About the Derbyshire Centre.

 

The Derbyshire Centre is one of the 70 Caravan Club Centres throughout the UK that provide opportunities for caravanners to get together, and has approximately 1600 members at present, drawn from throughout the county of Derbyshire and beyond.

This site is primarily for members of the Derbyshire Centre of the Caravan Club, and also for any members of the Caravan Club who are interested in events organised by the Derbyshire Centre. 

We hold organised events, known as rallies, almost every weekend of the year, to encourage the friendly and social aspects of our pastime.  Major events each year include New Year, Burns Night, Halloween and Bonfire night, as well as a dinner dance and our annual sports rally and sporting competitions with other centres.

The Derbyshire Centre is a not for profit organisation run for its members by elected committee members.  We have a senior committee who oversee the running of the centre and organise the major events, and a teenage committee to represent the interests of the younger members and organise events to suit their interests.  Both Senior and Teenage committee's have their own sections of this site where you can find out about their activities and get in contact with a committee member directly if you need to.

If  you are not a member of  the Derbyshire Centre, or of the Caravan Club, you can join us through the Caravan Club.  Caravan club members can join Derbyshire Centre by sending the centre membership slip to East Grinstead when you first join, and each year when you renew your membership. 

You have to renew your membership of the centre each year, it is not automatic.

 

Like all good Clubs we have a set of rules:

These are designed to make the rallying we do safer and much more pleasant.

The rules are as follows:

DERBYSHIRE CENTRE RULES

1. WHILE ON SITE, ALL VEHICLES MUST OBSERVE THE SPEED LIMIT (this is WALKING pace).

2. Cash is not to be raised or collected for any purpose without prior approval of the Committee.

3. Donations will be sought from members for being towed on to or off the site by 4WDs (or other vehicles). Any surplus money so raised may be given to charities selected by the Committee.

4. A member may pitch a tent of a size not exceeding 48sq.ft. floor area to be used for sleeping purposes only. The tent is to be sited at the side of the Caravan and if not possible, at the Marshal’s discretion. Play or Storage tents are not permitted. Tents must be taken down as soon as possible on the last day of the rally.

5. On arrival at the site Vans are to be pitched with the front offside corner of the body `on' the marker peg. Cars are to be parked on the offside of the caravan.

6. A member may, at the discretion of the marshal save ONE ADJACENT PITCH FOR A FRIEND (ONE PLACE PER OUTFIT).

7. The contents of chemical closets and waste water are to be disposed of in the places designated by the marshals.

Kitchen and other dry waste is to be taken home (except at rallies of duration longer than a normal weekend - when facilities may be provided).

THE USE OF WASTE WATER

FILTERS IS PROHIBITED ON ALL

RALLIES.

Toilets are not to be washed or filled at drinking water taps.

8. Dogs must be kept on a lead while on a site and must not be allowed to foul the property of members, the ground in the vicinity of vans, or the vicinity of the rally site.

9. A normal weekend rally extends from Friday evening to Sunday evening. MEMBERS MUST NOT ARRIVE AT THE SITE BEFORE THE OFFICIAL OPENING TIME OF THE RALLY ON THE FRIDAY OR LATER THAN 10.30pm AND MUST VACATE THE SITE BY THE TIME SPECIFIED BY THE MARSHAL.

10. Bingo games are not to be held at rallies.

11. Fully qualified licensed drivers only are to drive vehicles on the site. Driving lessons must not be given.

12. Kite flying, ball games, including swing-ball must not be played in the vicinity of the caravans, and marshals should try to provide a suitable area away from any caravans for the playing of games.

13. Members arriving after 4pm on Saturday at a normal weekend rally will pay for Saturday night only, except where stated in the rally details.

14. Members having booked a rally and not attending shall pay a fee of £5 for non attendance, unless they have cancelled the booking more than 7 days prior to the event.

Members who cancel for prepaid rallies will receive a refund, less administration fee, providing 3 days notice prior to the start of event is given.

15. Members can only stay for the duration of the rally and are asked not to approach the landowner for any extension of their visit.

16. A continuous car horn is the distress signal to summon help. Please do not use it for any other purpose.

17. All excessive noise must cease at 11.00pm. (Excessive noise being such that it causes annoyance to other Members).

18. 1. Generators can only be used between the hours of 10:00hrs and 12:00hrs and again between the hours of 16:00hrs and 18:00hrs
18.2. Owners must be in attendance at the caravan at all times whilst the generator is in use
18.3. No industrial type or noisy generators are to be used (this will be at the discretion of the marshal's and committee members on each rally)
18.4. Generators will be allowed for the efficient running of social events or for medical reasons (subject to the marshal's permission)

19. The flying of a Yellow Flag at the flagpole requires all vehicle movement to cease immediately (including 4WD's), unless directed otherwise by the rally marshals

CARAVAN SITES ACT
Non-Licensed Sites
1. You may store your caravan in your own garden, or you may visit a friend by placing your caravan `within the curtilage' of their home.
2. You can place your caravan anywhere (with the occupier’s permission of course) and stay one or two nights. It is up to the land occupier to see that yours is the only caravan on their land, and that the land is only used for 28 days in the year, eg. Filling Station, Inn Yard, Paddock.
3. If the land occupier has more than 5 acres, the limit is three caravans at one time, but again only for 28 days per year, e.g. The orthodox farm


Licensed Sites
1. All licensed sites have to display a copy of the licence so that you can tell if your caravan is within the permitted number. If this is in order you can go on any site that will have you.

 

Club Sites / Certified Locations


These do not need a site licence or planning permission. Nor do sites which have received a certificate from the Club and are marked in the 2003/2004 Directory in Capital Letters. Only five caravans at a time are allowed and none can stop more than 28 days in any one year.

 

Health and Safety
E-COLI
“We have been advised by The Caravan Club Headquarters about the risk of infection with E-Coli from contact with animals or their faeces. The advice given is that farm animals should be kept off fields for 3 weeks prior to and during a caravan rally, all visible dung/faeces should be removed, preferably at the beginning of the 3 week period, and the grass should be mown and kept short and clippings removed before the fields are used. We are obliged to pass on this request to you and would ask that you please advise us if this will cause a problem.”
Whilst as a Centre we will endeavour to use rally fields which the landowner does not use for animals there will be instances where this is not practical and as such the following precautions should be taken, at all times, to minimise the risk of E-Coli:-

  • Do not drink from rivers or streams.
  • Ensure that animals have not been in contact with water taps, e.g. taps for water troughs.
  • Avoid contact with animals wherever possible.
  • Avoid walking through areas contaminated with faeces or slurry liquid wherever possible.
  • Keep out of areas not allocated to the rally.
  • Wash hands thoroughly before eating, drinking or smoking etc.
  • Clean off clothing, footwear or any items carried, which may have been in contact with the ground.

 

Fire Precautions

Should you discover a fire the procedure to be adopted is as follows:  

  • Raise the alarm
  • Delegate someone to call the fire brigade (Even when the fire is out, their advice is invaluable)
  • Evacuate all occupants and persons from the area.
  • If the fire is still fairly small attempt to extinguish it with the appropriate fire fighting equipment only if it is safe to do so without endangering life and if confident of using the equipment correctly 
  • If the fire is not connected with gas, get someone to turn off the gas, only if it is safe to do so without endangering life and if confident of using the equipment correctly.
  • In the event of a fire in the cylinder locker, preventing you from turning off the gas, the fire will have to be completely extinguished to get at the cylinder valve/regulator and turn it to the “off” position. If the fire is not completely extinguished a flashback can occur.   The procedure must not be attempted unless it can be done safely and without endangering life

 

IF IN DOUBT – GET OUT.