Sidney De Haan
Encyclopedia
Sidney Isaac De Haan, OBE (1919–2002) was the founder of Saga
, an internationally known group of companies providing a wide range of services for people aged 50 and over.
, East London
E3 in 1919, one of the eight sons and three daughters of a shoe factory foreman, he left school at the age of 14 and began training as a chef
, working at the Waldorf Hotel
for a while. In 1939 he was called up to the Royal Army Medical Corps
and was captured at Dunkirk, he spent three years in a Stalag
in Eastern Europe and was then released in order to escort sick prisoners of war who were being repatriated in 1943. Upon arrival in the UK he was transferred to a hospital in the south of England where he met his wife Margery Crick, a nurse, and they married in 1945. They had three sons, David (in 1945), Roger (in 1948) and Peter (in 1952).
The De Haans noticed the large number of retired people who came to the south-east coast after the high season crowds had gone. De Haan decided to offer affordable, off-peak holidays exclusively to people who were retired. The plan was to offer them all-inclusive holidays with built-in travel by coach and three meals a day. Seeing the potential economic value in stretching the holiday season, he persuaded the local council and other traders to find ways of welcoming the retired visitors, with special offers and discounts.
De Haan soon expanded the business overseas and as Saga grew, it became impossible to continue selling all its holidays face-to-face, he began to promote Saga holidays by mail, inadvertently becoming a pioneer in what would become known as direct marketing
.
When he retired in 1984 De Haan had become an established name in travel circles, and was awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to tourism
, in the following New Year's Honours List. He had floated his company on the stock exchange in 1978 when it became the most over-subscribed issue of the year. Many Saga holidaymakers also became shareholders and demonstrated their loyalty by providing him with a high level of repeat business.
De Haan had not realised it at the time, but when he hit upon a bright idea to generate some extra revenue for his hotel, he was founding a company which, in addition to worldwide holidays and cruises, would move on to provide a plethora of insurance products, financial services, and more, all for a customer group which most advertisers ignored. In so doing it would become one of Britain's best-known brands.
He is succeeded by three sons, David, Peter and the retired Chairman of Saga Group Ltd, Roger De Haan
.
De Haan died at his home in Folkestone
, Kent, on Saturday 16 February 2002, after suffering a heart attack
. Margery pre-deceased him in 1994.
In memory of Sidney De Haan, the Roger De Haan Charitable Trust funded the Sidney De Haan Research Centre led by the University College’s Music Department and the Centre for Health Education and Research in 2004 in association with Shepway Primary Care Trust and Canterbury Christ Church University. The centre is an extension of research undertaken by Professor Grenville Hancox and Professor Stephen Clift into the positive effects of music on health and well-being. The project, the first of its kind in East Kent, is one of only four in the UK. It is the first higher education venture to be carried out in Folkestone, Kent.
Saga Group
Saga is a British company focused on serving the needs of those aged 50 and over. It has 2.7 million customers. The company has five call centres. All are in the UK, three in Folkestone, Kent at Middelburg Square, Enbrook Park and Cheriton Park; the fourth at the Eurokent Business park in...
, an internationally known group of companies providing a wide range of services for people aged 50 and over.
Early life
Born in Mile EndMile End
Mile End is an area within the East End of London, England, and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross...
, East London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
E3 in 1919, one of the eight sons and three daughters of a shoe factory foreman, he left school at the age of 14 and began training as a chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
, working at the Waldorf Hotel
Waldorf Hotel
Waldorf Hotel may refer to:*The original name of the Waldorf Hilton, a hotel in London*The name of one of the two hotels that merged to form the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City...
for a while. In 1939 he was called up to the Royal Army Medical Corps
Royal Army Medical Corps
The Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
and was captured at Dunkirk, he spent three years in a Stalag
Stalag
In Germany, stalag was a term used for prisoner-of-war camps. Stalag is a contraction of "Stammlager", itself short for Kriegsgefangenen-Mannschafts-Stammlager.- Legal definitions :...
in Eastern Europe and was then released in order to escort sick prisoners of war who were being repatriated in 1943. Upon arrival in the UK he was transferred to a hospital in the south of England where he met his wife Margery Crick, a nurse, and they married in 1945. They had three sons, David (in 1945), Roger (in 1948) and Peter (in 1952).
Career
After the war, De Haan had an ambition to buy and run a small seaside hotel, so he bought the Rhodesia Hotel in Folkestone which enabled him to fulfil this wish, but he was to discover that holidaymakers did not come to Folkestone outside the brief summer season.The De Haans noticed the large number of retired people who came to the south-east coast after the high season crowds had gone. De Haan decided to offer affordable, off-peak holidays exclusively to people who were retired. The plan was to offer them all-inclusive holidays with built-in travel by coach and three meals a day. Seeing the potential economic value in stretching the holiday season, he persuaded the local council and other traders to find ways of welcoming the retired visitors, with special offers and discounts.
De Haan soon expanded the business overseas and as Saga grew, it became impossible to continue selling all its holidays face-to-face, he began to promote Saga holidays by mail, inadvertently becoming a pioneer in what would become known as direct marketing
Direct marketing
Direct marketing is a channel-agnostic form of advertising that allows businesses and nonprofits to communicate straight to the customer, with advertising techniques such as mobile messaging, email, interactive consumer websites, online display ads, fliers, catalog distribution, promotional...
.
When he retired in 1984 De Haan had become an established name in travel circles, and was awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, in the following New Year's Honours List. He had floated his company on the stock exchange in 1978 when it became the most over-subscribed issue of the year. Many Saga holidaymakers also became shareholders and demonstrated their loyalty by providing him with a high level of repeat business.
De Haan had not realised it at the time, but when he hit upon a bright idea to generate some extra revenue for his hotel, he was founding a company which, in addition to worldwide holidays and cruises, would move on to provide a plethora of insurance products, financial services, and more, all for a customer group which most advertisers ignored. In so doing it would become one of Britain's best-known brands.
He is succeeded by three sons, David, Peter and the retired Chairman of Saga Group Ltd, Roger De Haan
Roger De Haan
Roger Michael De Haan CBE, DL was born in 1948 in Northampton and is the son of the late Sidney De Haan, who created the Saga group of companies, mostly famous for selling holidays to the over 50s market...
.
De Haan died at his home in Folkestone
Folkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
, Kent, on Saturday 16 February 2002, after suffering a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
. Margery pre-deceased him in 1994.
In memory of Sidney De Haan, the Roger De Haan Charitable Trust funded the Sidney De Haan Research Centre led by the University College’s Music Department and the Centre for Health Education and Research in 2004 in association with Shepway Primary Care Trust and Canterbury Christ Church University. The centre is an extension of research undertaken by Professor Grenville Hancox and Professor Stephen Clift into the positive effects of music on health and well-being. The project, the first of its kind in East Kent, is one of only four in the UK. It is the first higher education venture to be carried out in Folkestone, Kent.
External links
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1828274.stm
- http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/news/newsRelease.asp?newsPk=344
- http://www.peterdehaan.co.uk