by Joe Jeffrey
Milestone reached for Club as almost 600,000 members sign up
The Camping and Caravanning Club has announced a record number of members, with nearly 600,000 individuals, or 281,674 households, now being members of the Club.
Founded with just six members as the Association of British Cycle Campers in 1901, The Camping and Caravanning Club has moved on a long way over the years. Gone are the days of dreaded trips to the basic facilities and now modern caravans and motorhomes grace many of the Club’s sites across the UK and further afield today.
Robert Louden MBE, director general of The Camping and Caravanning Club, said: “This achievement signals the continued growth in popularity of camping in all its forms and also the excellent service we provide to our members.”
The Club’s first permanent site opened at Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, in 1913. Today The Club boasts 108 Club Sites, more than 1,600 Certificated Sites, an overseas Travel Service and various membership services.
The Club hit its previous membership peak in August 2011, shortly after the global recession when more Brits switched to camping and caravanning as an affordable and sociable ‘staycation’ holiday option. Membership then tailed off between 2012 and 2014, due to diverse factors.
Darren Whittington, the Club’s membership services director, said: “Unfortunately poor weather and high petrol prices impacted on member recruitment between 2012 and 2014. But as pioneers in our field we took this time to reassess our offering and make changes to ensure we could meet the needs of the modern member. This included improving our digital offering.”
Julia Bradbury, Club president, television presenter and outdoor enthusiast, said of the milestone: “In an age when time is so precious, camping and caravanning is a brilliant way to spend quality time with family and friends. I believe this, along with the great benefits the Club has to offer, is why campers choose to join The Camping and Caravanning Club.”
