Team champ Jeannie joins park’s new recruits
New job recruits at a major South Cumbria holiday park include a Lake District football team president who has now transferred her career into the premier league.
Jeannie Coates, aged 57, is now in charge of the supermarket operation at Silverdale Holiday Park where up to 2,000 holidaymakers stay each night.
Jeannie’s appointment is the latest of six new jobs created recently at the multi-award winning park which says it has just enjoyed the busiest summer ever in its 60-year history.
The park’s shop, which is also used by Silverdale village residents, stocks a raft of merchandise from sausages to swimwear – and under Jeannie’s management, will soon see new changes.
She intends to broaden even further the range of Cumbria-made food and drinks carried in the shop, and to adopt a “local suppliers first” buying policy whenever possible.
Jeannie, who has lived in Arnside for 22 years, began her retail career as a trainee with the then newly-opened Asda store in Kendal, rising to become manager of its clothing department.
Whilst there, she was personally congratulated on her achievements and presented with a bottle of champagne by fashion supremo George Davies – founder of Next and Asda’s George label.
Jeannie went on to spend 16 years at Kendal department store Beales where she was manager of its independent footwear concession Moda in Pelle.
When not heading the team at Silverdale park’s supermarket, Jeannie enjoys long walks with her dog, and helping run Arnside Football Club of which she is president.
Jeannie’s partner Phillip also sits on the club’s committee and helps to support its training programme..
Silverdale park owner Michael Holgate said he was delighted to welcome Jeannie on board, and that the supermarket now stands to benefit greatly from her extensive retail experience.
More than 130 people are now employed by Silverdale and the five other parks in Cumbria and North Lancashire owned by the Holgates group, the vast majority recruited locally.
Other recent new job opportunities created at the parks have been in customer services, administration and ground maintenance departments.
There is more information about the business at www.holgates.co.uk
