Enjoying the park life
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a park manager? Sarah Mann, a Holiday Site Manager at the C&CC Blackmore Site, tells us about the work behind the scenes
■ What made you decide to become a Holiday Site Manager with The Camping and Caravanning Club?
We had always fancied it, but obviously had to wait for our girls to grow up and do their own thing – as soon as they had flown the nest, we sold up and applied.
We’d lived in our caravan for a little while first, just to make sure we could do it, but we have always enjoyed being in the great outdoors and witnessing the good customer service, and how happy it made people.
So we thought, “We could be a part of this.” It was a massive decision and a massive lifestyle change, but we settled into it like ducks to water.
■ Where have you been working until now?
We were Holiday Site Assistants at various Club sites – Kelvedon Hatch, Essex; Theobalds Park, Hertfordshire; Alton The Star, Staffordshire; and Winchcombe, Gloucestershire.
Then we were managers at Graffham, West Sussex, from summer 2018, before we were posted to Blackmore in February 2019.
■ What do you think is the best thing about the job?
At the moment, we have lots of new members coming through, and it’s always nice to be able to share our own experiences of camping and caravanning with them.
There’s no typical day, but every morning, waking to the tweeting of the birds and the sun coming through the window is a great feeling.
We carry out our first check at 7am and that’s really the start of the working day. Then there might be some groundwork to do – such as mowing, planting or tree-shaping – and some cleaning, but really, no two days are the same.
We have a really lovely site here and a great team, and we’ve been able to turn what was for us a much-loved hobby – staying in our caravan on a campsite – into a career.
■ How have the new social distancing and sanitation measures been received on sites?
During the first couple of weeks of the new post-lockdown set-up, we found that people were using their own units, rather than the site facilities. I’ve not seen a queue for the facilities block yet. And we’ve had some good reviews, saying the campers feel safe.
■ What would you say to anyone who might be considering the role?
The lifestyle’s beautiful. It’s a good way to explore the country and make new friends. And now as managers, to put our love into a campsite.
We’ve been very lucky – we’ve had non-stop support from our colleagues, and there’s a really good support network. It can sometimes be hard, but we’re just loving it.
■ Let’s leave the last word to Sarah’s husband, Ron. What do you think is the most rewarding part of your job as site managers?
We are always trying to focus on developing and maintaining good first impressions. We’re really satisfied when people have visited us and they make another booking, here or on another Club site – that, for us, along with a nice review, is very much job done.
If you’re interested in finding out more about joining The Camping and Caravanning Club’s Holiday Site team, visit www.myccc.co.uk/jobs for details