Meet The Managers

Meet Eileen and Pete Commander, the Park Managers at Sunnyside Park

Can you tell us about your background and how you got into park management?
Prior to 9 years ago when we moved down south, Pete and I had our own Tanning and Beauty Salon in Tamworth, Staffordshire, for 10 years. Prior to having my daughter, I worked 9 years for Riggs AP Bank Limited, who relocated the Birmingham branch to Great Winchester Street in London.  As I did not wish to relocate, I decided to work in Estate Agency at Jayman’s in Tamworth and did so up to the time we set our business up. Pete has worked as a groundskeeper for Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Severn Trent Water, and also worked on forklifts and clecos at Coca Cola and Cadbury’s warehouses.

After selling up to re-locate near the coast, we stayed at Crowhurst Park in Battle who were advertising for a live-in warden. We decided to take the bull by the horns and Pete applied.  During the three years there whilst Pete was warden, I floated around all the various departments – looking after the office when full-time staff had gone home, on-seeing wedding ceremonies, assisting managing the Leisure Club, setting up The Retreat for beauty treatments, and inspecting lodges when holiday makers had left after cleaning had been conducted.  Pete conducted all the warden duties, including cleaning of hot tubs after holiday makers had departed. 

We were recommended to General Estates (the owners of Sunnyside Park) who thought we would be great at Orchard View Residential and Holiday Park, another park owned by General Estates. We visited Orchard View and took the leap of faith to take it on and make improvements. We’ve not looked back since!

What drew you to working in the holiday park industry?
Being totally honest, when we moved down here, we were unsure as to whether we would set another business up, but after staying at Crowhurst and seeing the role advertised, we thought ‘why not make a change and see where it takes us?’. If we were told 9 years ago that we would be working in the industry, we would have never believed it. Many years ago, we did own two caravans on Haven sites – one on Presthaven Sands in Prestatyn and the other at Weymount Bay in Dorset. I sub-let these caravans and ran all my own administration. Pete used to conduct remedials and drain downs.

What’s the most rewarding part of being a park manager?
We enjoy working with the public and thrive on challenges. We treat the business as if it were our own, giving over 100% commitment and dedication to our roles.  We enjoy making improvements and the challenges that come with it.

What excites you most about working at Sunnyside Park?
We enjoy bonding with the current customer base and making Sunnyside the place that potential new customers want to purchase their holiday homes on. We believe by listening to the customers and being open to constructive criticism, it makes Sunnyside Park a fantastic holiday destination.

What do you think makes Sunnyside Park unique?
We truly believe Sunnyside is ‘The Jewel’ of East Sussex. The location is spectacular and the area is not over-commercialised. The park has brilliant sea views and fantastic views looking towards The Downs and Newhaven. It is within walking distance to its quaint little town and, with having the train line at the back of the park, makes commuting to London and surrounding areas easy.

How do you ensure Sunnyside Park provides exceptional customer service?
By being friendly, totally customer-focused, providing a 24/7 point of contact and dealing with any issues that may occur promptly and efficiently.

What makes Sunnyside Park attractive to potential buyers?
I would certainly stipulate that many of the owners here on park have re-purchased when their caravan has completed its current licence, which is a testament to how wonderful the park is. I would emphasise that the park is in a fantastic, unspoilt, unique location and very serene which many of the owners enjoy here. It’s also easily accessible to Brighton and Eastbourne. They also have the benefit of having a live-in manager on call 24/7.  Many parks do not permit dogs, but at Sunnyside we are fortunate that one dog per home is permitted.

If you would like to contact Eileen, please call the Park Office on 01323 892 825 or send an email to manager@sunnyside-park.com.