Littlehampton closed down
we got a phone call yesterday from caravan club to inform us that our christmas booking as been cancelled as they have to shut the site and 5 other sites and maybe more to come as anyone else had same phone call
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Unfortunately Mick it seems that the shortage in supplies affecting many parts of the economy stretches to relief/temporary wardens as well and there has been several comments from disgruntled members about the short amount of time given by the club to those affected by these closures.
Most of the sites seem to be in the South so they are also taking away any alternative.
So no matter what our esteemed PM may say, for some Christmas will be cancelled.
I wish you the best of luck in making alternative arrangements.
I do wonder whether bookings at these sites will be down for this period next year.
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This is what is on the webpage for Littlehampton:-
"Please Note: We regret to inform you that due to staff shortages, Littlehampton Club Campsite will unfortunately be closed from midday on Monday 1 November 2021 for the remainder of this year (reopening on 25 February 2022).
If you have a touring pitch booking beyond Monday 1 November please cancel or amend your stay. If you would like to move your booking to an alternative site, the nearest ones are Brighton Club Campsite or Tanner Farm Touring Park, Affiliated Site, which are both open all year round."
Not sure how the Club have got themselves into this position?
David
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The clubs News and Events page has the section:
Latest news
Keep up to date with the latest news and advice from the Club.Read our news
This would have been an ideal place for the club to announce this shortfall to the membership. Instead we have got to find out from third parties.
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i think its going to get a lot worst with wages going up in other sectors cant see getting staff is going to be easy there is only a small pool of workers and its getting smaller the club should of made job more friendly for younger people rather then relying on us old ones now the older ones dont wont the job so as the song goes there will be trouble ahead
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Is it just me or do members think it a bit of adding insult to injury that, when CAMC cancel your booking, they want 'you' to do the amending/cancelling of your booking on the system?
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When they cancelled them due to restrictions they said the same, but had Deleted User them by the time I got round to looking. As it’s closed anyway, I suppose the only point is if you want to make another booking for those dates, as it would prevent that.
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I think CY just meant cancel the Littlehampton booking and then leave customers to rebook as required, or not...
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If the job was suitable for younger people I would envisage that they would have taken on younger people in previous years, when there was far more unemployment. You have to be very hard working and have a very even temper to be a warden/assistant warden, as the job is not easy at all and some members can be very hard to please and often not very pleasant!
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Maybe this will be one of the questions at todays AGM? Not quite sure how the Club have got themselves into this position. Have they changed the T&C's for working for the Club so much over the last two years that existing wardens have re-evaluated whether they want to continue working for the Club? Or has COVID just meant that some wardens have just decided not to carry on and just retire? The very nature of the job often attracts those that have retired early from their main career but need to carry on for a few more years. Sometimes this is full time but often for part of the year which gives them several months to enjoy other things. The trouble with when you get shortages of staff is to immediately think that it is all about pay but sometimes there are other factors.
David
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Job advert .
Are you willing to leave home and either sell your house or rent it to strangers. Instead you must spend £25,000 or so on a caravan to live in on a campsite which might be quite isolated without nearby shops and so on. You must accept that this may be in a part of the country away from your family and friends. You need to have a partner who is willing to drop their own career and work on a campsite with you, You must both undertake tasks which can be distasteful and difficult. You must accept short term contracts of varying lengths without guarantee of continued employment.
Few replies these days?
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There is a general theme in this thread that the nature of the work of a warden is only suitable for older people, or that it will only attract older people. I can't get my head around that and can think of no logical reason why younger people could not do the job.
Is this not just a case of people falling into the trap of recognising that, historically, the target market has been caravanners who retire from their main career and take the opportunity to do something else, and earn some money, in their twilight years.
It surely does not have to be that way; however, the pay would possibly need to be more - not that I have the first notion of how much the pay is currently.
In the end, everything is about money. Pay a decent wage and people of any age could, and probably would, do the job irrespective of other factors.
I agree though with the post suggesting that key requirements for the candidates are patience and a thick skin!
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If my information is correct, and I have no reason to not think so, ,in the last couple of years, certain "custom and practice conditions of employment" that have been in operation for decades , have been eroded by New senior management? which although not yet acknowledged by those who implemented the changes, are now beginning to bite back
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Could it be that demands on Wardens by todays vaners is too much. We have seen here posts on Mowing Noise, Complaints about mole traps. Perhaps wardens wont any longer tolerate the me, me, me and now, now people. With so many job vacancies in other areas wages may also be an issue. Just a thought.
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Site reviews are full of complaints about grumpy wardens. Mostly from people who have turned up early or breached some other rule.
Maybe wardens are sick of it, especially when we hear they don’t get the backing they need from HQ.
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I think you could be right with the attitudes of some and getting higher , is it a wonder that the whole of the hospitality sector is having difficulty. recruiting ,and if the same type of. Senior managers are in other sections ,as reported in this club it will get worse , with hourly rates for new starters at just above the min wage ,as well
As for attracting younger site staff it seems the opposite is happening to try to keep sites open,70yrs+in some cases
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I think the problem with encouraging younger people to become site wardens is the fact that there is very little career progression available which of course limits earning capability. Its fine if someone wants to take a couple of years out to try something new but I suspect they are few and far between?
David
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A near neighbor has a static/seasonal and touring pitch site. He says that the tourers are much more difficult to satisfy than the statics. The statics have the same people week in week out and know what to expect and are more laid back. He feels the tourers bring their frustrations etc of normal life with them and no longer seem to enjoy their holidays. So much so that they are changing the tourist pitches to statics. (I also think they are much more profitable when you add in the sales commission on new units from the figures he tells me), Could the trend to interfere in site running actually lead directly to fewer pitches and the loss of weary wardens.
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I think "interfere in site running" is way off beam. Moans and complaints are one thing but who of us is able to interfere in site running?
Across the country sites are being turned from tourers to static accommodation because it is far more profitable for site owners. It’s been a slow change for several years but now the pushing of second home ownership has escalated. I’m sure the difficulty in finding decent towcars is playing a part too as site owners sense a possible lessening of tourer use.
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I think that if younger people are to be attracted to the job of warden there are a number of issues to be addressed. Living accommodation is one. Short term contracts is another. Younger couples are more likely to have children - so there are clearly issues about schooling. Of course younger people can have the patience & knowledge of older people, and those skills/knowledge would need to be tested during recruitment. However, I would think it is also quite a lonely job in its own way - where is the support for a warden couple, when things get a bit difficult? And I dont just mean from head office; if you are, e.g. working in a pub and a customer gets difficult, there is usually someone more senior ON SITE to help out.
I do think the vanning knowledge of wardens is important. There are many new caravaners & motorhomers that have been supported by a bit of timely advice from a knowledgeable warden - helping them get to grips with their outfit, and hobby.
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Sadly DK, there were only three questions asked at the AGM today. One about could the Club help CLs with electric car charging, one about charging for on Site wifi, and one about electric metering. Nothing else. No one from the floor asked a question under any other business, no further questions considered from no doubt lots submitted electronically. I was very surprised.
No mention of Site closures, staff shortages.
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I wasn't able to watch the AGM today. Did they give any indication that there were more questions that would be answered later? When they first did this format they only replied to a few questions at the AGM but answers were given later to all questions asked. What I couldn't find this year was a list of questions submitted but I thought that was because I didn't sign up for the presentation. It will be a shame if there were only the number that you mention.
David
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No nothing mentioned, but it did say all questions submitted would get a response of some kind (I can’t remember, possibly by email) I would think there will be a list of questions submitted and answers as part of posting AGM onto website. 2020 Q&As are listed at the moment.
I have to admit to being distracted doing other things during certain points in meeting, but don’t think I missed much. I do recall another question asked around insurance and age, that was from the floor I think, just after Treasurers report.
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