Solships - Solstad Offshore ASA 04/2012 - Christmas edition | Page 63

Solships DECEMBER 2012 Great holidays with Solstad - We’ve spent our summer holidays in southern Norway and our autumn holidays in Hovden. This year we had a lovely summer holiday in Denmark, says Jarl Einar Ånensen. He is Chief Engineer on the Normand Neptun, and has frequently taken advantage of the holiday cabins available through Solstad’s Welfare Club. Ånensen and his family spend their vacations in the holiday cabins at Hovden and in southern Norway that are managed by the welfare club. This year the welfare club introduced a new offer, a holiday cabin in Denmark, after an internal questionnaire completed by the members identified this as a popular holiday destination. The summer house is located at Louns near Hvalpsund and it is in a picturesque area with opportunities for swimming and outdoor activities. The cabin is of a high standard, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and all necessary amenities and equipment. The garden is well tended with a terrace and a large lawn. The Ånensen family spent a week in Denmark, and are very pleased with the welfare club’s new offer. - The summer house is centrally located, with a number of exciting attractions nearby, says Jarl Einar Ånensen. The family visited Legoland, which is approximately 1 ½ hours drive from Hvalpsund. They also paid a visit to Jesperhus holiday park, a short hour away from the cabin. The park features botanical and zoological gardens, carousels and play areas. The Ånensen family also stopped by Hjortdal animal farm, where guests are allowed to go into some of the fences and paddocks. There is also the opportunity to feed the animals. Solstad Welfare Club The Solstad Welfare Club was founded - and is run - by Solstad’s Welfare Club was initiated and is managed by its employees from its head office in Skudesneshavn. The club was formally established in 2000, and gives its members the opportunity to rent subsidised holiday homes in several different countries. Solstad’s Welfare Club currently has a total of 7 different holiday homes to offer its members. In Norway, there are three cabins in Hovden and one in southern Norway. In addition, there is a holiday home in Hvalpsund , Denmark, an apartment in Alicante, Spain and a bungalow in Aguineguin on the south-west coast of Gran Canaries. The Welfare Club has over 900 members and receives a lot of enquiries from employees wanting to take advantage of a subsidised holiday rental. Next summer, the Solstad Welfare Club are offering a season ticket to Legoland and Aalborg Zoo to anyone renting the holiday cabin in Denmark. This is of great value to those renting the cabin and the Welfare Club decided to do this after finding out that most of the people using the cabins visit at least one of these attractions. In addition, the Welfare Club will start a time-share where it is possible to search and book available dates for holiday homes in Norway, Spain and Denmark. There is a calendar on the intranet showing available dates and it is easy to book this yourself via the internet. The Welfare Club has so far concentrated on its members in Europe and the majority of offers have therefore been in Scandinavia and south Europe. With Solstad’s internationalization and expansion over the last few years, this means these offers may be extended to other countries where Solstad has established offices. As the Welfare Club is a cooperation between the company and its employees, it its necessary to have local initiatives and input from the local offices in order to develop the activity in other areas. - We had a great holiday with lots of memorable experiences. We had no problems finding our way round to the various parks located nearby, says Ånensen. He greatly appreciates the welfare club’s offer of a subsidised holiday. - It’s easy to find the availability of the cabins on the website, and we have travelled both in the high and low season, says Ånensen. Since Hovden is mainly a winter destination, his family has gone there in the autumn. There are a lot of cabins available at that time of the year, which makes it possible to take a weekend trip on the spur of the moment. - Autumn is the ideal season for taking a trip to the mountains. We’ve hiked in the area around the cabin, and visited the ”water world” at Hovden. Solstad’s Welfare Club also has a flat in Alicante, Spain, and a bungalow on the Canary Islands. The family has not yet decided where their next “Solstad” holiday will be. - We will see where we end up. We think that all of Solstad’s holiday homes are of a high standard and are ideally located, so we’re already looking forward to our next trip, wherever that w