Haven & British Holidays
Encyclopedia
Haven Leisure Limited is a company that operates 35 holiday parks in the United Kingdom
. The current company was created as Haven & British Holidays in 2004, following the amalgamation of the British Holidays chain with the Haven Holidays chain, which British Holidays' parent company, Bourne Leisure
, purchased from The Rank Group
in 2000. It now entirely trades as Haven.
Although the Haven name is now used for the combined chain, the existing company is, in effect, a continuation of British Holidays. Haven and British Holidays makes Bourne Leisure the largest caravan park operator in the UK.
In October 2000, Bourne Leisure purchased The Rank Group's UK leisure arm, Rank Leisure, for £700 million, which included the Haven, Butlin's and Warner Leisure Hotels
chains. At the time of acquisition, Rank Leisure's Haven Holidays operated 55 resorts, whilst British Holidays operated 23.
Bourne decided to retain larger operating units which accounted for approximately 85% of their customer flow, making it possible to upgrade the Haven parks to the same standard of the British Holidays chain.
Subsequently, the company disposed of 43 Haven and British Holidays resorts between 2001 and 2004. A number were sold to independent ventures and management buy-outs (for example, British Holidays' Lido Beach in Prestatyn
, Clwyd
http://www.lidobeachholidaypark.co.uk/index.html). However a number of growing leisure chains acquired larger quantities of sites, including :-
Far Grange Park & Golf Club, Skipsea
, East Riding of Yorkshire
, was purchased by Bourne Leisure in 2007, being the first acquisition by Bourne Leisure since Rank Leisure in 2000. The park appeared in the Haven 2008 holiday brochure, issued in November 2007 . However it has since been removed and now trades as a separate entity to the Haven chain in the Bourne Leisure
group.
In 2006, most advertising for the chain solely used the "Haven" name despite the company still continuing to legally trade as Haven & British Holidays. Finally in November 2007, the company ceased trading as "British Holidays" and the Haven name is now used throughout the chain, however the British Holidays logo can still be seen in many old signs and materials at former British Holidays parks.
), "Ropeworks" (high rope activity centre), "SplashZone" (swimming pools), "SportsZone" (sports activities), "Mash and Barrel" (restaurant and bar) and "FunZone" (outdoor family activity / playground areas). In addition, all parks have a general store (branded asEverydays, Essentials, not at all or more recently SPAR
or Londis
), reception
and a Haven Holiday Homes focusing on caravan sales, often branded as "Owners Exclusive" within the parks themselves.
The ShowBar entertainers, since 1998, have been known as "FunStars", replacing the "Haven Mates" title in former Haven resorts.
the Elephant and human characters Ned and Polly. Merlin was scrapped in 2009.
In 2008, Haven launched a new kids programme, Kids Alive to help encourage children to exercise and enjoy active lifestyles
, which is part of the company's attempt to take on board the advice of the British Health Council in tackling childhood obesity.
Part of the Kids Alive programme in Haven is "Wake and Shake" which is a warm up programme the kids do in club R n B as a warm up to start the day. however this has since been replaced by B Fit with Rory, a wake up show were children get active with Rory and the FunStars
Scotland
Seton Sands
,
Craig Tara
Northumberland
Berwick,
Haggerston Castle
Yorkshire
Blue Dolphin,
Primrose Valley
,
Reighton Sands
Lincolnshire
Thorpe Park,
Golden Sands
Norfolk
Caister,
Hopton Seashore,
Wild Duck
Essex
Orchards
Kent
Allhallows-on-Sea
Sussex
Combe Haven,
Church Farm
Dorset
Rockley Park,
Little Sea,
Seaview,
Weymouth Bay
Devon
Devon Cliffs
Cornwall
Riviere Sands,
Perran Sand
Somerset
Doniford Bay,
Burnham on Sea
South Wales
Lydstep Beach,
Kiln Park,
Quay West
North Wales
Greenacres,
Hafan y mor,
Presthaven Sands
Blackpool
Marton Mere,
Cala Gran
Lake District
Lakeland
as Haven Europe. However, these have now been sold to Siblu
as part of a management buy-out. Slowly the Haven name is being dropped as is the use of the children's entertainment and clubs as featured at Haven in the UK (Club R n B , Little Cubs , T-CO, Rory the Tiger etc.). In Siblu parcs they now have Bubbles, Pirate Club and Barracuda.
Bourne Leisure also owns resorts in Ontario
in Canada
and Sarasota in Florida
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The current company was created as Haven & British Holidays in 2004, following the amalgamation of the British Holidays chain with the Haven Holidays chain, which British Holidays' parent company, Bourne Leisure
Bourne Leisure
Bourne Leisure Holdings Limited is a British private company which owns a number of subsidiary undertakings operating in the leisure and holiday sectors in the United Kingdom....
, purchased from The Rank Group
The Rank Group
The Rank Group plc is a European gaming and leisure business. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
in 2000. It now entirely trades as Haven.
Although the Haven name is now used for the combined chain, the existing company is, in effect, a continuation of British Holidays. Haven and British Holidays makes Bourne Leisure the largest caravan park operator in the UK.
Acquisitions
The current Haven chain is formed from a number of acquisitions by its former brand, British Holidays, from the late 1980's, cumulating in the acquisition of Rank Leisure in 2000.In October 2000, Bourne Leisure purchased The Rank Group's UK leisure arm, Rank Leisure, for £700 million, which included the Haven, Butlin's and Warner Leisure Hotels
Warner Leisure Hotels
Warner Leisure Hotels is a private company owned by Bourne Leisure Limited who have 13 historical hotels located in various countryside and coastal regions of the UK....
chains. At the time of acquisition, Rank Leisure's Haven Holidays operated 55 resorts, whilst British Holidays operated 23.
Subsequently, the company disposed of 43 Haven and British Holidays resorts between 2001 and 2004. A number were sold to independent ventures and management buy-outs (for example, British Holidays' Lido Beach in Prestatyn
Prestatyn
Prestatyn is a seaside resort, town and community in Denbighshire, North Wales. It is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. At the 2001 Census, Prestatyn had a population of 18,496.-Prehistory:...
, Clwyd
Clwyd
Clwyd is a preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east, bordering England with Cheshire to its east, Shropshire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Gwynedd to its immediate west and Powys to the south. It additionally shares a maritime border with the metropolitan county of...
http://www.lidobeachholidaypark.co.uk/index.html). However a number of growing leisure chains acquired larger quantities of sites, including :-
- Park ResortsPark ResortsPark Resorts Limited is a UK private limited company which has been owned since 2007 by the US private equity firm, GI Partners, via the UK parent company, Dome Holdings Ltd....
, a management buy-out backed by CBPE, acquired 12 freehold resorts from the Haven chain in 2001. - Parkdean HolidaysParkdean HolidaysFormed in November 1999 with a management buyout of Trecco Bay Holiday Park in Wales for £21.4 million. Parkdean Holidays is a UK family holiday park operator that works on a buy and build strategy, currently owning 24 parks throughout the UK and have recently been awarded "UK Holiday Park Operator...
acquired 3 Haven and 2 British Holidays resorts in 2004 - Park Holidays UKPark Holidays UKPark Holidays UK operate 25 holiday parks in the south of England, with more sites than any other Holiday Park operator along the South Coast. All of the parks have been graded by VisitBritain quality in Tourism, and have achieved ratings of up to 4 stars...
, at the time known as Cinque Ports Leisure, purchased a further 9 parks.
Far Grange Park & Golf Club, Skipsea
Skipsea
Skipsea is a village and civil parish on the North Sea coast of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately south of Bridlington and north of Hornsea on the B1242 road at its junction with the B1249 road....
, East Riding of Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
, was purchased by Bourne Leisure in 2007, being the first acquisition by Bourne Leisure since Rank Leisure in 2000. The park appeared in the Haven 2008 holiday brochure, issued in November 2007 . However it has since been removed and now trades as a separate entity to the Haven chain in the Bourne Leisure
Bourne Leisure
Bourne Leisure Holdings Limited is a British private company which owns a number of subsidiary undertakings operating in the leisure and holiday sectors in the United Kingdom....
group.
Re-branding
Following Bourne's acquisition of Rank Leisure, the company began integrating its Haven and British Holidays chains during a seven year development phase. The brands "Haven Holidays" and "British Holidays" continued to trade independently until 2004, when both released a single brochure and website under the name "Haven and British Holidays".In 2006, most advertising for the chain solely used the "Haven" name despite the company still continuing to legally trade as Haven & British Holidays. Finally in November 2007, the company ceased trading as "British Holidays" and the Haven name is now used throughout the chain, however the British Holidays logo can still be seen in many old signs and materials at former British Holidays parks.
Activities & Facilities
Activities and facilities across all parks use standardised branding introduced by British Holidays in 1998, including "Funworks" (main entertainment complex), "Showbar" (family entertainment centre), "Foodworks" (fast food outlets; many now replaced by Burger KingBurger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
), "Ropeworks" (high rope activity centre), "SplashZone" (swimming pools), "SportsZone" (sports activities), "Mash and Barrel" (restaurant and bar) and "FunZone" (outdoor family activity / playground areas). In addition, all parks have a general store (branded asEverydays, Essentials, not at all or more recently SPAR
SPAR
Spar , trades from approximately 12400 stores in 34 countries worldwide and is the world's largest independent voluntary retail trading chain. Spar was founded in the Netherlands in 1932 by retailer Adriaan Van Well and now, through its affiliate organisations, operates through most European...
or Londis
Londis
Londis is the name for two convenience store franchises operating in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The stores form a symbol group and are all owned on a franchise basis.-Great Britain:...
), reception
Waiting room
A waiting room is a building, or more commonly a part of a building where people sit or stand until the event they are waiting for occurs.There are generally two types of waiting room. One is where individuals leave one at a time, for instance at a doctor's office or a hospital, or outside a school...
and a Haven Holiday Homes focusing on caravan sales, often branded as "Owners Exclusive" within the parks themselves.
The ShowBar entertainers, since 1998, have been known as "FunStars", replacing the "Haven Mates" title in former Haven resorts.
Characters
The children's mascot in Haven was previously Rory the Tiger and in British Holidays was Bradley Bear. However, since merging, both mascots are seen in all parks, alongside other children's characters from both former companies such as Greedy the Gorilla, AnxiousPanic attack
Panic attacks are periods of intense fear or apprehension that are of sudden onset and of relatively brief duration. Panic attacks usually begin abruptly, reach a peak within 10 minutes, and subside over the next several hours...
the Elephant and human characters Ned and Polly. Merlin was scrapped in 2009.
In 2008, Haven launched a new kids programme, Kids Alive to help encourage children to exercise and enjoy active lifestyles
Child slavery
-History:In the past, many children have been sold into slavery in order for their family to repay debts or for crimes. Sometimes this is also to give the children a better life than what they had with their family....
, which is part of the company's attempt to take on board the advice of the British Health Council in tackling childhood obesity.
Part of the Kids Alive programme in Haven is "Wake and Shake" which is a warm up programme the kids do in club R n B as a warm up to start the day. however this has since been replaced by B Fit with Rory, a wake up show were children get active with Rory and the FunStars
Holiday Parks
In the UK, Haven operate thirty-five parks:Scotland
Seton Sands
Seton Sands
Seton Sands is a rocky beach to the east of Port Seton, East Lothian, Scotland. It is situated at the western end of Longniddry Bents and is part of the John Muir Way coastal walk....
,
Craig Tara
Northumberland
Berwick,
Haggerston Castle
Haggerston Castle
Haggerston Castle was a castle located in the county of Northumberland, England at Haggerston about south of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Only the tower and the rotunda remain...
Yorkshire
Blue Dolphin,
Primrose Valley
Primrose Valley
Primrose Valley is a holiday park owned by Haven Holidays, around 3 miles south of Filey, just off the A165 in North Yorkshire, England. The park is touted as one of their flagship parks, and as one of their largest....
,
Reighton Sands
Lincolnshire
Thorpe Park,
Golden Sands
Norfolk
Caister,
Hopton Seashore,
Wild Duck
Essex
Orchards
Kent
Allhallows-on-Sea
Sussex
Combe Haven,
Church Farm
Dorset
Rockley Park,
Little Sea,
Seaview,
Weymouth Bay
Devon
Devon Cliffs
Cornwall
Riviere Sands,
Perran Sand
Somerset
Doniford Bay,
Burnham on Sea
South Wales
Lydstep Beach,
Kiln Park,
Quay West
North Wales
Greenacres,
Hafan y mor,
Presthaven Sands
Blackpool
Marton Mere,
Cala Gran
Lake District
Lakeland
International Parks
Until the acquisition of Haven by Bourne, Haven Holidays ran several parks in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
as Haven Europe. However, these have now been sold to Siblu
Siblu Europe
Siblu Europe Ltd sells holidays to 14 holiday parcs in France and also sells holidays to 10 independently owned holiday parcs in France, Spain and Italy. The accommodation available at the parcs is mainly mobile homes but there are some apartments, chalets and lodges at selected parcs...
as part of a management buy-out. Slowly the Haven name is being dropped as is the use of the children's entertainment and clubs as featured at Haven in the UK (Club R n B , Little Cubs , T-CO, Rory the Tiger etc.). In Siblu parcs they now have Bubbles, Pirate Club and Barracuda.
Bourne Leisure also owns resorts in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Sarasota in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.