22nd May at 10.00 am at Rockley Park Holiday Park in Hamworthy; 1.00 p.m. at Weymouth Bay Holiday Park, Preston and 2.30 p.m. at Littlesea Holiday Park, Weymouth.

Alternatively, meet Anna on Saturday 21st May in Norfolk at Hopton Holiday Village 10am, Wild Duck Holiday Park 11.30, Seashore Holiday Park 1.30 and Caister Holiday Park at 3pm.

Monday 16 May 2011

Letterland characters brought to life on Haven holiday parks

A popular scheme used to teach generations of children how to read is being brought to life on stage for the first time in its 43-year history.

The famous Letterland characters, all based on letters of the alphabet including Annie Apple, Bouncy Ben and Clever Cat, are being turned into costume performers to encourage children on holiday at Haven holiday parks to take an interest in books and reading.

This will be the first time the characters have featured in a live show in the UK.

Providing a unique range of phonics products, Letterland was created in 1968 by former special needs teacher Lyn Wendon. By now her characters have become familiar to generations of children across the world as her company, Letterland International run by her son Mark Wendon, supplies Letterland books, software, toys and games to 111 countries.

This exciting initiative comes just two years after Haven, which has 35 family holiday parks in the UK, was at the forefront of another scheme, backed by Reading4Life, to encourage children to read. As part of this initiative Letterland produced a Treasure Hunt which is now a weekly event that takes place on all Haven Parks.

Mrs Wendon, 82, who is still actively involved as creative director in Letterland International, said: “We’re thrilled that the characters are being brought to life so children can see them on stage in an exclusive show and get involved in a brand new play which I’ve written especially for this project.

"I think this is a beautiful combination – reading and holidays. It’s great that this is happening on holiday parks as it will reinforce the message that letters and reading are fun and are wonderful to share with the whole family.”

Mrs Wendon added: “All my life I have wanted to make sure children not only learn to read but also enjoy learning to read, so they become readers for life.

"Studies have shown that reading skills make all the difference not just to school success but to success in adult life as well. Few things make as much difference for a successful adult as developing the habit of reading, enjoying it, and therefore reading widely.”

Several of the Letterland characters –including Annie Apple, Bouncy Ben, Clever Cat and Lucy Lamp Light - are helping to ensure the success of a series of special four-night breaks at Haven holiday parks.

The fun includes treasure hunts, games and songs and will culminate in a stage production in which up to 100 children on the break can take part (as letters of the alphabet). All the children taking part in the shows will receive a goody bag worth £50 including a Letterland DVD, books, activities and other materials.

A Haven spokesperson said: “We’re delighted to be working with Letterland in this very exciting project that is bound to be hugely popular with families on our Parks. The characters are really very special and kids do love them.”

The breaks are taking place at Combe Haven on the Sussex coast from Monday May 16th; Hafan y Mor in North Wales from Monday June 13th; Thorpe Park on the Lincolnshire coast from Monday June 20th and Devon Cliffs near Exmouth from Monday July 4th.

The breaks start at £219 in two-bedroom Superior self-catering accommodation that can sleep a family of up to six.

For more information visit www.haven.com or call 0871 230 1900.

Note to Editors

Letterland is a unique, phonics-based approach to teaching reading, writing and spelling to 3-8 year olds in a fun and entertaining way. Sold in over 100 countries, Letterland's award-winning books and software have helped countless young children learn to read, write and spell.

If you would like to find out more about Letterland visit www.letterland.com where there are fun activities to download.

The Free goody bag contains Detective Dippy Duck DVD, First Picture Word Book, Height Chart, Parents Leaflet, Bookmark, First Alphabet Activity Pack, Sheet of alphabet stickers and 4 Letterland toys.

Haven is Britain’s No 1 family holiday company with 35 holiday parks all in stunning locations in the UK. In 2009 six holiday parks took part in an innovative scheme to encourage families to read. Called Great Family Escapes, it involved presenting holidaymakers with a selection of free books including something for everyone from a romantic novel for mums to an SAS adventure for boys.

For more information and high-res images please contact About Words on 01444 235154 or email Deborah@aboutwords.co.uk

Fencing top activity as ‘Jack Sparrow’ fever sweeps the nation

With the latest Pirates of the Caribbean blockbuster hitting cinema screens this week Haven Holidays reports a surge of interest in swashbuckling.

Britain's favourite family holiday company says its fencing lessons are now more popular than free football coaching as young fans of Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp, seek to copy their hero.

Haven offer a whole range of family activities including coaching in football, archery, tennis, golf and fishing – but interest in fencing is out stripping them all.

‘We’re looking to arrange more fencing sessions to cope with the demand,’ said a spokesperson for Haven Holidays. ‘The highlight of last year was the World Cup and football coaching was our most popular activity – but this year interest in fencing has been phenomenal!’

All 35 Haven Holiday parks around the UK provide families with award-winning facilities and an action-packed choice of activities. Expect heated indoor and outdoor pools, multi-sports courts and parks that offer climbing walls and the nerve-tingling ‘Leap of Faith’; Adventure Golf; boating lakes and Laser Combat – facilities vary from park to park so check the website (www.haven.com ) for details.

Prices for May Bank Holiday start at just £199 for a family of up to six arriving on May 27th for three nights in a two bedroom ‘Superior’ holiday home. The special deal is available at a choice of parks including Caister on the Norfolk coast; Haggerston Castle in Northumberland and Craig Tara on the Ayrshire coast. Riviere Sands, close to St Ives where some scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean were rumoured to have been filmed is offering a similar break from £269.

Fencing sessions are subject to a moderate extra charge – but buy an ‘Activity Pass’ to pre-book activities and save 30% of the cost.

Call 0871 230 1900 or click on www.haven.com for other special offers and immediate bookings.

16th May 2011

For media information and hi-res images contact About Words on 0144 235 154 or email office@aboutwords.co.uk


Monday 9 May 2011

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!

There’s no getting away from it –we’re an island race and most of us Brits like to get away from it all by heading to the seaside whenever we have the chance...

As the nation basks in unexpected sunshine Haven Holidays – Britain’s biggest family holiday park operator - have reported record levels of families trying to book a last minute break at the coast.

And with Half Term and another Bank Holiday just around the corner Haven’s message is quite clear, ‘If you’d like to be beside the seaside – book soon to avoid disappointment!’

With prices from as little as £199 for a family of up to six people it’s hard to resist the chance of a break by the sea!

Haven have 35 family holiday parks around the UK – and almost all of them have direct access to the coast. Call 0871 230 1900 or click on www.haven.com. The special £199 deal is available at a choice of holiday parks in ‘Standard’ two-bedroom self-catering accommodation for a family of up to six people. Or a seven night half term break will cost from just £429. Prices include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a wide range of family activities and a full programme of daytime and evening entertainment. Facilities vary from park to park and some activities are subject to moderate additional cost – so check the website for details.

Ten reasons why the British seaside is good for you!

• Sea air helps you sleep better (it’s to do with the ozone in the atmosphere which tires you out more quickly!)
• Sea water is good for your skin (sea water has antiseptic properties and has been linked to reducing the infections associated with eczema. It may also help to heal the skin)
• Sunshine is good for your wellbeing (It’s all thanks to the Vitamin D which is made by our bodies through the action of the sun’s UVB rays on our skin)
• Sand is good for your skin (it acts as a natural exfoliant helping to slough off all those unwanted dead cells)
• Swimming makes you fitter (swimming exercises almost all your muscle groups making it one of the best aerobic workouts all round)
• Fish suppers are packed with vitamins and minerals (Fish is a major source of Omega-3)
• Beach games help you to exercise (it’s not just the exercise – the extra resistance of working out on sand maximises the fitness effect)
• Holidays are good for families (it’s a chance to enjoy each other’s company and spend some real quality time together)
• Staying in the UK helps minimise your carbon footprint (ditch air travel in favour of a ‘greener’ holiday close to home)
• British seaside holidays are good for your bank balance (Haven Holidays are offering Bank Holiday breaks from £199 for a family of up to six people)

http://www.eastbournecousins.com/idolovetobe.htm

For media information and images contact About Words on 01444 235 154 or email office@aboutwords.co.uk

Friday 6 May 2011

Hundreds of “would be” holidaymakers disappointed!

The early arrival of a ‘seaside summer’ created a surge in Haven’s bookings over the recent double Bank Holiday weekends with thousands more families taking a break over Easter and the May Bank Holiday than last year.

However many people were disappointed as they simply left it too late to book.

With the next Bank Holiday break only just a few weeks away a spokesperson for Haven Holidays said: “We had hundreds of people contacting the Call Centre at the last minute wanting to take advantage of the exceptional weather and enjoy a few days away over the recent long weekends but unfortunately we were fully booked. Our message to families looking to take their families away is don’t leave it too late or you may be disappointed. And those families who do book early are most likely to be able to take advantage of the best value offers as prices tend to rise closer to the holiday start date.”

Holidays in the UK have become increasingly popular in recent years with many families returning to Britain’s wonderful seaside resorts.

Haven is Britain’s No 1 family holiday company with 35 award-winning parks across the UK, all in stunning locations with easy access to the seaside.

Each park has a full programme of activities, kids' clubs and entertainment at no extra cost to holidaymakers, so it’s easy to see why they’re so popular.

Prices for a Whitsun Bank Holiday weekend break at Haven Holidays start from £199 based on three nights at Hopton Holiday Park arriving on May 27th. But if you prefer to avoid the busy Bank Holiday traffic three nights from 20th May will cost from just £149 at selected parks. A seven night break in June starts from £299 (available at a number of Haven Parks). Prices are based on a Standard caravan holiday home for a family of up to six people.

Visit www.haven.com or call 0871 230 1900.

Ends

For media information and images contact About Words on 01444 235 154 or email office@aboutwords.co.uk

Tuesday 3 May 2011

How Green is your holiday?

As Britain’s leading family holiday company with 35 parks around the UK, Haven Holidays takes great pride in looking after its visitors – especially as some may have travelled from far overseas undertaking quite perilous journeys.

And unlike most guests, when they arrive these visitors often stay for weeks or even months at a time!

Like most of us, they’re big fans of the seaside, but what they like most are the natural attractions rather than the swimming pools, state-of-the-art sports facilities and entertainment venues.

Visitors who regularly check in at Haven holiday parks include dingy skippers, marbled whites, clouded yellows and red admirals. These are just some of the many species of butterflies and moths that are regularly seen on the parks, particularly on the East and South coasts, during the summer.

As custodian of some of the finest countryside around Britain, Haven has a long tradition of caring for the environment. They even provide around 600 bird and bat boxes to encourage them to stay on their Parks.

Members of the David Bellamy Conservation Scheme since it started, many of Haven’s 35 parks have held the prestigious Gold Award for more than ten years.

The awards recognise excellence in waste management, recycling, saving power and water, links with the local community - and protecting the local wildlife such as those butterflies.

More recently, Haven was one of the first holiday companies to enter the Green Tourism Business Scheme which analyses businesses according to 150 rigorous criteria. To date, they hold 32 GTBS awards including two with the most sought-after prize, gold.

And every park has a Green Team who arrange all sorts of fun and exciting activities to help look after our countryside and coast – and holidaymakers and holiday home owners are always welcome to get involved.

Among the events are beach cleans, nature walks, path-making, installing bird and bat boxes. The Big Green Weekend which takes place at all Haven parks on July 15th promises to be bigger and better than ever.

This year the Wildlife Trust have partnered with Haven to devise a nature trail on each park as part of their Wildlife Detectives programme which encourages kids to discover all sorts of fascinating facts about our wonderful flora and fauna. And older children can follow an orienteering course to make the trail even more fun.

Haven Holidays’ Managing Director John Dunford said ‘Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do.’ Whether you want to minimize your carbon footprint by holidaying closer to home or just crave a more simpler, back to nature holiday – Haven might surprise you as one of the most eco-friendly holiday operators in the UK.

And booking a greener holiday doesn’t cost the earth. Breaks at Haven Holidays during May half term cost from £199 based on up to six people sharing a Standard holiday home at Haggerston Castle (in Northumberland), Wild Duck (in Norfolk), or Combe Haven (in East Sussex), arriving on 27th May for 3 nights.

Call 0871 230 1900 or click on www.haven.com


Fascinating facts and figures

• Haven recycled the equivalent weight of over 200 double decker buses in 2010.
• The carbon emissions Haven saved last year are equivalent to planting nearly 2 million trees or a car travelling around the planet 2,040 times, a total of over 51 million miles.
• There are 15 nature reserves and 16 nature trails across our parks.
• Haven have more resident park rangers than any other holiday company.
• 33 Haven parks hold David Bellamy Gold Conservation Awards.
• The woodland in the nature walk at Devon Cliffs dates back to the Ice Age.
• There are 130 species of birds at Primrose Valley – as well as wild garlic!
• Cornish choughs returned to Perran Sands last year for the first time in 70 years.