Willerby lodges become centrepiece of new Royal Navy welfare facility

Hull-based holiday home manufacturer Willerby has played a key role in a project to enhance the wellbeing of personnel at one of Europe’s largest naval bases.

Four of Willerby’s luxury holiday lodges have become the centrepiece of a new wellbeing facility at the Royal Navy base at Devonport in Plymouth, which will be used to allow service people and their families to spend quality time together.

The homes, which can each sleep up to eight people, are part of a new village-style development within HMS Drake, the main naval barracks serving His Majesty’s Naval Base Devonport, which has a workforce of over 2,500 Royal Navy personnel and civilians.

The development includes a children’s play park alongside four of Willerby’s luxury New Holland lodges, providing a relaxing, safe and family-friendly space, where families can come together and make memories, without the cost or time implications of travelling out of the area to a private holiday park or hotel.

The project was spearheaded by the former Naval Base Commander, Brigadier Mike Tanner, and retired naval officer, Henry Merewether.

After serving as a Commissioned Officer in the Royal Navy for almost 35 years, Henry retired from the armed forces to become Group Head of Security at holiday park operator Parkdean Resorts.

Drawing on his connections and knowledge of the holiday homes industry, Henry teamed up with his long-term friend and former Royal Marines colleague, Brigadier Mike Tanner, to create the new facility in an under-used area within the barracks.

The pair secured funding from the Greenwich Hospital, the Crown body responsible for funding support for the Royal Navy community, and then brought in architect Malcolm Gigg, of ARA Architecture, to head up the project and draw up plans to rejuvenate the space.

Henry said holiday homes market leader Willerby was the obvious choice to provide the lodges for the development, providing the “wow factor” and luxurious retreat they wanted to deliver.

Henry said: “When I was doing my research, I looked at a few other holiday home manufacturers but Willerby just had that wow factor that set them apart.

“I visited Willerby’s showground in Hull to tour some of the lodges and they were all beautifully presented, but when I walked into the New Holland, I immediately knew this was the one for us.

“We want it to feel like a luxurious, relaxing retreat and for people to walk in and think ‘wow’, and there’s no doubt they will be impressed. It demonstrates the value we place in our people.”

The lodges will be offered to service personnel based at Devonport, enabling them to welcome family, or take a respite break, boosting mental wellbeing and morale.

The welfare facility was officially opened by the current Naval Base Commander, Commodore Jane Roe, during a special ceremony attended by representatives of suppliers and contractors involved in the project, including Willerby’s CEO Peter Munk and Head of Group Accounts, Gemma Pudsey.

Peter Munk said: “We’re delighted to have played a small part in making this fantastic initiative come to fruition. It really was a tremendous show of collaboration from several suppliers and contractors who all came together to give back to the Navy personnel and their families.

“We were thrilled to attend the launch and see our New Holland lodges in pride of place at the heart of the naval base.”