Managing Director of Leisure at DF Capital
As DF Capital’s managing director of leisure, Ian Martin ensures DF Capital plays a vital role in supporting businesses to make the most of current commercial opportunities. He understands portfolio management, credit oversight and retailer and manufacturer relationships and has three decades of experience in leisure finance, crucially including manufacturing relationships and sales management roles How is the caravan and park homes market faring at the moment Ian? We had a good 2022 in terms of sales but that seems to have fallen off this year. Should we remain positive despite all of this? Yes, that’s right, things have started to slow a little. After a period of booming sales, many manufacturers are now having to put the brakes on slightly in terms of production to give the parks chance to clear some of the stock they are holding. Parks are being more proactive in encouraging buyers with special offers and deals. I’ve seen free site fees and free gas and electric for a year– which are nice incentives for the right customers. Nonetheless, at a recent park and leisure homes show, manufacturers and parks said they were pleased with the footfall and enquiries in general. Anecdotally, I’ve also heard that holiday bookings at certain parks are holding up well, especially as they too are offering money off deals. So, whilst it’s a more difficult market than it was 12 months ago, there is still interest in the sector and I expect this to continue. That is where DF Capital comes in. Can you tell me a bit more about DF Capital? DF Capital is a specialist savings and commercial lending bank, providing personal savings products to retail customers and award-winning inventory finance solutions to dealer and manufacturing businesses across the country. DF Capital works closely with manufacturers and parks in the leisure industry and provides flexible working capital solutions – Floorplan Finance, Unit Stocking and Rental Finance – throughout the unit distribution cycle. Can you explain what these are in more detail? DF Capital supports park home and lodge manufacturers and distributors with capital funding throughout their distribution cycles. This is done by providing credit facilities, known as Floorplan Finance, across the distribution network which can help to grow sales, improve cash flow and free up working capital. Holiday parks are also supported by credit facilities so they can purchase and supply units to their customers when needed without having to pay for them upfront. This is called Unit Stocking and this brings cash flow and working capital benefits to distributors. DF Capital also provides holiday parks with flexible funding to enable them to purchase more units so they can hire them out to customers, spreading the cost over time whilst earning rental income. By providing this flexibility, park operators can decide whether to sell or continue to rent out the unit at the end of the term. This is known as Rental Finance. How is DF Capital helping parks and manufacturers in the lodge and park home sector to keep things moving and grow their businesses in the current market? Our funding can help both parks and manufacturers to grow their sales, protect cashflow and support working capital. If we don’t already work with a manufacturer, we can offer parks a direct funding facility, whereby we provide the funding to the parks and they pay the manufacturer for the units received. For manufacturers who have a programme with us, we pay them upon delivery of the homes, with the parks then repaying us upon final sale to their customer. It’s a streamlined process that makes selling products easier for both manufacturers and the parks. We’ve grown the number of manufacturers we work with over the last few years and now support more parks than ever before. We are all about helping grow sales for manufacturers and parks alike. The facilities we offer are tailored to individual needs and we offer facility limits – according to our customer’s affordability – to unlock growing sales. We also have flexible limits to support a park or manufacturer. Does DF Capital offer hire fleet funding? Yes, DF Capital offers a rental and hire fleet facility to parks. Manufacturers offer units on fleet terms and we typically finance them over a four year period, up to a maximum of 90 days per rental contract. Is consumer finance on the cards for holiday home purchases? We are exploring options to widen the lending products we offer and this could include consumer finance in the future for a number of our sectors When did the Floorplan Finance scheme start, what has onboarding been like, and do you see a time when this will be the default way of doing business? DF Capital has been offering Floorplan Finance since it was founded in 2016. Floorplan financing is well established and, in some areas – such as tourers and motorhomes – the vast majority of manufactured units are funded via a floorplan scheme. We are continuing to see growing interest for similar finance in the lodges and holiday homes market, so expect to see more units across the entire sector to be funded by floorplan over time. Tell me about something that makes DF Capital stand out in the industry We are quite unusual in this industry as our charges are fixed at the point a home arrives at the park, until we are repaid. This gives parks and manufacturers certainty as to the cost of having an unsold home on the park but also provides important protection against increasing interest rates on the assets that have already been funded by us. For those interested in finding out more, what should they do next? Visit dfcapital.bank/commercial and take a look at our product information. We even have videos on our website to help explain how we can help. You can also contact me on imartin@dfcapital.bank and we can discuss ways in which DF Capital can support both
Caravan Guard crowned top motorhome insurance provider
Motorhome insurance specialists, Caravan Guard, have once again been crowned as winners of What Motorhome’s magazine’s insurance provider of the Year 2023. Already the chosen insurance partner of hundreds of motorhome and campervan dealers,judges chose Caravan Guard as “a clear winner” for its “keen pricing and feature-laden policy”. What Motorhome surveyed 11 motorhome insurance specialists and analysed the features and benefits of their motorhome insurance policies against the cost of their premiums. When choosing Caravan Guard as the winner, What Motorhome said its policy was “one of the cheapest around”. Editors also highlighted that the Yorkshire-based company was one of the only providers to offer UK breakdown as standard, and that “most rivals are more costly, even though they generally don’t include vehicle recovery”. They also highlighted Caravan Guard’s generous claims limits, with its excess starting at £150* Other cover benefits include unlimited windscreen cover, a £1,000 limit for replacement locks, high personal injury benefits of £15,000, plus legal cover. “We’re extremely proud to be named What Motorhome’s insurance provider of the year for 2023,” said Caravan Guard’s Partnership Director Neil Menzies. “It’s a very competitive market and we’ve worked really hard with our underwriters, RSA, to offer market-leading insurance cover so customers can trust us to insure their freedom. “Over the last 12 months, we’ve seen good growth in our motorhome insurance scheme and we’re insuring more motorhome owners than ever. They’re clearly impressed with our brilliant customer service, extensive cover benefits, and big savings for claim-free driving, security and safety.” It’s the third time Caravan Guard has won this annual survey, having been highly commended many times before, and scooping the title in 2020 and 2021. The insurance specialist was also voted as Best Motorhome Insurance Provider by customers in the Insurance Choice Awards 2022. To introduce your dealer customers to Caravan Guard’s award-winning policies, with great value premiums, excellent service and extensive cover for your customers, plus healthy levels of commission for your business, contact our friendly team: development@caravanguard.co.uk.
The Weirdest Sights You’ll See in a Caravan Park
The Weirdest Sights You’ll See in a Caravan Park We all love a staycation and with the cost-of-living crisis set to continue, more than a fifth of us are looking to avoid costly flights in favour of a UK-based trip. And we’re looking beyond hotel stays to caravan and camping holidays. In 2022, the market size of the caravan and camping site industry in the UK rose by a third as people in the UK took 16.7 million caravanning and camping trips. With an estimated 755,000 caravans and motorhomes and 365,000 caravan holiday homes in regular use across the UK, many are buying into this kind of staycation. If you’re ready to join the caravanning trend, you need to prepare yourself to see some strange sights that are unique to the caravan holiday! Pure Leisure, which offers Lake District lodges for sale, has spoken to caravanners and campers to find out about some of the weirdest sights people have seen during their holidays. Parking palavers and new neighbours Reversing your caravan onto your pitch requires a certain level of driving skill and spatial awareness. Unfortunately, not everyone can expertly position their caravan exactly where they need it to be. If this is your first time parking a caravan, get ready for your new neighbours to stop what they’re doing to critique your technique! You can expect an audience of happy campers ready to offer advice about how best to align your caravan with your plot and tips on proper mirror usage. Difficulty reversing can lead to holiday-makers parking their caravans in weird places, nowhere near the agreed plot, looking as though they’ve been abandoned! Watch out for lacking driving skills amongst your new neighbours and prepare yourself for spirited discussions about wheel placement, tow bar securing and whether they’ve left enough space for the fold-out deckchairs. Once your neighbours have finished trading parking stories, the discussion might switch to ‘the noisy ones’. There’s usually one group of caravanners who are louder than the rest – if you haven’t met them, it might be you! Instead of complaining about potentially loud music, late-night conversations or happily screaming kids, why not join in? Chatty neighbours can make for great company and many of the people we spoke to have made lifelong friendships through their static and touring caravan holidays! Crazy caravans When deciding on which caravan to buy, we have plenty of considerations – do we want a static caravan in one location or a touring option? Many of us will also choose the most spacious option available. But the QT Van takes this idea and does the opposite! Standing at just 2.39m in length and 1.53m in height, this is one tiny caravan. Named the world’s smallest caravan by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2014, the QTvan features a full-sized single bed, TV, bookshelves and even a minibar! The tiny trailer can be pulled by a bike or mobility scooter, making it a brilliant sight if one arrives in your caravan park. If you’re the proud owner of a QTvan, you’re sure to encounter more questions from your nosy neighbours, so be prepared! Tent rope trippers If you’re parked up on a site that also allows tents, the likelihood is you’ll see someone trip over a guy line before your holiday is over. From small missteps to full-blown faceplants, these ropes that hold a tent upright are a common camping site hazard. To make matters worse, they’re even harder to see at night, especially if you’ve forgotten your torch. Watch out as fellow caravanners and campers go flying across the site after getting caught out by one of these ropes! The ‘catavan’ With 53% of travellers choosing to bring their pets on holiday, it’s no surprise to see canine or feline campers. What is a strange sight however is a furry friend with their very own caravan. When a stray cat wandered onto a caravan dealership in Staffordshire, the park employees decided she needed her own mobile home. They developed a bespoke caravan, perfectly sized for the cat, even fitted with its own tow bar and set of wheels! Look out for other pampered pets travelling with their owners at your next caravan site. A ruined first kiss Many caravan sites feature picturesque views and sweeping lakes. On the surface, these make for the perfect romantic setting. But as one couple we spoke to found out, they can also be fraught with accidents! After spending a lovely day together exploring the caravan park and the stunning views, the couple shared their first kiss at the edge of a large lake…only to both fall into the water! The freezing lake put a bit of a dampener on the moment. It all worked out eventually though, as the pair are now happily married! Canine capers If you don’t see a pampered cat with its own personal caravan on your holiday, you might see a sports-loving dog. One caravanner remembers walking past a fellow holidaymaker playing table tennis. Nothing too unusual there, except for the fact that their opponent was a dog! The crafty canine was holding the table tennis bat in his mouth, hitting the ball back towards his owner. If only there were a video of such a brilliant sight! Goldilocks and the three caravanners The popularity of certain models of caravan can sometimes lead to embarrassing mix-ups, with people trying to unlock the wrong caravan or knocking on the wrong door. Things went one step further for one family when they returned to their caravan to find someone else in their bed! The couple had been fishing all day and returned to what they believed was their caravan for some well-earned rest. The two caravans were the same model and colour and the couple didn’t realise they were in the wrong one until the family woke them up! Caravanning and camping holidays certainly throw up some interesting, quirky and downright silly scenarios – and that’s part of their
The Sanibest Pro transforms Art Deco building
The Sanibest Pro – a heavy-duty macerator suitable for heavy usage public or commercial environments – from Saniflo UK is helping the residents of Eastbourne provide valuable services to people in need out of a large, four-storey Art Deco building in the centre of the town. As temporary custodians of the building, the Living Life Eastbourne charity provides a community hub, including an affordable café, which required a new, accessible WC, basin and baby-changing unit. Access to mains drainage would have required digging up a solid concrete floor, creating an expensive, time-consuming inconvenience. The solution was a powerful Sanibest Pro – a robust unit that caters to the demands of public space – installed behind the WC. The pipework runs behind a false wall and goes up and across the ceiling of a corridor behind the newly created bathroom, dropping down into a gravity-fed drainage pipe and drain that connects to a street-level sewer. Living Life Eastbourne was designated as a warm space during the winter, which helped local residents who couldn’t afford to heat their homes, and it’s also recently been designated as a safe space for the Eastbourne Carnival. It’s a meeting space for community groups and offers a friendly, welcoming space for the homeless and those who live alone. The Sanibest Pro from Saniflo is a heavy-duty macerator suitable for heavy usage public or commercial environments. It can pump up to 7m vertically or 110m horizontally. In the Living Life café in Eastbourne, it combines both; lifting the waste 3m and pumping it across approximately 10m where the waste falls into a soil stack.
London calling … Willerby makes its capital debut!
We’re taking the Willerby experience and holiday homes lifestyle into the heart of London … and we’d love you to join us! For the first time ever, we’re promoting all that is great about Willerby holiday home ownership with a high-profile presence in bustling central London. The Willerby showcase will promote the fantastic experience enjoyed by owners of Willerby holiday homes and holiday makers at the many beautiful holiday parks across the UK. We’re taking two of our most popular homes to a high-footfall site at Southbank Centre Square, on the south side of the Thames, for three days later this month. And we’ll be joined by our friends at Park Holidays, which operates more than 50 holiday parks, many of them in the South and South East of England. Chloe Lidster, our Director of Customer Experience, said: “As the UK’s holiday homes market leader, we’re very excited to bring a Willerby showcase to a prime location in London. “Working with our friends at Park Holidays, we’ll be presenting all the many advantages of holiday home ownership and staycations on holiday parks across the great British countryside and coast. “We’re asking busy Londoners, commuters and visitors to the city to take just a few minutes out of their day to visit our holiday homes and experience the style, comfort and luxury they offer. “We’re inviting them to imagine being able to enjoy regular holidays or short breaks away from the big city in a high-quality holiday home at a fabulous countryside or coastal holiday park. You never know, their imaginations might just lead to the best lifestyle decision they ever made!” The location for our London event has been chosen because it is passed by huge numbers of people walking to and from Waterloo Station into central London via Hungerford Bridge and the Golden Jubilee Bridge – the busiest footbridges in the capital. We’re taking two Willerby homes to London for this exciting event – a 40ft x 20ft, two- bedroom Mapleton and a 38ft x 12 ft, two-bedroom Gainsborough. We’re looking forward to showing visitors and passers-by around these stunning models and opening their eyes to the outstanding quality of accommodation and experience they offer. We’ll be at Southbank Centre Square, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX, from Tuesday, June 27th , to Thursday, June 29th, and everyone is very welcome to pay us a visit. We’ll be open to visitors at the following times: ● Tuesday, June 27th, 10am-8pm. ● Wednesday, June 28th, 8am-8pm. ● Thursday, June 29th, 8am-6pm. Come along, meet the Willerby and Park Holidays teams and discover the very best of the great British staycation, in one of the busiest parts of central London!
Saniflo exhibits at Installer Show 2023
From 27-29 June, Saniflo – a leading designer and manufacturer of pumps, macerators and lifting stations – will exhibit at the Installer Show at the NEC in Birmingham in Hall 5, stand B100. The decision to exhibit at this year’s Installer Show is thanks to the success of last year’s show. This year, customers and prospects will be treated to a display of Sanifos underground pumps – popular with domestic and commercial customers – that feature multiple connection points to pump waste black and grey water from whole buildings when the building level is lower than the mains drains. Also on display will be the new Saniflush, a modern WC with an easy-access, integrated macerator that can take the waste from a sink. The sleek, seamless design highlights the simplicity of converting an unused space into a stylish cloakroom or bathroom when gravity drainage isn’t accessible. In addition, visitors to the stand will find a range of condensate, submersible, and shower pumps. All visitors to the Saniflo stand can enter a special prize draw to win £100 Amazon Gift Voucher by answering the question on the competition entry form. One lucky winner will be chosen randomly at the end of each day. Saniflo UK Marketing Manager, Amanda Mills, says: “We had a successful Installer Show last year and we’re looking forward to this one and having the opportunity to showcase the quality and durability of the Saniflo range of products to existing customers and prospects. We’re particularly keen to demonstrate the benefits of the Sanifos range and the success Sanifos is enjoying with domestic and commercial projects. The Saniflo experts will be on hand to answer all questions. We look forward to seeing everyone there.” To register for a free ticket to attend the show visit: https://installer-2023-visitor.reg.buzz/show-website
The Power of Play: Keep Your Guests Coming Back With Huck Play’s Bespoke Rope Play Equipment
A huge part of keeping your guests coming back year after year is providing them with plenty of activities to keep them entertained during their stay with you. At Huck Play, we’re advocates for the power of play and believe that nothing brings guests together more than a fun, engaging outdoor playground. Plus, happy children means happy parents – and that’s a win for everyone! Whether you have an existing outdoor play area that could do with a bit of a refresh or you’re looking to create something brand new, Huck Play has the perfect outdoor playground equipment for your caravan park. We strive to create truly innovative and engaging play structures that give children the space to engage with one another, explore their imaginations and exercise their bodies. Top Quality Rope Play Equipment Built to Last We have a fantastic variety of rope-based play equipment, including small-scale and large-scale structures. Our range includes everything from play towers, rope bridges and tunnels, climbing structures and a whole lot more! Our incredible design team can work with you on custom and bespoke projects, whether that’s singular pieces of equipment or a full-scale playground. The team have been a part of countless holiday site projects, completely transforming outdoor spaces into fun, creative and safe play areas that have worked wonders at attracting new guests and keeping existing guests coming back. “What an experience! The design process was fun, the equipment looks amazing and the build quality is very high! Not only that, the installation team has been excellent! The investment has been worth every penny.” – 5-star family camping park, St. Ives, Cornwall Depending on your requirements, we can use timber or steel, along with our signature Hercules rope, to craft our unique playground structures. Our rope is incredibly strong and has shown to last for years without the need for replacement. Take your pick from a range of rope colours to match your park’s branding, or pick something that stands out to create an eye-catching and stimulating play environment. (Colours available include orange, turquoise, green, yellow, blue, pink, red, grey, rust red, hemp, black or a combination.) We’re also rolling out powder-coating options for our galvanised steel frameworks, giving you even more choices when it comes to customising your playground. You can get in contact with us to discuss more about our powder coating options. We Provide End-to-End Service – From Design to Installation Not only do we design and supply amazing playground equipment, but we also install the pieces. We’re at every step to ensure our high quality and safety standards are maintained throughout the process. We’ll work with you to complete the project within a reasonable time frame so your guests can start enjoying the new play area as soon as possible. And we’ll always provide full guidance on maintenance and safety when it comes to caring for your equipment. All of our structures come with a detailed maintenance schedule outlining the recommended frequency of checks and how to carry them out. Safety is a really important part of play, and we ensure that all of our structures meet the highest safety standards. Our maintenance team will be on hand to help with any queries or repairs you may require throughout the lifespan of your playground equipment. Choose the UK’s Leading Supplier of Playground Equipment If you’re ready to get started on creating a much-needed update to your outdoor play area, or you’d like any more information about the playground equipment and services we offer, feel free to get in touch with us today. We’d be delighted to answer any of your questions and help you create the perfect playground for your holiday park! Contact Details Email: hello@huckplay.co.uk Telephone: 01308 425 100 Website: https://www.huckplay.co.uk/
BLUEFIELD HOUSEBOATS – Developing and Regenerating “bluefield” sites
Addressing the big challenges of our generation including housing shortage, flooding and climate change, through innovative products is essential, and houseboats offer a viable and sustainable solution to regenerating and upcycling inaccessible water sites into usable space. Houseboats offer a “light touch” to waterfront & riverside sites reducing the impact on the environment with minimal permanent infrastructure which can be further enhanced by employing “off-grid” and “renewable energy” options. No compromise on-water living is now a reality where a houseboat can deliver all the comforts of a luxury apartment, perfect for full time living, holiday home or holiday rental. Most people are familiar with the construction terms “greenfield” and “brownfield” sites, but with our complete floating building solution we have identified “bluefield” sites which are areas of water that can become usable space for housing, holiday homes, rental accommodation, offices, restaurants and cafes, perfect for various kinds of houseboats. With architect led design, high quality products and marine engineering expertise, Bluefield Houseboats is pioneering houseboat design in the UK. We use a unique modular system which can accommodate a wide range of uses. All houseboats offer a complete building solution and are manufactured offsite in our custom built factory, then transported to site for installation. Our products have been specifically developed to meet the needs of different markets all offering the same standard of life on water as on land, meaning no compromises when you step on board any of our houseboats. The R (Residential) Series is our top of the range houseboats suitable for full time occupation with either 2 or 3 bedrooms. The M (Marina) Series houseboats have a more boat like aesthetic for the marina environment and are available as a 1 or 2 bedroom design. The FP (Floating Pod) Series has been developed for the holiday let market, suitable for lakes and inland waterways, and are available as a 1 or 2 bedroom design. So, if you are a marina owner, a hotel, a holiday park or a landowner with available water space on your site, or a local council looking for sustainable solutions to the housing crisis, then we have a houseboat to meet your needs. Our R Series houseboats are floating luxury apartments, and our generous standard specification includes a top of the range kitchen and island with branded appliances, a spacious open plan living / dining / kitchen area, mechanical ventilation heat recovery system, aluminium windows, fully compliant bathroom and up to 3 bedrooms. Slide open the patio doors and the large balcony allows for additional entertaining space or indeed a table and chairs for al fresco dining. You really need to step on board to appreciate how special these houseboats really are, and they are perfect for full time living or retirement, or indeed a family holiday home. You can experience real marina style living in one of our luxury Marina Series houseboats. Our M250 and M350 models have been specifically designed to fit seamlessly into a marina environment with a boat like aesthetic and an interior layout to accommodate a modern lifestyle. The new design GRP catamaran pontoons offer a superior level of stability as well as adding to the nautical look and feel of the houseboat. No compromises on the interior finishes either as these houseboats come fitted out with everything you would expect in your home from home. Our FP Series houseboats are perfect for holiday lets with a more pod–like aesthetic along with composite decking and slick cladding to fit with a parkland environment. A high quality finish to the interior includes fully fitted kitchen and appliances (combi oven, hob and fridge), high quality flooring, internal doors with rebate, skirting and architrave, fully compliant bathroom with toilet, wash hand basin and shower, built in storage and sliding double glazed doors. Like all our houseboats, the FP models also come fully painted throughout, ready for you to move in! While we offer 7 standard designs within our 3 ranges of houseboats, it is always possible to upgrade from our generous standard specification to create a more bespoke look and feel for your houseboat. This includes the exterior cladding, as well as interior flooring, wall colour, wall panelling, kitchen units and additional extras such as aircon, roof access and pergolas! We will try our best to accommodate all our clients’ requests – within reason! And if all that is not enough to convince you of the benefits of living on water, then the “blue mind” theory adds to the overall appeal where living on or near water has been proven to reduce stress levels and improve your mental health. Making houseboats the ideal choice for businesses and individuals alike! All Enquiries to info@bluefieldhouseboats.com or Tel 028 9099 7140. www.bluefieldhouseboats.com
Toy Distributor | ABGee | First Choice in Toy Distribution
A little bit about us… Founded in 1975 in the heart of the Midlands, A.B. Gee are the UK’s leading distributor for toys. In partnership with major suppliers as well as importing our own ranges, we are the number one choice in ensuring a smooth and consistent supply chain, from sourcing of products through to delivery to trade accounts. Our 75,000 square foot head office, distribution centre and showroom provide the base from where we supply wholesalers, retailers, large high street and online stores, garden centres and holiday parks. We have, for a long time now, supported the UK toy trade with products from some of the largest companies in the world and with our own exclusive toys. Our vast product range of currently more than six thousand sku’s covers Toys, games, and accessories. We also currently carry one of the most comprehensive ranges of high profile branded and TV advertised toys in the UK. Why choose us? We offer buyers a quality and variety of services which is second to none such as: ■ Professional & friendly sales team ■ Trade website/ordering facility ■ Low carriage paid orders ■ Multiple payment options ■ Individual shipping solutions ■ Next day delivery We are official distributors for Hasbro, Mattel, Funko, MGA, Zapf, Moose Toys, Spin Master, Jazwares, Ravensburger, Tooky Toy, Jar Melo, Character Options, Make It Real, Wild Planet and many more. We also supply our own exclusive products from a variety of categories, spanning pre-school, wooden, plush, arts & crafts, board games and outdoor toys. We have an extensive and exceptional showroom which features the top lines from many of our suppliers, this is updated constantly throughout the year, so we are always showcasing the newest ranges of the season. We have lots of product out of packaging too so you can really get a feel for the product you are buying. With something from every supplier on display, it really is a remarkable sight.” Give our sales team a call to find out how to make an appointment. Visit our website to apply for an account and view our full ranges. Pricelists and catalogues can also be downloaded here once you have a live account.
