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Holiday Parks NZ has announced Petrina and Derek Brenchley as the first recipients of the Pathway to Park Owner Scholarship, sponsored by the Vickian Family Trust.
The judging panel described the standard of entries as impressive but said it was unanimous in selecting the Brenchleys, noting the couple already demonstrated strong foundations for becoming successful park owners.
“We are incredibly excited about this scholarship and eager to see where this journey leads. It’s an honour to be recognised as the inaugural recipients,” Petrina and Derek say.
The scholarship was established by Ian and Vicky Smith, long-time contributors to New Zealand’s holiday park sector. Over nearly 30 years, they transformed Waihi Beach TOP 10 Holiday Park and Beachaven TOP 10 Holiday Park before later taking ownership of Ōhope Beach TOP 10 Holiday Park.
Ian served as chair of the TOP 10 Holiday Parks board from 2016 to 2024 and received Holiday Parks NZ’s Outstanding Contribution Award in 2023.
Now stepping back from ownership, the Smiths are supporting the next generation of park operators through the scholarship initiative.
A number of industry partners will provide specialist support to the Brenchleys. BDO will offer business coaching, Stufkens + Chambers will provide consultancy support, and Mike Dunn Creative will assist with branding. The Vickian Family Trust has also provided a cash contribution to support further learning and development.
Holiday Parks NZ will provide passes for Petrina and Derek to attend the 2026 Holiday Parks NZ Conference & Expo.
Applications for the 2027 scholarship will open later this year.
