Prices

[Hawthorn37]

We just stayed at the CCC site near Cheddar, as we do very regularly. It was £43/ night for 2 adults. It was about 20% full. 2 weeks ago (before school holiday season) we paid £30/ night, and was around 60% full. I don’t think their economic model is a great one.

Also I feel sorry for the owners of this site, they’re a franchise but are governed by CCC pricing.

 

[The Little Red Cali]

We booked a last minute 5 nights at South Lytchett Manor, Dorset in the May school holidays for £55 a night with EHU. Surprised we got on given it was holiday time. When we arrived there were loads of pitches available. Great site but pricing is ridiculous. Going forward we'll be looking at grass pitches without EHU.

 

[Mansfieldman750]

We just stayed at the CCC site near Cheddar, as we do very regularly. It was £43/ night for 2 adults. It was about 20% full. 2 weeks ago (before school holiday season) we paid £30/ night, and was around 60% full. I don’t think their economic model is a great one.

Also I feel sorry for the owners of this site, they’re a franchise but are governed by CCC pricing.

We’ve been at that one if it’s the one near Priddy, nice site in a nice area.
I doesn’t look good for the CCC.
At last accounts they were on trend to run out of money in 2 years.
Throw in a summer with 20% full campsites and that could speed things up a bit.
I see they are not taking a stand at the big shows at the NECC in October and February.
That’s crazy, that’s where you recruit new members. Meet Hamza from Strictly, our new President and take advantage of our introductory membership offer sort of thing.
Sorry to be the prophet of doom but I think they are in a fight for survival and they don’t know how to go about it.

 

[Mansfieldman750]

During an idle moment I had a look at the accounts of the Camping and Caravan Club ( the Friendly Club ) on Companies House and to tell the truth they don’t make good reading.
At the last filed accounts to 29 Feb 2024, they had £15,401,000 cash, down from £22,853,000 previous year, and £28,479,000 year before that.
I don’t know if there has been any improvement in Cash Flow in more recent times.
Hope so. I like their Keswick sites.

By comparison the Caravan and Motorhome Club seems to be much better run.

The Camping and Caravan Club posted their financial accounts to 28 Feb 2025 last week. As a rule of thumb when the results are good they are posted at Companies House fairly quickly and when they’re bad they leave it until the last minute.

So no surprise that they burned through another £4.58 million cash since the previous accounts and at 28 Feb they had £10.82 million cash at hand, down from £15.4m

I have no idea what the current cash situation is. Maybe with the best summer ever there has been an improvement. Don’t know. Suspect drastic surgery required. Can it be so difficult to make a list of club sites and draw a red pen through the ones that are losing you money ?

 

[Andy C Berks.]

The Camping and Caravan Club posted their financial accounts to 28 Feb 2025 last week. As a rule of thumb when the results are good they are posted at Companies House fairly quickly and when they’re bad they leave it until the last minute.

So no surprise that they burned through another £4.58 million cash since the previous accounts and at 28 Feb they had £10.82 million cash at hand, down from £15.4m

I have no idea what the current cash situation is. Maybe with the best summer ever there has been an improvement. Don’t know. Suspect drastic surgery required. Can it be so difficult to make a list of club sites and draw a red pen through the ones that are losing you money ?

The notes to the accounts suggest CapEx of £5.9m during the year which is likely the main contributor for the reduction in cash held - it doesn't detail what but I know they purchased the Nottingham site fairly recently.
The operating loss of £2.5m was after depreciation and amortisation charges of £6.7m (non-cash items) and prior to net interest receipts of ~£1.5m so on the face of it the underlying business isn't absorbing material cash which is also what the cash flow statement suggest (page 16). I suppose the other question though is why so much cash and is that not better invested in income generating assets for the benefit of the club and its members (no idea what their historic cash position is nor whether they have plans to invest this or what sort of cash buffer they look to hold)

 

[Mansfieldman750]

The notes to the accounts suggest CapEx of £5.9m during the year which is likely the main contributor for the reduction in cash held - it doesn't detail what but I know they purchased the Nottingham site fairly recently.
The operating loss of £2.5m was after depreciation and amortisation charges of £6.7m (non-cash items) and prior to net interest receipts of ~£1.5m so on the face of it the underlying business isn't absorbing material cash which is also what the cash flow statement suggest (page 16). I suppose the other question though is why so much cash and is that not better invested in income generating assets for the benefit of the club and its members (no idea what their historic cash position is nor whether they have plans to invest this or what sort of cash buffer they look to hold)

In the last 4 reporting periods they have gone from £28.47m cash to £22.85m to £15.4m to £10.82m.
That spells one thing to me, they are on trend to run out of money, and when you can’t pay the wages and the rent the game is up.
I get what you are saying about what sort of cash buffer is appropriate for a not for profit organisation, run for the benefit of the members. Well on a turnover of £50m ( highly seasonal ) I would have thought £10m would be a minimum to get you through the winter and just in case there is a washout spring.
Thats all conjecture though. I think like a “ normal “ business they should provide members with regular trading statements. Members should know what’s going on.