Two long-serving employees at Gulliver’s Land have praised the theme park’s strong teamwork ethic as it marks its 25th birthday.
The resort in Milton Keynes first opened its doors in 1999 and is now one of the leading family attractions in the area. It was the third of the Gulliver’s theme parks to open, following on from Gulliver’s Kingdom in Matlock Bath and Gulliver’s World in Warrington, with Gulliver’s Valley in Rotherham joining the family in 2020.
Lee Jenkins, 56, and Wayne Walker, 47, are both from Milton Keynes and know Gulliver’s Land like the back of their hands. In Lee’s case, he has been at the theme park for all but one of its 25 years.
“I started in 2000 as a part-time seasonal ride operator, before being appointed a ride manager,” explained Lee. “My current role is rides and attractions manager, and I take on the role of the park’s duty manager when required.
“The team I work with make this such an enjoyable place and I’d recommend it to anyone. My role is so varied and no one day is ever the same. There are many aspects to the job – including staff recruitment, overseeing all training, ensuring health and safety policies and procedures are current and being followed by staff, maintaining the park and its rides, and organising staff rotas. I’m also a first aider, fire marshal, forklift operator, cherry picker operator, and trained in erecting and taking down the evacuation tower.”
Having been involved almost from the start, Lee has seen how the park has changed, from season to season, and over the years.
He explained: “The different seasons can change the job; the operation over the Easter period is different to how we do things over Christmas, as we have seasonal entertainments alongside some seasonal attractions. We also have different guest characters throughout the year, who draw in different crowds. The accommodation has changed how we operate, as we are now open on a more regular basis than when I joined Gulliver’s Land.
“But the best thing about the job is the team. I enjoy the challenge of utilising their strengths, working with them to develop those skills that can be improved, and helping them further their careers within the company. On a social level, I look forward to our get togethers, when the teams from all the parks meet up.”
Wayne joined Gulliver’s Land in 2007 and his current role is as a fitter, having previously been a rides team leader.
“It’s a great place to work,” he said. “Gulliver’s really look after their staff, and I’d recommend it to anyone who loves the outdoors and who enjoys helping families make special memories when they visit the park.”
Sue Conway, resort director at Gulliver’s Land, said: “We have a wonderful team at Gulliver’s and we are proud that we have such long-serving staff like Lee and Wayne. We are proud, too, that after 25 years the theme park is as popular as ever, and part of that popularity is down to the dedication of people like Lee and Wayne. Gulliver’s Land is always on the look out for new staff to cover a range of roles and we really pride ourselves on being able to offer lots of opportunities for people to develop a great career here with us.
“2024 is a big year for us and we have some fantastic events lined up for families to help us celebrate the resort – alongside all of our usual exciting rides and attractions, of course!”
To find out more about careers with Gulliver’s Land, visit: https://careers.gulliversfun.co.uk/
For details on the rides and attractions, along with the wide variety of themed accommodation, visit: www.gulliverslandresort.co.uk
