By Joe Jeffrey

Man jailed for ten months following scamming families with fake caravan holiday promises

A man who left people devastated with a fake caravan holiday scam has been jailed for ten months.

Upon losing his job selling caravan holidays legally, Samuel Higgins, 30, took to advertising fake caravan holidays at Butlins in Skegness and Rhyl, North Wales, despite no holidays ever materialising.

Following receiving numerous complaints alerting police to the scam, which saw him ignore telephone calls and messages once money had been paid, Higgins was traced by police to his home at the aptly named Robin Hood Holiday Park in Yorkshire in 2013, but managed to evade arrest, instead feeling to Spain. He was subsequently arrested upon his return recently.

On bail at the time of his arrest for other offences pertaining to dishonesty, including convictions for similar matters, Higgins was sentenced by Judge Rhys Rowlands to ten months, taking into account time served for another prison sentence earlier in 2015.

Of the people Higgins scammed, including a family with a disabled six-year-old child who Higgins assured would find adequate disabled facilities onsite, Judge Rowlands said: “They had been looking forward to their holidays but they got nothing back thanks to your criminal behavior.

“It was repeated dishonesty which involved a fairly significant sum of money,” he continued.

Emmalyne Downing, prosecuting, told how Higgins advertised the caravan holidays online on Gumtree.

Damian Zelazowski, defending, said Higgins had sold caravan holidays legitimately to start with but he had continued when he lost his employment and that Higgins had been candid with police after handing himself in voluntarily.

Zelazowski went on to say Higgins had shown remorse and, since the offences occurred, had gone on to work legitimately whilst working towards gaining a qualification and had attempted to turn his life around.

What do you think of Higgins’ sentence? Let us know in the comments section below.

By Joe Jeffrey

Research shows actually just how lazy Brits are

We all know how exhilarating and rewarding it can be to pitch up in our caravans and get out and about to explore pastures new, therefore it may come as somewhat of a surprise to read that as many as 14 per cent of adults go a whole month without taking even a ten-minute walk.

The data, released by the Department for Transport and in conjunction with Sport England, was obtained in order to derive official estimates of participation in sport and active recreation.

The information gathered also shows that as many as 24 per cent of men aged 65 and over and 27 per cent of woman within the same age category also enjoy walking for more than ten minutes each month – it’s something at least!

The most frequent walkers were found to be those aged between 16 – 24, with 92 per cent of men and 94 per cent of women within this age bracket walking for more than ten minutes once a month.

47 per cent of adults walked for ten minutes or more at least five times a week, whilst around three per cent hop on their bicycle.

The data released has somewhat surprised us here at CaravanTimes – has it shocked you? Do you feel like you get enough exercise, or that you could be doing more? Let us know in the comments section below.

By Joe Jeffrey

Cost of fuel across Europe drops dramatically in contrast to the UK

Caravanners taking to Europe this summer are guaranteed to get more bang for their buck, according to a recent survey conducted by Post Office Travel Money based on fuel costs across the continent.

The price of petrol and diesel has fallen considerably compared to this time last year in all 22 countries surveyed, with a more noticeable decrease in diesel prices than that of petrol.

In first place comes Turkey, which has shown an 18 per cent decrease in petrol to 26 pence a litre, whilst diesel has dipped to 32 pence with a fall of almost a quarter at 23 per cent.

Meanwhile, petrol is down 22 per cent and diesel has fallen by 20 per cent in Austria and both petrol and diesel fuel types have fallen by a 20 per cent in Cyprus respectively.

News of a decrease in fuel prices comes as the the AA has announced average fuel prices in the UK have reached a six-month high after bursting back above the 117-pence-a-litre mark for the first time since December 2014 – just less than the 117.9 pence mark which saw many road users find it difficult to fill their tanks just before the recession.

If results of the AA’s latest populous survey are to be taken into consideration, the strain caused by the UK fuel increase is already beginning to be shown, with figures revealing that 37 per cent of over 28,000 people surveyed have already started to cut back on car use, with 48 per cent of the figure consisting of lower-income motorists.

AA president, Edmund King, said of the rise of fuel in the UK: “This month’s AA Fuel Price Report illustrates vividly the power of pump prices on consumer spending – whether it’s 48 per cent of lower-income drivers already cutting back on car use because of this year’s 10p hike in pump prices, or a 6p drop in price boosting a remote rural petrol station’s business by 100 per cent, don’t be mistaken into thinking that because pump prices are 13p-a-litre lower than this time last year that drivers are ripe for another fuel duty increase.

“It sends out a clear message to government on fuel tax: don’t be mistaken into thinking that because pump prices are 13p-a-litre lower than this time last year that drivers are ripe for another fuel duty increase,” King continued. “It won’t mean so much to some wealthier drivers, 28% of whom say high fuel prices don’t affect them, but up to 87 per cent of less well-off drivers say it does.”

What do you think about the increase in fuel prices across the rest of Europe whilst the price in the UK steadily rises? Are you feeling the effects?

By Josh Budd

Sand, Sun and Special Needs group are now donating caravan getaways to disabled adults

Charity group Sand, Sun and Special Needs are now able to offer holiday breaks to disabled adults, after being given a dedicated caravan from the Blue Anchor holiday resort.

The group have been able to offer many children the opportunity to experience a fun-filled holiday break, having successfully provided twenty-five holidays to kids since it was set up three months ago.

Supporters of Sand, Sun and Special Needs can donate their caravan to the group, who in turn offer disabled children the chance to get away over the summer holidays.

Now the group can offer their help to adults, after previously having to turn down many requests from disabled adults wanting to get away.

Julie Derby of Sand, Sun and Special Needs said:

“We were getting lots of requests asking if we offered holidays for adults.

“Some of the circumstances people are in are heartbreaking, so we decided we needed to do something to help.”

She continued: “We feel happy now we can provide holidays for adults, it was awful having to turn people down. I have been in tears hearing their stories.”

This welcome change means families such as the Moule family, with eighteen-year-old member Thomas, are able to enjoy holidays together, despite the fact that Thomas is technically an adult.

Thomas suffers from DiGeorge syndrome, a genetic condition that results in learning difficulties, autistic characteristics and heart defects.

Thanks to Rory Molloy, who kindly donated his caravan to Sand, Sun and Special Needs, Thomas is now able to spend quality time at the seaside with his family.

Thomas’s mother, Annette, commented that: “It is brilliant to have been given this holiday, they are a wonderful organisation. We were surprised to be offered it. I didn’t realise they had started helping adults, but asked because Thomas is only 18.”

The charity group is growing every day, with over 5,700 members on Facebook and more and more contributions every day.

If you would like to find out more about how you can help out a child or adult with a disability, you can visit their website.

Or, you can help Sand, Sun and Special Needs in their efforts to buy an adapted caravan for 4 special need families, here

By Josh Budd

Correlation found between kids who go on caravanning holidays and those who achieve at school

Working alongside the Camping and Caravanning Club, Plymouth University carried out studies regarding whether family holidays in the great-outdoors could have a significant impact on your child’s health, happiness and academic ability, and the results are positive.

During their studies, Plymouth University discovered that more than four out of five parents believed that holidaying in the great-outdoors has a positive effect on their children’s success in school.

The University also asked children what they particularly enjoyed about camping and caravanning – with meeting new friends, learning new skills and having the freedom to play outside being the most popular answers.

Ninety-eight per cent of parents believed that camping and caravanning helped kids appreciate and connect with nature, and ninety-five percent confirmed that this connection made them happier as a result. Ninety-three per cent said that such holidays develop useful skills for later life.

In an effort to launch their new Get Kids Camping programme, president of the Camping and Caravanning Club Julia Bradbury, spoke about the positive impact nature-holidays can have on the well-being of children:

“Taking the kids camping is such a great experience for the whole family. We have masses of beautiful scenery on our doorstep in the UK, and camping doesn’t have to be expensive.

“It’s a brilliant way of getting kids out in the fresh air, away from the TV and computers – developing their brains and teaching them to interact with each other and the countryside in different ways.

“If you haven’t taken your family camping, give it a go – it’s an adventure that won’t disappoint you.”

Associate professor at Plymouth Institute of Education, Sue Waite, who led the study, concurs that children who engage with nature experience greater success in key school subjects such as geography, history, and science.

She said: “Interestingly, the parents surveyed believed camping supported the key curriculum subjects of geography, history and science and actually, that stacks up, because the most common camping activities were natural, like rock pooling and nature walks, where children are getting to understand ecosystems and identify lifeforms, respecting nature and the environment.”

Parents who take their children caravanning can watch their kids enjoy a special sense of freedom in a completely safe environment, as they make new friends and explore safely on their own.

There you have it – Plymouth University reveals that caravanning in the great outdoors positively impacts your children’s learning ability.

Of course, us avid caravanners have always known that the great-outdoors is good for our kids; it gives them the opportunity to interact with nature, develop their social skills, and nurture their inquisitive and curious minds – there’s simply nothing better for them!