Formation | 14 June 1907 |
---|---|
Headquarters | East Grinstead House |
Location |
|
Region served | British Isles |
Official language | English |
President | Viscount Coke |
Main organ | The Club Council |
Affiliations | FIA |
Staff | 900 |
Website | www.caravanclub.co.uk |
The Caravan and Motorhome Club is an organisation representing caravan and motorhome users in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was founded in 1907 [1] and now represents nearly one million members (caravanners, motorhomers and campervanners). [2]
The Club was founded in 1907 as The Caravan Club of Great Britain and Ireland. Its aim was to "... bring together those interested in van life as a pastime...to improve and supply suitable vans and other appliances...to develop the pastime by collecting, publishing and supplying to members, books and periodicals and lists of camp sites etc... to arrange camping grounds...". [1]
The Club was renamed as The Caravan Club in 1959 and celebrated its centenary on 14 June 2007. The club's current name, the Caravan and Motorhome Club was adopted in February 2017. [3] [4]
On Sat Jan 20th 2024 the CAMC became aware it was the victim of a cyber security incident resulting in their website, app and online and phone booking systems becoming non funtional. The ICO (information Commissioners Office was informed). The security breech was widely commented on online and reported in an article by "the Register" on 24th Jan 2024 [5] . Club members had at this time not received any notice of the breech, A day later on 25th Jan 2024 the club's Director General Nick Lomas sent a statement to members largely confirming the register's report At the time of writing the clubs website booking system etc is still non functional - and it remains unclear whether member data has been compromised.
The Caravan Club is a membership organisation. The Club is led by the Executive Committee, which airs policy issues with the Club Council. The council in turn is supported by the 10 Regional Councils. Their aim of the Regional Councils is to coordinate communications throughout The Club membership. Regional Councils provide a forum to discuss Club issues and to solve local and regional problems. Club members may also vote at the Annual Members Meeting. [6]
The Club is a member of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), an organisation that represents the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users.
The Club has over 900 staff and an annual turnover of over £100 million. [2]
The Caravan and Motorhome Club represents nearly one million tourers.
The Club operates around 200 main Caravan Club sites and over 2,200 smaller certificated "five-van" sites, known as CLs (certificated locations).
A certificated location (or 'CL') is an informal privately owned caravan site for up to 5 caravans in the United Kingdom. Visitors with caravans pay a small fee to the CL owner in order to pitch overnight. This is usually cheaper than larger commercial caravan sites. There are over 2200 CLs in the UK and they are for exclusive use by Caravan And Motorhome Club members. Each year the Caravan And Motorhome Club issues a certificate to those sites that continue to meet their standards, hence 'certificated locations'. Caravan And Motorhome Club members vote annually for the best CL in the 'CL of the Year' competition. [7]
Most CLs are in the countryside, they are individually owned and can be on a farm or smallholding, on spare land next to a pub, golf course or hotel or on land attached to the owner's house. CLs need no site licence or formal planning permission, but are covered by two Acts of Parliament:
The laws state that visitors with caravans must be members of The Caravan And Motorhome Club, who are required to act responsibly and to observe the Country Code and no more than 5 caravans may be accommodated on the site at any one time. Caravans may not stay for more than 28 days per visit and must be occupied overnight. CLs are for recreational purposes and only touring caravans, motor caravans or trailer tents are permitted – tents are not permitted, other than attached caravan awnings, toilet tents or small pup tents; and permanently sited (static) caravans are not permitted on the same landholding.
There are also a number of guidelines stated. For example, CLs should be fairly level and have at least ½ acre of land; and have safe access for caravans including 12 ft wide gateway and safe approach road. If the landowner has a caravan site licence from their Local Authority, the Caravan And Motorhome Club is unlikely to issue a Certificate, unless the CL is entirely separate from the landowner's other business activities.
To become a CL, owners should provide an emptying point for chemical closets; a safe drinking water supply; A bin for dry rubbish; and public liability insurance cover. Some owners provide optional extras such as electrical hook ups, showers and toilets. Although exempt from planning permission, CL owners are liable to pay business rates and income tax on their profits.
Each year, the club holds a "National Rally" over the Spring Bank holiday at the end of May. The rally usually taking place in the grounds of a stately home and can attract up to 10,000 caravanners at a time. [10]
The first National Rally was held at Leamington Spa in 1936 and attracting 100 caravans. [1] In 2007, for the Club's Centenary year, the 80th National Rally was held in the grounds of Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire from Friday 25th to Tuesday 29 May.
The club offers a variety of other services with the intention of supporting and improving the lifestyle and holidays of its members. They offer a variety of insurance products [11] including caravan, motorhome, car, breakdown, holiday, home and pet coverage.
They also provide overseas ferry and pitch bookings for members looking to holiday overseas, as well as an extensive range of technical advice.
The club is also active in lobbying on behalf of its members.
The Caravan Club has developed alliances with a number of groups: [12]
Campsite, campground, and camping pitch are all related terms regarding a place used for camping. The usage differs between British English and American English.
A recreational vehicle, often abbreviated as RV, is a motor vehicle or trailer that includes living quarters designed for accommodation. Types of RVs include motorhomes, campervans, coaches, caravans, fifth-wheel trailers, popup campers, and truck campers.
AA Limited, trading as The AA, is a British motoring association.
A caravan, travel trailer, camper, tourer or camper trailer is a trailer towed behind a road vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a tent. It provides the means for people to have their own home on a journey or a vacation, without relying on a motel or hotel, and enables them to stay in places where none is available. However, in some countries campers are restricted to designated sites for which fees are payable.
A campervan, also referred to as a camper, caravanette, motorhome or RV in North America, is a self-propelled vehicle that provides both transport and sleeping accommodation. The term describes vans that have been fitted out, whereas a motorhome is one with a coachbuilt body.
A mobile home is a prefabricated structure, built in a factory on a permanently attached chassis before being transported to site. Used as permanent homes, or for holiday or temporary accommodation, they are often left permanently or semi-permanently in one place, but can be moved, and may be required to move from time to time for legal reasons.
A recreational vehicle park or caravan park is a place where people with recreational vehicles can stay overnight, or longer, in allotted spaces known as "sites" or "campsites". They are also referred to as campgrounds, though a true campground also provides facilities for tent camping; many facilities calling themselves "RV parks" also offer tent camping or cabins with limited facilities.
Airstream is an American brand of travel trailer easily recognized by the distinctive shape of its rounded and polished aluminum coachwork. This body shape dates back to the 1930s and is based on the Bowlus Road Chief, an earlier all-aluminum travel trailer designed and built by Hawley Bowlus, the same designer and engineer who also oversaw the construction of the Spirit of St. Louis.
Romanichals are a Romani subgroup within the United Kingdom and other parts of the English-speaking world. Most Romanichal speak Angloromani, a mixed language that blends Romani vocabulary with English syntax. Romanichals resident in England, Scotland, and Wales are part of the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller community.
Pontins is a British company operating holiday parks in the UK, founded in 1946 by Fred Pontin. It was acquired by Britannia Hotels in 2011.
Mark Hammerton Group Ltd was a UK-based travel organiser and travel publisher specialising in camping, caravanning, motorhome and mobile home holidays on campsites in France, Spain, Italy and other European countries. The Group published the market-leading Alan Rogers campsites guides and offered a European travel service for readers including ferry bookings. The Group was acquired by The Caravan Club in 2012 under the brand Alan Rogers Travel Group, along with its subsidiary company Belle France, which offers walking and cycling hotel holidays.
Green Flag, or Green Flag Rescue, is a British roadside assistance and vehicle recovery provider, which is part of the Direct Line Group. Formed in 1971, as the National Breakdown Recovery Club, as an alternative to the AA and RAC, it used a network of local garages and mechanics to deliver recovery and repair services, instead of patrolling mechanics.
The Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia is a motoring club and mutual organisation, offering motoring services and advice, insurance, travel services, finance, driver training and exclusive benefits for their members. As an independent voice for road users in WA, RAC is concerned with all aspects of road and community safety.
Saga is a British company focused on serving the needs of those aged 50 and over. It has 2.7 million customers. The company operates sites on the Kent and Sussex coast: Enbrook Park and Priory Square. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
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The Camping and Caravanning Club is a not-for-profit membership organisation based in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1901 and now represents over 730,000 members.
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EventCity Limited was a conference, gala dinner and exhibition venue in Greater Manchester, England, which was demolished in 2022-2023. It opened in 2011 and was the largest event venue in the North of England, with four halls and a combined space of 28,000 m2 (300,000 sq ft). It was closed during 2021 as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The plans for an alternative venue were also scrapped by the previous owners.
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The New Zealand Motor Caravan Association Inc (NZMCA) is a membership-based organisation representing the interests of private motorhome and caravan owners in New Zealand. Formed in 1956, member benefits include discounts on services and products, free and low-cost overnight sites, a dedicated insurance scheme and a range of publications & digital resources. Membership is restricted to permanent New Zealand residents and only those overseas residents who are current financial members of a kindred club in their home country. All members' vehicles must be certified as self-contained and prominently display the distinctive NZMCA winged logo.