Low Maintenance School Playground Equipment

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low maintenance school play equipmentThe Problem Facing Schools Regarding The On-going Maintenance of School Play Equipment

Like anything that is used constantly, is outside the whole time and is subject to all weathers and all seasons, school playground equipment needs regularly maintaining with thorough inspection checks undertaken every month or so. Children’s safety is paramount of course but maintenance checks conducted on a regular basis also extends the life of the play equipment – think car servicing!

These checks are usually done by a site manager with a more detailed and thorough inspection by registered playground inspectors every year or so.

A lot of playground equipment in schools is manufactured out of timber and in the case of adventure trim trails, the default material section used is rounded timber posts which are dug into the ground. Rounded timber posts react naturally to different temperatures (like all timbers) but ever more so with this particular section as the timber dries out from the pith (centre) of the post causing what is known as radial cracking – which manifests itself in large cracks running down the timber. And if they become too big, the cracks will open up wide enough for the children, who are naturally inquisitive, to start sticking their fingers into the gaps.

The posts will have been dug into the ground as well and the ground made good or covered in safety surfacing so post-installation, it is very difficult to see what effect damp ground conditions will be having on the timber. Unless the post is hermetically sealed with a post saver bag or has been treated with a special paint or rubber, it is very likely that it will be absorbing a lot of ground moisture which will eventually turn rotten. Many a time have we dug out old trim trail play equipment only to find that it is rotten to the core making it very unsafe. And any playground inspector will not pass this as being safe for further use and in all likelihood, it will be condemned. And the school will then either have to pay a lot of money to have it fixed or replaced altogether (which is usually the case).

The Solution

Quite simply, you need to buy school playground equipment from us which is manufactured entirely out of recycled plastic as it has so many advantages over traditional timber. Firstly, it will never rot when placed in the ground and does not need any further protection such as the afore mentioned post saver bags – this is the reason why recycled plastic is the default material used for dipping pond platforms where the bottom section of the posts are actually submerged in the water.

Secondly, it will not splinter or crack – ever. Thirdly, it is very eco friendly as it entirely manufactured out of recycled plastic milk bottles and as we are all trying to teach and engage children about the harmful effects of plastic on the planet, this is as good a place to start as any in demonstrating good environmental practice.

Fourthly, it will last five times longer than timber and last but not least, it is very low maintenance.

Recycled plastic play equipment is certainly the new generation of play equipment for schools.

 

For further information, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01832 275902, email info@hideouthouse or visit www.hideouthouse.com

How We Can Help You – Our Unique Service

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You would like to think that it was fairly straightforward developing your playground but sometimes it can be quite daunting. So over the years we have developed our levels of service to ensure that we can help you every step of the way right from the initial concept through to final completion.

Below are some of the ancillary areas where we can help:

Funding

This subject seems to dominate a lot of our conversations nowadays! We appreciate that funding is tight in schools at the moment so we have developed proven ways to help you. Firstly, we can send you our comprehensive funding guide which lists grant providers you might want to approach but the guide also gives useful information on how to approach local companies for sponsorship and how to go about setting up a crowdfunding website. We always advise schools to spread the net out as widely as possible – so don’t just rely on applying for one grant and hope for the best. You need to have as many rods out as possible as not all of them will eventually get a bite. And it goes without saying that you need to put the effort in and be committed and dedicated to the cause.

Or we partner with a fundraising consultant (who is actually an ex-school business manager and who has raised over £4 million for school projects over the years) who can help you and save you a lot of time and hassle. His approach is a holistic one as he considers the many different funding channels available to your school as well as researching grant providers for your project both locally and on a national basis.

Planning Permission & Building Regulations

This really applies to our outdoor classrooms and school classrooms range (especially the larger enclosed versions) where schools need to consider if the building needs planning permission or not. We have a lot of experience in this matter and can help or advise accordingly. Basically, the majority of outdoor classrooms we install do not require planning permission because they fall within permitted development rights – there are certain stipulations that you have to adhere to for this exemption such as distances from boundaries, height of the classroom etc but we can advise you on these and send you our information files.

But we do always stress that every school is different as they might have already used up their permitted development rights for example with other previous building projects. A definitive answer however will have to come from the local planning authority and a lot of authorities nowadays run a pre-app service whereby for a small fee, they will advise you as to whether or not they think your project will require planning permission or not.

If you do need to apply for planning however, then we can certainly put together the planning drawings you will require for our classroom buildings which will form part of your application. These typically have a pictorial representation of the classroom building showing all dimensions, elevations and specifications.

As the majority of outdoor classrooms fall below 30m2, there is not the need to apply for building regs as they are exempt as this square metreage. If your building does go over 30m2 however, we are able to apply for and manage all building control issues on your behalf.

Network of Suppliers

If your project involves elements or products which we as the Hideout House Company cannot provide from our own comprehensive range, then we have many contacts in the industry who can help out or with whom we can partner so that you have an easy to manage “one stop shop”. Typically these would involve landscaping, safety surfacing, fencing or renewable energy systems.

And of course, we will always help out and advise on our own product range making sure that you have what you want rather than what we want to sell you. Over the course of 18 years, we have supplied many schools up and down the country with products that have fully met their brief and are of a high enough quality to withstand the test of time and the daily rigours of a school playground.

For further information on our product range, please contact us on 01832 275902, email info@hideouthouse.com or visit http://www.timberline.co.uk

 

Plastic Waste, Schools and Play Equipment

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Yet again, it has been featured in the news quite a lot recently about the whole issue of global warming and its catastrophic effects on the planet if we do not get to grips with controlling the earth’s temperature rises. And of course within this whole environmental issue is the very important matter of plastic waste.

Of the 6.3 billion metric tons of plastic which are produced each year worldwide, only 9% of it is recycled which is quite a staggering statistic. But I can perhaps understand why because if countries do not have in place adequate systems for controlling such waste, it basically ends up as litter which is discarded just as easily as it was purchased. And every year 8 million metric tons of this plastic ends up in the world’s oceans – a feature which was so brilliantly covered by the BBC’s recent Blue Planet series with David Attenborough.

So where do schools come into this? Quite significantly so in fact and this is perhaps more to do with educating and fostering a mind set of environmental awareness more than anything else. The Eco Schools programme is already doing a fantastic job of making sure that schools sign up to their programme and are aware of the whole environmental agenda. Plus their reach is worldwide – the programme now runs in 67 countries and engages 19.5 million children. Their motto is “Empowering Children and Teens to Improve Our Environment”.

If the children of today are made aware, at an early age, of the problems facing the planet and are taught ways of altering their behaviour to deal with it, then I think we are in with a chance. One would hope that it would become a natural mindset to them so instead of just simply throwing away..or worse littering…those used plastic milk cartons, they would recycle them instead. Every time.

And this is one of the major reasons why we have just developed a range of school playground equipment which is manufactured entirely out of recycled plastic. I cannot think of a better way to demonstrate to children the recycling practice in action. For example, one of our pieces of trim trail play equipment uses the equivalent of 2500 plastic bottles and another benefit is that it drastically reduces the need for more landfill sites around the world. There is actually a very good charity in the UK called RECOUP which promotes the whole recycling initiative to households and which looks to change how we act and think about plastic waste.

As well as providing excellent eco credentials for a school, recycled plastic play equipment also has lots of other numerous benefits – it doesn’t rot or corrode, it doesn’t splinter and it lasts a lot longer than traditional timber. Its life expectancy is five times more so in fact.

For more information on our eco friendly products for the school playground, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01832 275902 or visit www.hideouthouse.com

 

 

How To Successfully Market Your School

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“Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care”

Theodore Roosevelt

I love this quotation and when it comes to defining your marketing strategies and positioning your school, this should sit at the heart of how you think and what you do. Some of us operate in Primary Schools in isolated rural communities, others within huge MAT’s in urban conglomerations but we share the same passion and commitment to do the best we can for our children. It’s easy to lose sight of this when labouring over strategic approaches to income generation or devising cunning new ways to engage on social media platforms.

But what do we actually mean by Marketing in the education arena? There are many definitions of course but perhaps my favourite would be that offered by David & Ellison (1997) – “The means by which the school actively communicates and promotes its purpose, values and products to the pupils, parents, staff and wider community.” There are two key words here; purpose and values. So, ask yourself, do you really understand your school’s purpose and values?

There are many of course who doubt the value of marketing our schools. And to be fair, if we indulge in ad-hoc and wasteful campaigns then we deserve to invite scepticism and doubt. On the other hand, if we’re clear on what we’re looking to achieve and are able to demonstrate a return on our investment, then we have nothing to shy away from and the results can be overwhelmingly positive.

It is really important to have a strategic approach, a plan which can be costed and evaluated. It’s equally important to get away from thinking of marketing as an isolated activity (an advert, a poster) – marketing is something that all stakeholders should be aware of and appreciate. Students, staff, parents and governors – they are all stakeholders in the schools and as such should be considered as “brand ambassadors” – engage with them and they can be very powerful advocates of your school brand. We should avoid the natural (and understandable) kneejerk and panic stricken reaction to the issues faced and instead look to deploy an approach which sits alongside the over-arching school improvement plan. Placing some additional advertisements in the local newspaper is the cherry on the cake (so to speak!), whereas school leaders should look for the cake ingredients first – defining key messages, clarity on our branding and identity and understanding our purpose.

Your marketing plan may look to address some or even all of the following:
•Defining Brand and Values & promoting key messages
•To manage Reputation – reinforcing or modifying?
•To attract and retain the best staff – talented staff help drive standards
•For Communications/PR/Media/Crisis Management – business continuity, press releases
•To sustain or recruit more students – why your school? Key messages and USP.
•To attract funding and support – sponsors, funders, commercial engagement. Aligning of values.
•To engage with alumni/former students – £1bn+ donated to UK Universities by alumni in 2017.

I often refer to “Start With Why” from Simon Sinek’s Ted talk – Simon extols the virtues of defining your “why” and articulating that to your community, rather than focusing purely on the “how” and the “what”. This works for us in education; we operate in an emotive, human-centric environment – the language and tone we choose is critical when it comes to crafting emotive connections with your audiences. Astute school marketeers should also recognise the part culture has to play.

Peter Druker, the renowned management consultant once claimed “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”. But how can we measure and articulate our culture? One way might be to run a small “brand mapping” exercise –pulling together a set of shared core values, involving students and staff. This is a very worthwhile exercise and will underpin your key marketing messages. Staff and students are ambassadors, engage with them first.

Remember Marketing and Income Generation go hand in hand – strategic marketing can help define and articulate key benefits to potential supporters and position your school so that it’s attractive to investors. Similarly, if you’re fully aware of the contents of your Income Generation plan then you can segment your target audience(s) and approach them accordingly. These two strategies need to synergise and support one-another – take the Independent/Private School sector – there’s a good reason why development, communications and marketing staff generally sit beside one another!

Developing sustainable partnerships with other organisations can be very fruitful and deliver real benefits to your school. Soft outcomes could include work experience opportunities, guest speakers and valuable insights into the world of industry.

Either way, marketing your school in a coherent and structured way can reinforce your reputation as an institution worth investing in.

The above is a guest blog from Justin Smith, the Managing Director of Chameleon Training and Consultancy

www.chameleon-training.co.uk

How To Incorporate Science Into Outdoor Learning

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Dynamo bike with energy charts

The whole reason of outdoor learning is, of course, to take lessons outside of the classroom and as this is an area of specialisation for our company, we have developed a unique idea which can help school children understand some basic principles of curriculum based science whilst also actively engaging them in their studies.

The concept is teaching children about how kinetic energy can be created by human power and this is done by our special dynamo bikes and packages which the children have to pedal in order to produce electricity. There are two kinds of systems we can work with:

The first is the Bicycle Hub Generator which replaces a traditional rear wheel with a highly efficient and frictionless motor. It also includes a solid training stand to convert AC to DC and the average power output over a period of time is usually around 5-70 watts per person

The second is the A-Frame Generator which is a compact, collapsible and super efficient generator. A simple and compact way to generate power, these are ideal for use in schools where portability is key or space is limited.

Both bikes have a special in-built dynamo system which touches the back wheel and as the wheel rotates, it turns a magnet inside a coil – thereby turning mechanical rotation into electric power. And the faster and harder they pedal, the more energy they are creating. As part of this system, we supply an LED panel which shows the children how many watts of power they are producing whilst they pedal and they can then use this information to relate back to a wall panel which features every day household items and how much energy is required to power them. So for example, they can appreciate how hard they have to pedal to boil a kettle! These bikes systems can be used for a host of other applications:

Extreme Tea Challenge

An energy awareness challenge; Extreme Tea is a simulation of the amount of human power required to boil water.

A scale of temperature runs between two giant LED ‘thermometers. In a head-to-head challenge, each cyclist must generate the equivalent amount of human energy required to boil a predetermined amount of water (usually between 10-30ml). The first to arrive at boiling point and fully illuminate their thermometer wins.

Fun and competitive, but also educational; the challenge touches on subjects of the Key Stage 2 science curriculum as it introduces the topics of energy transfer

Micro-Cinema

A battery-free, portable and 100% human-powered cinema/sound system that runs on the energy generated by just one or two cyclists and incorporates an all-in-one ‘plug & play’ unit with built-in sound, media player and projector.

Ideal for screening educational films in and out of the classroom, it can also be use as a portable sound system / P.A for school events.

Bulb Board

A demonstration of how much human energy needs to be generated to light four 60 Watt light-bulbs. The Bulb Board is an oversized interactive circuit board with giant switches and incandescent light-bulbs.

Children are encouraged to throw the switches as their classmates pedal to effectively demonstrate the increased resistance as the electricity is shared between bulbs and the cyclists can experience its effects directly.

A pictorial-style circuit diagram introduces the children to basic circuits, symbols and electricity.

With built-in Watt Meter and LED display to encourage pupils to learn to take readings and collect data. This can be paired with a graphic/banner to relate the children’s energy output to household appliances. I.e if John generated 300 watts, this is the amount of power required to operate a food blender.

This system explores the subjects of the Key Stage 2 science curriculum; energy types and transfer; conductors; resistance; electricity.

Smoothie Maker

A great way to promote health, nutrition and sustainable energy. Using the energy from a single person, our custom built Smoothie maker blends proportionally to the speed you pedal. The more electricity you generate, the smoother the result!

All of these systems promote science in an interesting, engaging but fun way as well as promoting eco awareness/sustainability and healthy living (which are the basic tenets of the Eco Schools Programme).

These packages can be seen in action on the various videos we have filmed at schools.

For further information, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01832 275902 or email: info@hideouthouse.com

 

 

Ways Your School Can Earn Money From The Hideout House Company

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We know that budgets are tight at the moment and a lot of schools are now looking to commercial opportunities/sponsorship etc in order to raise non school budget ancillary income. So we would like to help in this respect too and there are a couple of programmes we are running at the moment.

Firstly if we were lucky enough to be given an order from you, we would pay your school or PTA an introductory commission of 3% to any new business which you introduced to us (assuming of course the referral turns into a firm sale). If we can also send another interested party to your school to have a look at the product we supplied you, we would pay you a fee for your time to help with this.

And if you are able to feature our product on your school website with a photo (usually this is on the school news section of the website or the PTA pages) and with a mention of our company with a website link, then we can look at giving you a discount.

And we have some products which you could use for interesting PTA events such as our pedal powered disco or cinema. We would set up a certain amount of special dynamo bikes which the children, staff or parents have to pedal in order to produce electricity to power  up the film or music system. And if they stop pedalling, so does the power supply! So you could organise a novel pedal powered film night, charge people to come along to watch it and get everyone sponsored who is pedalling (like you would a sponsored bike ride).

And although not directly linked to us, you must always remember that you could gain some useful lettings income from our bigger enclosed classroom buildings by renting them out to the local community or local businesses.

For further information on these promotions and others, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01832 275902 or email: info@hideouthouse.com

 

 

The Mobile Outdoor Classroom

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I always find that the best ideas come from people telling you the same problem time and time again and especially when they cannot find a solution to it. Such is the case in this instance – we are always approached by schools and other educational establishments who are wanting an outdoor classroom provision of some kind but want it installed quickly and want to know if it can be moved at a later date. But when I say outdoor classroom, I am referring to a building which is fully enclosed and can be used all year round  – as opposed to the classic open-sided, gazebo style of outdoor classroom you find so often in school playgrounds.

These buildings are typically used or required for a whole host of reasons and applications – extra nurture or break out space for more intimate one and one teaching or emotional well-being sessions between pupils and teachers; outdoor learning space; library; meeting room; staff room; after school club; community room/space etc

And nearly always the requirement is for a building which is no more thirty square metres in internal floor space, needs to be heated, needs to be insulated and has electrics. And in some cases a WC is required. We are able to supply and install/build these on site with our traditional range of enclosed outdoor classrooms but here again, we can borrow from our other leisure side of the business where we supply mini lodges to holiday parks and other sites. These buildings are all pre-manufactured units which come already manufactured and pre-assembled directly from the factory and are brought to site on the back of a low loader truck. They are then craned into position (as above image)

The great advantage to a school is that on-site time is minimal in this respect. Assuming a pre-prepared base is down (or if we are siting onto an existing hard surface such as a tarmac playground no base is required at all) and services are running to site (electricity etc), a school can be up and running in a matter of days. As opposed to a couple of weeks if we were having to build on site. And there is no need to get in other local trades such as a plumber or electrician as the internal electrics, heating, lighting and sockets will have already been fitted in the factory.

And we are able to fit external decking areas for extra teaching space.

And as these deemed to technically be mobile units (like the bigger mobile classrooms supplied by the likes of Portakabin), they can be moved to another site or location at a later date if so required.

For more information, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01832 275902 or email: info@hideouthouse.com

Outdoor Shelters for Forest Schools

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fire pit and BBQ cabin

The forest schools programme and initiative in the UK is definitely gaining momentum as we do now receive quite a few enquiries from schools who are looking for outdoor shelters for forest schools which they can use in these designated areas.

A common request is to provide for some sort of outdoor shelter or outdoor classroom provision where the children can seek refuge from the elements when so required or which the forest school practitioner can use as an outdoor learning & teaching base. And as making and building fires is a major part of this initiative, we have developed our very own fire pit shelter and outdoor classroom where you can actually have a fire pit in the middle. These tend to be open-sided structures although we can partially enclose them with either solid infill panels or roll-up/roll-down canvas panels to enclose some further protection. The smoke from the fire exhausts through a special ventilation hole in the roof with a special roof cap to stop rain getting in.

But we have been asked also for a facility where as well as lighting fires, the children would also like to be able to cook somewhere and ideally in a building which is fully enclosed so that it can be used all year round. And if you can have some desks in there as well, all the better!

So we are pleased to now be selling stylish outdoor shelters for forest schools cabin which come in different sizes to suit different class sizes or forest school groups and which have a special central fire/BBQ cooking facility where a fire can be lit to both heat up the cabin and to cook on. It is also possible to have internal benching and desks in the cabin as well and in this instance a flue positioned above the fire allows the smoke to easily escape. So this product offers up the ideal solution for a forest school – it allows children to make fires (and thereby also provide for internal heat if “off grid” which these sites usually are), it allows them to cook, it provides for shelter for all year round use and it can be an outdoor learning resource with desks and tables.

There are some options available – firstly the sizes as they come in 10m2, 14m2, 17m2 and 25m2 variants. On some of these models, you can have either sloping walls or straight, there are a couple of colour choices of felt shingle tiles for the roof, internal benches and desks, seating cushions, LED lights and bases. Our prices always allow for delivery and installation.

For further details, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01865 858982 or email: info@hideouthouse.com

www.hideouthouse.com

 

 

An Alternative Way For Schools To Fund Outdoor Classrooms

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Enclosed octagonal and rectangular classrooms

Enclosed octagonal and rectangular classrooms

We sell a lot of outdoor classrooms to schools and ever more so those which are fully enclosed with solid wall panels and glazed panels. The reason being is that schools can use them all year round without worrying about the elements (we can also insulate them if they were going to be heated) plus they can use them as buildings which the wider community can utilise and benefit from too.

But the challenge is always funding or lack of it to be more precise. “Love them but we have no budget” is the usual response I hear from head teachers or school business managers. There are undoubtedly grants which you can apply for which will fund these type of buildings but let’s assume that there is no room in the school budget to afford these outdoor classrooms and you cannot get a grant. But you want and need an outdoor classroom for your school. So we have thought “outside of the box” on this issue and come up with following proposal.

Firstly, you can take out an operating lease on these type of buildings (this applies to your school whether it is an academy or within local authority control) over a typical period of 3 years where at the end of the lease period the school then has the option to return the equipment with no further payments or extend the agreement for one final year.

  • If the school extends for a final year the quarterly payments will be charged at ‘fair market value’, typically no more than 60% of the quarterly repayments on the original 3 year lease
  • At the end of the fourth year the equipment is then abandoned to the school with no more rentals to pay, no title is passed to the school

So you have the benefit of the asset now but can spread the payments over a period of time or school budget accounting periods. But we still haven’t got the money to pay for the lease payments I hear you cry.

By way of an example incidentally, a £12,000 enclosed outdoor classroom would cost £80 to rent per week over a three year period.

First question to ask yourself…..could the building be let out for before and after school clubs for example and if so, would you have any idea what a school could charge for this? Could the PTA use it or some of the money they raise each year be used to offset the lease payments?

or we have an association with a company who rent out school premises such as sports facilities or halls (for further information on this see my blog link given below). In terms of hiring halls for example they have on their books some smaller schools in a rural setting earning £10-15k per year but the larger halls in busier cities can attract up to £60k of revenue (obviously dependent on the types of activities allowed). They also have an IT system which does all of the administration for the bookings and they do all of the marketing as well – in return for this, they ask for a commission for all bookings taken. All the school has to do is obviously have someone on hand i.e. site manager, caretaker – to let people in and out.

So if a school were to utilise this service, this would hopefully generate enough extra income to pay for the outdoor classroom leasing payments. You already have the school asset so you need to put it out work. But I am well aware that this would have to be run past Governors and many questions would be asked! See therefore some testimonials below from schools who are already using this system.

But all I am trying to do is find a way of not just giving up and saying there is no money. That would be very un-British!

Angela Mellish – Bursar School: St Bernards

QUOTE: “We wouldn’t be without BookingsPlus! It has saved us so much time with the speedy invoicing and online payments. We recently had the auditors in who commented that the system was an auditors dream. The audit trail is tight, and there is a good level of control within the system such as not being able to delete invoices and payments. The ability to add reasons to credit notes and voided invoices provides the perfect picture as to what is happening. From booking through to payment, it is easy to keep track of everything. The auditors said they would recommend the system to other schools, and so would I”

Steve Munday – Head Teacher William Edwards School

QUOTE: “The BookingsPlus system gives us a significant revenue boost, which we have been able to invest in ICT/ technology, sporting equipment and staffing to ensure that we can provide the best possible learning environments and opportunities for our students. Equally importantly it has helped us to become an integral part of the local community by giving local groups, charities and organisations the chance to use our exceptional facilities. Everybody wins!”

Blog on renting out premises

Generate Money for Your School – Rent Out Your Premises

For further information on the above or to explore opportunities how we can help  your school get funding for our outdoor classrooms, please call 01865 858982 or email: info@hideouthouse.com

www.hideouthouse.com

4m x 3m enclosed outdoor classroom

4m x 3m enclosed outdoor classroom

Superglamp – A New Division For The Hideout House Company

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full package

Our business has always been involved in the educational sector and we have hopefully built up a good reputation with schools for supplying quality outdoor classrooms, eco classrooms, school buildings, playground equipment and bespoke landscaping projects.

But we started to get quite a few enquiries from the leisure and hospitality industry for play equipment, multi purpose buildings such as offices, reception buildings etc and mobile buildings which could be adapted for accommodation purposes…so we have started a new division called Superglamp to service this growing and exciting industry. Not only do we create unique products, we create unique concepts which includes accommodation units in many different guises,  products which compliment the trend for wellness breaks, multi-purpose outdoor buildings and our very own “unique chic boutique” which includes such novel items as grass covered outdoor sofas!

Eco tourism is very important in this industry too so we have managed to utilise a lot of our knowledge, experience and products from the educational sector into the Superglamp brand…such as our pod lodges which are totally off-grid and self sufficient.

For more information, please visit the website www.superglamp.com

Or contact us on 01865 858982 or email info@hideouthouse.com