Chairmans End of Year Report

Here we are at the end of another camping year, once again it only feels a short time ago that we were looking forward to the start of the 2024 season. The weather has been unpredictable but that hasn’t stopped people coming out and supporting the DA.

This year has been up and down as regards numbers attending our meets and unfortunately the Whitby THS was cancelled by the landowner due to an extremely wet field. This was quite sad as it was to have been our last year there due to the school closing down. On a better note the feast of lanterns at Rufforth went down very well with the majority of attendees lighting up their units for the theme of Countries.

For a change the weather was kind to us for the Halloween and Bonfire THS at Beech Tree Farm and the field was in great condition. Despite this Halloween was quieter than usual with less children than last year, this may have been due to more DA’s holding their own Halloween meets. The Bonfire weekend was as popular as ever and ended with a spectacular bonfire and fireworks display. Many thanks go to our two Dave and Yvonnes for stewarding and all those involved in helping with the socials which were enjoyed by all.

The weather was kind to us at the end of year Dinner Dance at Newsholme Manor which was well attended. Unfortunately Colin wasn’t well enough for his usual Chef and DJ duties. I’m sure you will all join me in wishing Colin a speedy recovery. Rebecca and her team did Colin proud with the food which everyone enjoyed and Dave Hawksworth did a great job of providing the music.

I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who stewarded for us and those who helped out in any way this year, without you the meets wouldn’t happen. A big thank you also goes to everyone who helped raise funds for our charity the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. We raised £1386.39 this year for this great cause, it’s a scandal really that this life saving service has to be paid for by fundraising groups like ours.

The meets for 2025 have been advertised on Facebook and on this website. We have been very fortunate that we already have stewards for the majority of the meets. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered. There are still a couple of short meets to cover so if you can spare some time to steward for us please contact me.

We are having a bowling night at Shipley Bowling Alley on February 8th 2025 so keep an eye out on Facebook and the website for details regarding booking and food choices. I hope to see you there.

Have a lovely Christmas and here’s wishing you all the best for the New Year. I look forward to seeing you in a field somewhere next year.

The Club Out & About Events Listings App

Out & About provides listings of camping meets and temporary holiday sites run by members of the Camping and Caravanning Club which are ideal for short or long stays and often in or close to scenic locations.  This is the most upto date listing of all DA meets.

 https://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/newsandevents/apps/

In this app, you’ll find information on low-cost camping destinations across the UK, exclusively for members. Our events are classified as either Club Meets or Temporary Holiday Sites; the app also highlights our Featured Events, as featured in the Camping & Caravanning magazine.

Please note that the app is only accessible to members of the Camping and Caravanning Club and you will require your website login details in order to unlock the app. Please could all members also note that membership cards, including your partner’s card, must be shown to the Steward on Temporary Holiday Sites and Meets.

Features

• Search events by destination or by organiser
• Filter your results by date and by event type (Club Meets, Temporary Holiday Sites and Featured Events)
• Find out all of the information you need to plan your stay
• Get directions via your device’s native maps app
• Link to the websites of our District Associations and Special Interest Sections

You can keep your Superman and Captain America because the 2 new Super Heroes in town are Dave and Dave and they wear hi vis! They spent ages this morning getting our caravan off the field in Pateley Bridge all while keeping up the humour and smiles. Jockey wheel stuck, no problem, let's use a piece of guttering. Twin axle caravan needs turning, no issue, let's winch it! Thank you to both of you for this, really appreciate you going above and beyond.

Pateley Bridge did not disappoint and we have loved our 10 days with CYDA, even the weather did not stop us. Thanks to Yvonne too for a being a wonderful steward. And Dave we owe you that bacon sarnie next time we see you. Lisa and Paul x

Huge thanks to Dave Hawksworth, Yvonne Mcmullen and all the Central Yorkshire DA stewards for being awesome hosts at Pateley Bridge THS. Very grateful that you allowed my 16m long awning setup for the birthday party and for all your efforts over the week.

Getting such a successful THS on in such abysmal conditions for all campers to enjoy is an absolute credit to you all.

Thank You Again

Chris Hallsworth

Ripon Club Meet Lockside 18/04 - 22/04
Hi there, we stayed for 2 nights on the Sat & Sun and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and Lockside is a great location. A lovely short walk along the canal into the city centre. 
I thought the help from the steward Graeme was excellent. I was on a slope initially but moved up to a more level pitch on the Sunday. It rained heavy and I required assistance to get off the grass on the Monday morning. 
Please forward my sincere thanks to Graeme and also an additional camper who kindly pulled me onto the tarmac using his 4 x 4. 
Once again thankyou 
Chris Lynskey
Motorhome CL13 JLL

An introduction to DA camping

If you are a new member of the Camping and Caravanning Club and/or have never camped with a District Association before, and you are wondering what it’s all about and if its for you, then keep reading……

What is DA camping?
The Camping and Caravanning Club is organised into small units defined by geography called District Associations (DA).  Your local DA is shown on your membership card and is based on your home postcode.  Camping with a DA is one of the best ways to make the most of the great outdoors whilst making new friends at the same time. The Camping and Caravan Club has 93 DA’s spread across 13 Regions. Central Yorkshire DA (CYDA) offers some of the most inexpensive camping available and you’ll always be guaranteed a warm friendly welcome.

What are Meets

CYDA organises Meets which offer the minimum camping / caravanning facilities.  All meets provide drinking water, waste water disposal, Elsan disposal, a safe place for families to camp plus a friendly bunch of folks to share hints and tips or socialise with.  Some folks think of this as being ‘off grid’ but that makes it sound like a weekend of torture and survival using the skills of Ray Mears.  In all honesty it isn’t at all like that.  Let’s break it down and dispel any myths .....

Drinking water – This is provided from a tap in the field, from the same source as residential tap water.  The water tap is a great place to meet fellow campers who know the local area well and will often give golden nuggets of information on 'whats on' in the locality.

Waste water – This can usually be emptied into the hedgerow

Elsan disposal – This is emptied into underground septic tanks or the foul water drain via a safe clean access route. Thankfully, the days of a large hole are long gone, its way more civilised now.!

Safety - The site is under the control of the Stewards who control access and ensure the boundary is secure at night.  Indeed, many families allow their children to pitch a tent adjacent to their caravan or in a designated youth area.

One of the questions I am most frequently asked is about electricity for charging phones and for running the TV.  Some campers are able to get through a weekend meet without having to charge their lesure battery.  Most campers however keep their leisure batteries topped up by using 60W or greater solar panels which allows them to camp for longer than a weekend.  There are alternative ways to charge your leisure battery however such as use of a petrol generator or auxiliary battery with split charger from your towing vehicle.  Most members are more than happy to share their strategy.

Should the weather turn cool and you need heating, then the gas heater in your caravan is more than adequate to keep everyone warm.  Within the CYDA membership some folks caravan all year round and manage without issues.

A Club Meet will normally take place over a weekend, but can last for up to five days. Members can stay for a night or the entire duration, and all fees paid go back into the Club to ensure that we can continue to offer future events for members.

What are Temporary Holiday Sites (THS)?

Situated in popular holiday destinations, seaside resorts and countryside retreats, Temporary Holiday Sites offer members the chance to camp for durations of more than 5 days affordably.

In addition to Meets CYDA also organises and run Temporary Holiday Sites which offer alternative pitches to commercial sites by utilising land exclusively available to CYDA.  Stewarded by experienced members who are always at hand to help with the friendly approach our DA is famous for.

Like Meets, all sites have basic facilities of drinking water and somewhere for Elsan waste disposal, others often will have additional facilities such as skips for recycling and black bag waste, toilets, showers and electrical hook ups. These are not all available on every THS, so please check the description on our webpage so you are prepared before you leave home.  

In common with meets, you can stay on a THS for a night or the entire duration and all fees paid go back into the DA to ensure that we can continue to offer future events for CYDA members.

You are also welcome to bring non-members along who can stay in your unit for a small fee. Or they can join on site, enabling them to also experience life in the Friendly Club.

Details of Temporary Holiday Sites can be found in the rally section of the CYDA website or in the Out & About section of Camping and Caravanning magazine or Phone App.

How much does it cost?

The cost per night varies depending on a number of factors but it typically between £7 and £14 per unit.  It doesn’t matter how many children, cats, dogs or gunnea pigs (I kid you not) you have, the cost per night is the same.  There is no additional charge for awnings and if the children choose to sleep in their tent, adjacent to the caravan or in the youth area, there is no charge for that either, all of this is included in the price.

What about children?

Are you aged between 12 and 17? Do you like making new friends and having your own adventures?  Camping Club Youth (CCY) membership is free for Youth members aged between 12 and 17 years.

With CCY you can:

• Camp with your local District Association or region and take part in dedicated CCY events
• Camp at the annual National Youth Rally with other Youth Members, and enjoy sports events, games, fancy dress, discos and more
• Attend the annual International Youth Rally held in a different European country each year
• Learn new skills like pitching tents, cooking, map-reading, first aid and lots more
• Compete in sports like football, volleyball and netball
• Enjoy camping and activity weekends including pony-trekking, mountain-walking, rock-climbing and canoeing
• Take your National Youth Test – which proves your camping skills and brings extra benefits, like reduced membership fees

Your first step.
If you’d like to know anything else about DA camping, please contact CYDA through the Contact us page. or better still just turn up at one of our events – no need to book. Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Quotes from members

"It's a good way of seeing different parts of the country, with your own 'home' in the countryside."

"We like going to the meets as they are always friendly and welcoming. Prices are good and the meets are also children friendly and open to any age."

"Good value for money."

"Come along and try our Temporary Holiday Sites (THS) and Rallies. These meets are arranged by District Associations (D.A's ) of The Camping & Caravanning Club. The D.A's are run by members for the members to enjoy and we are all volunteers that enjoy meeting friends old and new."

"You always get a nice welcome. There's plenty of choice and you don't need to travel far. You are also able to explore any area you consider for whatever reason and are guaranteed a warm welcome as it's run by campers like yourselves."

We are pleased to announce that following our Easter THS at Pateley Bridge, we raised a further £688.25 for our charity. This brings the total raised to a staggering £20311.48. A superb effort from everyone who has helped in anyway, Thank you.

Representatives from Yorkshire Air Ambulance together with Bob Hannam displaying the cheque for an amazing £20311.48 which is the total we have raised so far. Thank you to everyone has helped to achieve this amount.