Camping and Caravanning Club
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| Type | Camping Club / Caravanning Club |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1901 |
| Website | http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk |
The Camping and Caravanning Club is a United Kingdom not-for-profit organisation involved with all aspects of camping.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Camping and Caravanning Club started in 1901 as the Association of Cycle Campers. Thomas Hiram Holding was one of the founders and is considered by many to be the father of modern camping. He was also a founder of the Bicycle Touring Club 1878 now renamed the Cyclists' Touring Club. Holding wrote The Campers Handbook in 1908, so that he could share his enthusiasm for the great outdoors with the world. His urge to camp derived from his experiences as a boy which date back to the mid 1800’s. [1]
In 1906 the Association of Cycle Campers opened its first own camping site, in Weybridge. By that time the organisation had several hundred members. In 1909 the Association split into three separate organisations, which joined again in 1910 as the National Camping Club. Two more name changes followed, in 1919 and in 1983. Membership rose to 100,000 in 1967 and more than 300,000 by the end of the 20th century.
[edit] The modern club
Since turning 100 years old the Club has instigated a number of new initiatives. National Camping and Caravanning Week was created in the centenary year to set a record for the most people camping and caravanning at one time. In 2003, the audited figure for number of people camping out overnight on 24 May was 92,435.
The club now has over 480,000 members.
The World Tent Pitching Championships has done much to raise the profile of the Club and an on-going media campaign to encourage journalists to try caravanning for themselves.
The club offers a paid membership service to campervan, caravan and motorhome owners in order to receive discounts at its UK and European campsites. There are currently over 1400 campsites owned, managed or certified by the Camping and Caravanning Club.[2]
[edit] Notable presidents
- David Bellamy is the current president
- Robert Crause Baden-Powell 1992–2001
- Robert Baden-Powell, 1919–1941
- Robert Falcon Scott, 1909–1912
