West Country Parks, Supporting Local Charities
February 16, 2018
West Country Parks, Supporting Local Charities
Established in 1972, our Head Office has been based at Edithmead near Burnham-on-Sea for over 40 years and supporting local businesses and charities has always been important to us. As West Country Parks has grown so have our fundraising efforts – with over £8,500 being raised last year alone.
This year we have selected two fantastic local charities to support; ‘BARB Search and Rescue’ and ‘In Charley’s Memory’.
BARB operate two life-saving rescue hover boats and an inshore rescue boat in the Bridgwater Bay Area and rely solely on donations to operate. Unlike other rescue groups, all of BARB’s members are volunteers, so every penny raised goes towards rescues, training and maintaining equipment.
Based in Burnham-on-Sea, ‘In Charley’s Memory’ was founded in memory of Charley Marks, who took his own life in September 2014. The charity works to support young people with mental health issues by raising the profile of mental health, making support services more accessible, advancing education surrounding mental health and providing support to the network of people around those with mental health conditions.
All donations received through our fundraising efforts this year will be shared between these two charities.
We would like to thank everyone who supported our efforts throughout 2017 and ask that you please give generously this year.
For more information about upcoming events please keep an eye on our latest news.
Latest News
We are ecstatic to share that West Country Parks have been named the Hospitality and Tourism Business of the Year and Large Business of the Year at the prestigious Sedgemoor Business Excellence Awards 2025. These award categories honour businesses that deliver exceptional guest experiences and adapt to changing trends, and recognise large businesses that lead through innovation, communication and community impact. Businesses from across the region came together for an evening of celebration and recognition at this year’s Sedgemoor Business Excellence Awards, where local organisations of all sizes were honoured for their hard work, resilience and innovation. This year was the busiest to date, with more than 130 entries across all categories. The standard was exceptionally high and reflects the strength and diversity of Sedgemoor’s business community. Speaking about the awards, Roger Smith, General Manager at the Bridgwater Chamber of Commerce, said; 'These awards really are the jewel in the Chamber’s crown, and this year was no exception, with more than 240 people coming together to celebrate our incredible local business community. Congratulations to all our finalists and winners. We look forward to continuing our work to connect, promote and support business, helping to ensure a thriving local economy.' We would like to thank our visitors, supporters and all of our fantastic team for your support.
We are delighted to share that Riverside Holiday Village has been named the Holiday Park of the Year and Dog Friendly Business of the Year at the Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards 2026, held at T he Apex City of Bath Hotel in Somerset. These award categories recognise holiday parks, sites and villages that provide exceptional guest experiences across static vans, touring pitches and more with a wide range of facilities and entertainment, and providers of truly memorable experiences for dogs and their human companions. This year marks the second consecutive year that Riverside has won the coveted Holiday Park of the Year Gold Award. Nell Barrington, awards director at Services for Tourism Ltd, commented on the importance of the awards: “What I love most about these awards is that they give tourism businesses the recognition they deserve. So many of them work incredibly hard, often with little reward, and some are tiny teams or even just one person keeping everything going. Despite the challenges the sector continues to face, these businesses have shown excellence, innovation and resilience.” We would like to thank our visitors, supporters and all of our fantastic team for your support.
With the festive season fast approaching, there's plenty going on to keep our visitors entertained this winter here at Riverside Holiday Village .