Green ideas help holiday park win gold

A family-run caravan and camping park on the East Devon coast is celebrating its latest clutch of awards.

And the team at Oakdown Holiday Park is particularly proud of one of its achievements - its David Bellamy gold award.

The award recognises Oakdown’s enduring commitment to preserving the natural environment - and it is the 20th time they have won it. It was presented to Doreen and Roger Franks at a ceremony in London.

Doreen said: ‘As we continue to develop and improve the park we are very careful to preserve and enhance the natural environment. It’s very rewarding for all of us to receive this award and receiving it for the 20th year feels particularly special.’

The David Bellamy Conservation Award Scheme is one of the longest running green tourism awards in the UK. The idea of the scheme was first sown when David Bellamy gave a talk to members of the camping, caravanning and holiday home park industry in which he gave the audience members a challenge to be part of the environmental solution and not part of the problem.

David then visited many parks and was amazed at the wide range of work that the most forward-thinking owners were doing for the environment. A partnership was formed between the Conservation Foundation (the environmental organisation that David co-founded to help businesses get involved in conservation) and the British Holiday & Home Parks Association to set up an award scheme.

Oakdown Holiday Park, which is located just outside Sidmouth, has been welcoming holidaymakers for more than 40 years. Starting with just a single caravan it has been developed by the Franks family, offering camping, caravan pitches and holiday homes, all set in lush Devon countryside.

The park was also recognised with two other awards, winning silver in the Visit Devon awards and bronze in the camping and caravan park category of the regional South West Tourism awards which were held at Exeter Cathedral.

Doreen added: ‘It’s always great when the hard work of our team is recognised, and we were thrilled to win both of these awards. We have recently upgraded all our accommodation and expanded our children’s play facilities, making things even better for our guests.’

The park is also featured in Practical Caravan’s top 100 sites guide.