Flogas Britain takes over AvantiGas cylinder business
Flogas Britain has announced its acquisition of the AvantiGas cylinder business. The deal means that cylinder customers at caravan and holiday parks who were previously served by AvantiGas will now be supported by Flogas Britain. The Leicestershire based firm said the move marked another step forward in the strengthening of its national off-grid energy network. Flogas said it was working closely with AvantiGas to ensure there was no disruption to supply so that customers continued to receive supplies as before. And it said that under the deal, a number of AvantiGas Cylinder employees were transferring to the Flogas team. “This is a significant and positive step for Flogas,” said Ivan Trevor, Managing Director at Flogas. “We’re pleased to be growing our footprint and reaching more customers, but we’re equally proud to be welcoming new colleagues into the Flogas family. “We know they’ll bring great experience and insight with them. Our focus now is on making the transition as seamless as possible for both customers and employees, while continuing to deliver safe, dependable energy.” The acquisition includes AvantiGas’ cylinder stock, customer accounts, and transportation assets related to the cylinder business. “This isn’t just about growth – it’s about reach, reliability and readiness,” added Matt Lightburn, Sales Director at Flogas. “With more assets on the ground and wider distribution coverage, we’re even better placed to serve our customers and partners across the country. “It strengthens our promise to be easy to deal with, quick to respond, and consistent in our service – every step of the way.” Customers will hear directly from Flogas over the coming days and will be given all the information they need to continue using their energy with confidence. For more information, visit www.flogas.co.uk
Sure Finance Launches Podcast
Sure Finance is launching an exciting new podcast and YouTube channel, designed to give future lodge and caravan owners a real insight into what holiday park life is all about. Each episode will be filmed onsite and include interviews with park owners and existing lodge or static caravan owners. Viewers will hear first-hand stories about why people choose lodge ownership, the lifestyle it offers, and what makes each park unique. The series will take viewers to some of the UK’s most beautiful holiday destinations, starting with Meadow Springs Country and Leisure Park in mid Wales. David Clelland, owner of Sure Finance, will be hosting interviews with lodge and park owners, beginning with Clive Bowen, the park’s Services Manager, highlighting the rolling countryside, peaceful setting, and strong sense of community that make Meadow Springs such an appealing place for holiday home ownership. Through the podcast, Sure Finance aims to showcase the wide variety of parks across the country – from coastal escapes to countryside retreats – while highlighting the everyday pleasures of owning a holiday home. From relaxing weekends with family and friends to spontaneous getaways, lodge ownership offers a sense of freedom that’s hard to match. As the UK’s leading holiday home finance specialist, Sure Finance understands that many people are unsure where to start. The podcast will not only share inspiring stories but also offer practical advice on choosing the right park, selecting a lodge or static caravan, and arranging affordable finance. By bringing together the experiences of real owners and the expertise of park operators, the series aims to make the idea of lodge ownership feel more achievable and accessible than ever. Find out more or subscribe for updates at www.sureleisurefinance.co.uk.
Need instant “Wow” factor?
Mature shrubs for colour and impact. With decades of firsthand experience in supplying the holiday park industry, as well as expert horticultural knowledge and advice, Wykeham Mature Plants are experts in supplying instant transformations tailored to the site conditions and to the requirements of your business. Developing ongoing relationships with clients is key in helping them to grow their business and to provide their guests with an experience that they will want to revisit time and again. Supplying the trade with high quality large trees, specimen shrubs, instant hedging and screening plants for over forty five years, Wykeham Mature Plants spans over 150 acres of nursery, located in a frost pocket ten miles from Scarborough; the Yorkshire-grown stock is guaranteed to be hardy and free from imported pests and diseases. Nationwide delivery is available, and for sites located within a hundred miles or so from the nursery, site visits are available to provide consultations on your site and, if required, a professional and guaranteed expert planting service to help give your scheme the best possible start, as well as ongoing advice regarding their aftercare. Shrub planting can be used to improve your site, such as to divide or highlight different areas as an alternative to hedging, to highlight the edges of paths and trackways in high traffic areas or to mark the boundary between plots. And, of course, ornamental and flowering shrubs will add “wow” factor to your most high-profile areas and to provide an attractive space for existing guests… and to entice new ones. Once established, shrubs require far less maintenance than bedding schemes or beds of herbaceous perennials, and shrubs provide the backbone of mixed plantings to provide year-round scale and structure. You don’t have to wait years for a planting scheme to grow to provide the results you need. Wykeham Mature Plants grow a wide range of mature shrubs to provide instant impact and beauty. The experienced staff will help you to select the ideal shrubs to thrive in the conditions on your site for guaranteed results and can even help youwith the design and planning As with trees and hedging, it’s important to firstly select shrubs suitable to the conditions on your site and to the localised planting position, such as soil type, drainage, exposure to wind or salt, shade or bright sunlight, etc…. and not to forget the possibility of potential damage from rabbits. Then consider the purpose of the shrub planting to select bushes with appropriate size and growth rate, any potential issues regarding thorns or berries, and even to consider colour schemes or themes. Don’t forget to also consider seasonality: if your site is only open from April to October then there’s no need to limit yourself to only planting evergreen shrubs, if your site is likely to host specific events then you may choose more shrubs which flower at that time of year, or you may choose a planting scheme in an area where you host winter festivities which can be decorated accordingly for that – the specific demands of your site will be individual to your business but the principles remain the same. Obviously, the list of potential shrubs you could use on your site is huge. At Wykeham Mature Plants we grow an extensive range of large, specimen shrubs for instant effect, most of which are grown in 36 litre containers; for advice and guidance regarding what shrubs will best suit your needs, or to discuss a planting scheme that includes trees or instant hedging to provide immediate maturity or screening, get in touch to discuss your requirements or to book a site visit for an on-site assessment (site visits available within about 100 miles of the nursery). Wykeham Mature Plants are experts in supplying instant transformations tailored to the site conditions and to the requirements of your business. Supplying the holiday park industry with high quality large trees, specimen shrubs, instant hedging and screening plants for over forty five years, the nursery is located in a frost pocket near Scarborough; the Yorkshire-grown stock is Plant Healthy certified and is guaranteed to be hardy and free from imported pests and diseases. For further information visit www.wykehammatureplants.co.uk. Alternatively, to discuss site visits and planting services (for sites located within a hundred miles or so from the nursery) email m.howe@wykeham.co.uk .
Park Holidays gifts free holidays to military families
Major holiday parks group Park Holidays UK says it feels “proud and humbled” to be named among the UK’s top three supporters of British armed forces families. The company has this year donated more than 470 free holidays to military families who have been separated when one member was deployed away from home. Now its generosity, worth an estimated £77,000, has resulted in Park Holidays UK being honoured in the 2025 Soldiering On Awards in the Family Values category. The glittering awards ceremony was held on 22 October at London’s Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel where broadcaster Jeremy Vine acted as host. The Family Values award celebrates organisations and individuals who have demonstrated commitment, dedication and support to caring for others in the armed forces community. Park Holidays UK earned its place in the final three by teaming up with the Give Us Time charity which helps families reconnect after being apart for six months or more. The charity says that that getting back to normality can be a stressful time – but that a holiday wheneveryone can spend quality time together can do wonders for helping a family to re-adjust. Give Us Time ensures that the stays donated by Park Holidays UK are enjoyed by the most deserving families, prioritising the bereaved and those with mental or physical injuries. The group’s Brad May said the company feels grateful for the role it is able to play: “It’s a genuine privilege for us to be allowed to help Britain’s dedicated military personnel to re-discover their family bonds after a period of deployment,” he said. “Give Us Time recognises that family dynamics can change considerably when time is spent apart, and they do an amazing job in helping adults and youngsters find their feet again. “We would also like to say a big thank-you to our park teams for their important role in helping military families enjoy the best possible experience during their stays. “We look forward to continuing our relationship long into the future,” added Brad who is Chief Marketing Officer at Park Holidays UK. Give Us Time’s Charity Adviser Lt-Col (Rtd) Rupert Forrest MBE, Charity Adviser, said “The strategic partnership with Park Holidays has been an outstanding success for all involved. “But the most important beneficiaries are those who have had the opportunity to rest, recover, and reconnect thanks to the generosity of this wonderful organisation. “The feedback we have had is a testament to the high-quality environment Park Holidays provides, and their staff have been outstanding in their support to these families,” said Lt-Col Forrest. The charity was founded in by former Defence Secretary and Member of Parliament, Sir Liam Fox, who received cross-party support in the Commons for his plans. There is more information about the charity and its work at www.giveustime.org.uk – and parks in membership of Park Holidays UK can be discovered at www.ParkHolidays.com
BH&HPA to rebrand as HARPA
The British Holiday & Homes Park Association (BH&HPA) will change its name to HARPA at the conclusion of its 75th anniversary year in 2025. From January 2026, the official representative body of Britain’s parks industry will unveil a major re-brand of its identity as the Holiday and Residential Parks Association, or HARPA. The change will be launched at the association’s national conference in London when Devon park owner Claire Flower takes on the role of the organisation’s National Chair. READ MORE: HARPA conference ushers in new era Claire, a Director of Beverley Holidays, is part of the members’ Working Group that helped steer the creation and implementation of the new identity. HARPA, she says, is much more than a re-naming, and will lay the foundations of a body going forward with even greater dynamism to represent its members’ best interests. “Our Working Group was tasked with looking at both the past and the future of the association, and ensuring that all members are given the opportunity to have their voices heard,” said Claire. “Our goal was to create a representative, inclusive and modern identity that will continue to support and reinforce the vast range of work we do across the industry. “Becoming HARPA is an exciting and ambitious step that will bring us greater recognition and further empower our future in a fast changing political and social environment. “We offer our thanks to everyone who has helped shape our new identity and for being part of this positive change,” added Claire whose park recently celebrated its 65th anniversary. Also helping to direct the Working Group was Lancashire residential park owner Michael Ward who acted as representative for the association’s residential parks sector. “This has been a collaborative process involving all members from the start, and the result reflects both our heritage and our future direction,” said Michael. “We are embracing a new chapter for our organisation while upholding the importance of tradition and consistency. “The new acronym, HARPA, was carefully chosen to be distinctive and easily identifiable, and offers a more accurate and inclusive representation of who we are and what we do. “The logo and design options underwent thorough testing and refinement, with valuable input not only from the working group but also from the wider membership and a range of external stakeholders,” he said. Current National Chair Ian James said: “As Chairman, I have been immensely proud to serve an organisation which, for 75 years, has championed the interests of Britain’s parks with dedication and integrity. “The decision to become HARPA marks not just a change of name, but a bold step into the future for our industry. “I’m confident this new identity will strengthen our voice and secure the association’s place at the heart of our sector for decades to come.” The association’s Director General Debbie Walker said that the consensus for change underscored how closely the member-led organisation worked together and shared collective aims.
