Help shape future facilities at UK Club campsites
Comments
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The Club does have a problem. But it’s not one that Members will naturally relate towards. It needs to shed its perceived stuffy, snobbish image and do what a lot of other big players in the holiday business are doing and relate more to encompassing younger people, all ethnicities and all budgets.
Long term Members don’t need to be convinced it offers decent value for money. But looking in from the outside, to quote family members “it’s not for us. Too staid, too full of folks with lots of money, not very exciting, too many rules” or “they don’t welcome our kind of outfits” or “people don’t seem very friendly”. All regular comments about the Club, and to be found on a lot of review platforms. (I don’t include CLs here, just the Club Sites)
Any kind of change can be perceived as “revolutionary” by a minority of existing Members, so it’s going to be interesting to see what might eventually occur. But it does need to change and move forwards if it wants to survive.
We ponder on our Membership renewal every year now. Club Sites are of little interest outside of the Winter periods, not vfm enough for us now. There are lots of other options with a MH. The CLs are almost solely the reason we keep our Membership up. Hundreds like us.
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I think you define the situation very well. I wonder if that perception problem was offered to the ‘consultants’ as part of their brief or if many prefer it just the way it is? When you’ve reached the stage where members stop using club sites because they’re too expensive, I’d say that’s a problem worth looking at specifically.
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I am glad you picked up on the “perception” comment SB. Most long term Members, like us, know that things have changed greatly down the years, and most Club Sites are friendly places on the whole. Most of the rules are there to keep things safe and friendly, but they have evolved into high security, regimented, under staffed, high priced, micro managed places with an overall tendency towards expensive new outfits and occupants of a certain age. Some of these aspects have been a necessity outside the control really of the Club, (traveller incursions and thefts need security).
Its the pricing policy that hits us the hardest. We originally got into camping and caravanning because it was cheap, spending higher amounts on overseas holidays, cottages and specialist breaks. But the Club are eroding our Club Site choices. The no facility Sites are going, we have to pay big money for a pitch with EHU, despite being off Site with our outfit unplugged during most days, and older outfits like ours don’t use as much electric anyway, with or without a solar panel. We aren’t folks who sit in our outfit all day, heating on, feet up watching TV. (Nothing wrong with that, it’s a choice) But it’s either pay up, or end up in some tiny eco pitch not fit for any other purpose, usually grass, so you risk sinking into the mire! This is where choice would come in, full EHU, metered EHU, or at the very least a decent non EHU pitch.
It’s not as though Members haven’t been indicating to the Club that change is needed, particularly as MHs and campers are booming. A change of name didn’t cut the mustard, it requires more, a lot more.
I asked a question some time ago, about the loss of the non facility Sites. Basically, the reply was to use CLs. Therein lies our frustration around Club Sites.
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Discovery Research is a qualitative and quantitative market research consultancy”.
That could mean that is a company that you consult when you want to do market research, and nothing to do at all with this company being consultants about caravanning/MH/club related matters in the way you posted on page 5, the club is asking them only how to get data.
A sensible move by the club in my view if they want to get data they can actually work with and be useful to move forward with and get the views of it's members/users.
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It would indeed Brue, but would those who post on here be a true representative sample of the users of club sites? For one thing this sample size is just too small. One quick example to show this is pick a few club site and look at the reviews of club sites and often it's names that just do not post on CT?
I've just picked three that I've used recently and there are names that never post on CT and I haven't yet found 'one of us'.
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No I wasn't and never said I was, hence the who knows part of my post. But you were so maybe 'you' didn't take any of their advice or perhaps the advice kept the company going for a while or that whatever it was selling was just not viable? Were you there when it closed?
But like I said who knows, and all I was just pointing your misleading post that linked one with another.
But that is OT. You said you haven't taken part so really it could be said you can't complain when things don't improve or when things happen on club sites in the future that you don't agree with.
It's bit like when sixth formers used to complain about the government and then when they had the chance to vote didn't.
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Nowadays you could exchange the word "consultant" for "executive" (as in the Discovery Research blurb) it's not really relevant. This is an information gathering exercise from club members and it may not be the present members who can really take the club forward. My personal thoughts are that members elect other members to run the club and I woud hope that this quite large group of people both executive and non-executive can look to the future on our behalf. I don't know whether I'm correct but I think some of the core membership who influence decisions may come from local centres and rally groups rather than site users and I wonder if there is an experience gap betwen regular site users and regular rally goers and a conflict of interest which also involves costs? Just my thoughts. I hope there is a good cross section of users represented in this "research."
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No, it’s not relevant as is the phrase ‘trusted partner’. All that’s necessary in a healthy organisation is for the senior management team to understand its core business, have vision and make it their business to maintain regular contact with customers & staff via mechanisms built into the day-to-day running of the organisation. It obviously helps if you respond and communicate effectively when issues become apparent.
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I had a read of some of the questions and answers some of the Committee members gave after Brue highlighted the link. Very interesting, there are a number that reflect on the environmental issues, where the Club is now, and perhaps where it needs to be.
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Well I would say you're on the wrong track with that Bill. I do vaguely recall what quantitative and qualitative research was from my university days but that was 40 years ago. I just checked some definitions, admittedly from google but it appears it still has nothing to do with understanding the 'market'? I would say and from recall that a market research company cannot be an expert in all the possible markets it is going to do reasrach on, from what I can remember it will ask the company, in this case the club, what it wants to find out and produce methods to produce answers then analyse the data. Perhaps things have changed?
Qualitative research involves collecting and analysing non-numerical data (e.g., text, video, or audio) to understand concepts, opinions, or experiences. It can be used to gather in-depth insights into a problem or generate new ideas for research.
Qualitative research is the opposite of quantitative research, which involves collecting and analysing numerical data for statistical analysis
Qualitative research relies on data obtained by the researcher from first-hand observation, interviews, questionnaires (on which participants write descriptively), focus groups, participant-observation, recordings made in natural settings, documents, and artifacts
Qualitative research is defined as a market research method that focuses on obtaining data through open-ended and conversational communication.
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Thank you, but if I agreed with you we’d both be wrong.
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If you say so Bill, but if that is your best reply, rather than prove me wrong in some way, then who really knows who is right?
OT so I'll leave it there but as always...
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The survey just mentions facilities, but could well include activities too. Here are some of those activities I found on other campsites. All overseas of course.
A 28 a side football match for all ages every evening on the field beside the site, a site owner who decided to throw a drinks party for everyone, an impromptu group which met every morning at 8 am. for a two or three mile run in the woods, a site which offered a guided historical walk in the town, fire pits twinkling at dusk across a big field, swimming pools which could be covered or open according to the weather, water slides, a mini market in an evening when local producers set up tables to sell stuff, visiting food vans selling more than fish and chips, fresh bread every morning and sometimes delivered to our outdoor table, a multi national group which gathered to watch big screen football together, site owners who offered to cook meals for us, an off road bike track for kids, a common room where teenagers gathered, communal barbecue areas with seating, open access fridges and freezers for campers, free wi fi, a shuttle bus into the city, and bike hire too. And a trusting attitude of stay as long as you like and pay when you leave.
I wonder what the Club survey will produce.
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We have done the following all on one Cornish site……………
canoeing (if you had one), sailing (if you had the sailboat), motor boating (bring your own of course) bike riding, guided walks, owners drink night, kite flying, football, rounders, visiting Morris Dancers, van bringing round milk, eggs, cream, bread, shared running routes for the really energetic, fishing in the adjacent river, swimming in the adjacent river, boat taxis into centre of town, craft fairs in village hall 100 metres away, battery charging, laundry, loos, showers. Jam and wine tasting………….Extra accommodation in cottages, statics and B&B for non touring friends and family. We paid on leaving, and they stored our caravan for us for a couple of seasons😁
Family owned of course, we used the Site for around 20 years, and stayed in the cottages.
Sadly, and coincidentally, I have just read that it no longer exists as a touring site. ☹️It’s now an exclusive development of lodges and statics. Starting price for a lodge is £300,000.
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We can't second guess what new members will want and if they are not yet members we won't be able to ask them either!
But I wonder what existing members will want because as of yet in this discussion we have had very little feedback other than on pricing. Given that we are unlikely to still be touring in say 5 years time (?) the things I want are pretty immediate and some have already been achieved, albeit some only partially.
1) Continuation of the installation of open grill motorhome waste points with an estimation for future installations and the reason why this might not be possible on some sites.
2) Booking of hardstandings (already in place or will be soon)
3) More sites with restaurants where that is financially supportable.
4) If possible more sites without toilet blocks but with hardstandings and a choice serviced pitches.
5) More sites with static accommodation but at the more luxury end with built in facilities.
David
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What do you mean by built in facilities DK….the Glamping Cabins and Pods the Club provides already have ensuite bathrooms🤔 Or perhaps you just meant more of these on more of the Clubs Sites🤔
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Basically toilet and shower so you can be independent of site facilities. I think the Club talk of these in "New Speak" as they seem to want them to sound as though they are not statics in the accepted sense of the word!!!
David
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Some cabins have facilities but not the basic pods. They have nothing similar to C&CC's luxury offerings.
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The Glamping Cabins and Glamping Pods are just that, no need to use any other facilities, they stand alone. Friends of ours use them frequently, while their daughter and SIL still use caravan.
Camping Pods, those that look like an overturned boat are different. They are basically a wooden tent, with a plug point and possibly a heater🤔
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They are swish👍
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They do look nice.
David
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They do indeed. Lots of space outside as well. I had no idea C&CC had anything like this. Thanks for sharing👍
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My pleasure, TDA, and I'll let you in on a secret if you promise not to tell. We're staying in one at this very moment just like the one in the link but with slightly different furniture. Two bedrooms, two bath/shower rooms, outside furniture on the verandah, extremely well equipped with all mod cons. Sleeps up to 4 people for £68 p/n in mid season at member rates. They have a few sites with lodges and one with static caravans, plus bungalows which they let themselves with member discounts unlike CAMC who let theirs through an agency with no concessions whatsoever.
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The 10% discount is only on the Experience Freedom offerings and, as I said, no discount at all with this club on their bungalows, flats etc and the more stringent booking terms of Welcome Cottages apply. In other words, no gain in being a member.
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I must admit that I thought the glamping cabins at Troutbeck Head were good, but that's a whole new level.
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I just googled ‘camping sans bungalows’ to see if it would fit in with my preferences, that’ll be a resounding NO then-a whole bunch of rickety old beach huts & single tier huts you see on refugee sites. I think it may be an error🤷🏻♂️☹️
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Thanks for sharing this, a really good recommend for us. Winchcombe is a lovely place, have a great time👍 That price is excellent for all you get.
Rocky, I tried ADs camping sans bungalows……I got the Naturist Site🤣
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